What is first major news event you recall as child?

[Rhiannon12866]

98. Same here.

I was in elementary school and my reading group had been given the unusual privilege of going to the school library accompanied - after being warned about staying in line and not talking or running in the halls. We hadn't been in the library long when the 6th grade teacher burst in to speak to the librarian. Apparently, "Coach," the school gym teacher had a free period and heard on the radio that the president had been shot - and he rushed to the closest classroom to spread the terrible news.

So we totally forgot the rules about staying in line and not running, we ran back to the classroom at the far end of the school to tell our teacher - who immediately ran out to find out the details and all hell broke loose after that. I remember sitting in the school gym waiting for the school buses to arrive, they immediately sent us all home. It was a confusing time and everyone was pretty much scared and stunned. The next few days were a kind of a blur, the TV news was on constantly at our house. I actually saw Lee Harvey Oswald shot live on TV and when I went in the kitchen to tell my mother, I remember that she had to hold on to the counter - she said she couldn't take any more of the week's news.