What was the first major news story you remember as a child?

[MenInG]

For me - it was the fall of Saigon - remember reading cover of Newsweek and looking at the picture of a helicopter on top of the embassy and wondering what that meant!

 

[cric_man]

Space shuttle Challenger blowing up 1986

 

[Major]

9/11

I had been to USA as child, and my dad took us to see the twin towers aswell. I still remember looking up to this tall building and while i tried to look up my little neck hurt. It was quite tall and I also remember its glass. We never went inside though due to a very high priced ticket.

Few months later we came back to Pakistan and than one day I think it was brother who was watching the news and told everyone that the twin towers been attacked. And while watching we saw the second plane hit the other tower.

It was the first time I was seeing the news and I was i think 5 or 6. Eventually, the twin towers that I saw became saved as an important memory in my brain after that. Plus, its one of the reasons why I was hooked up on reading on material regarding Al qaeda and Bin laden.

 

[PakLFC]

That would be giving our age away!

 

[saeedhk]

Killing of Benazir Bhutto. I remember seeing scenes of chaos on TV where mobs were running amok and setting fires.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Killing of Benazir Bhutto. I remember seeing scenes of chaos on TV where mobs were running amok and setting fires.

if that’s your first memory then you’re prolly 20-21 max. immaturity of your posts over the years makes more sense now

 

[Third_Umpire]

Zia Ul Haq blown to pieces.

 

[Last Monetarist]

I think the earliest vague memory I have is of the general sensation that surrounded the helicopter crash that killed Zia ul Haq.

The first noteworthy news items that I remember on television are the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union a couple of years later.

 

[Technics 1210]

Who shot JR Ewing. It was major news story back in those days!

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I think it was the death of Diana. It was quite a sad time, most Pakistanis loved her, and the whole country was in tears.

Being quite young I found it rather odd, I hadn't suffered any personal losses at that age so I remember wondering why I wasnt extemely sad and everyone else on TV was crying.

There may have been memories before this but the way that press coverage was dominated by this news and the overall feeling across the country makes this quite a strong memory.

 

[Gilly]

Moon landing, it was amazing and the only news we got was on the radio (no tv's). our whole town would gather for the lift off, the landing and return. A very happy time with celebrations, never witnessed so much joy and togetherness from any other news story.

 

[sweep_shot]

9/11.

I was 10 years old then.

 

[MenInG]

I think it was the death of Diana. It was quite a sad time, most Pakistanis loved her, and the whole country was in tears.

Being quite young I found it rather odd, I hadn't suffered any personal losses at that age so I remember wondering why I wasnt extemely sad and everyone else on TV was crying.

There may have been memories before this but the way that press coverage was dominated by this news and the overall feeling across the country makes this quite a strong memory.

Yep very traumatic time that.

 

[IMMY69]

It was very very late in the night, we were sitting in the plane on the tarmac at Karachi Airport.
I was a young child but remember the news coming through that there had been a military coup and that we may not be able to take off. Everyone on board was panicking including the Air Hostesses.

The pilot then walked through the cabin and asked everyone to remain calm. Then all the lights inside the plane went off. The pilot put a radio on and we could just about hear the news. There must have been 300 people on board but it was pin drop silence and all we could hear was the crackling radio.

Then after what seemed like ages with military jeeps driving around outside, We finally taxied to the runway and were the very last flight that managed to leave Karachi before the airport was fully shut down. The lights were only turned on inside the plane after we were over the Arabian Sea.

The pilot then updated the news all the way until we reached Heathrow, with several stop overs along the way..

This was 1977

 

[cric_man]

I think the earliest vague memory I have is of the general sensation that surrounded the helicopter crash that killed Zia ul Haq.

The first noteworthy news items that I remember on television are the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union a couple of years later.

It was a C-130 transport aircraft not a helicopter...

 

[cric_man]

It was very very late in the night, we were sitting in the plane on the tarmac at Karachi Airport.
I was a young child but remember the news coming through that there had been a military coup and that we may not be able to take off. Everyone on board was panicking including the Air Hostesses.

The pilot then walked through the cabin and asked everyone to remain calm. Then all the lights inside the plane went off. The pilot put a radio on and we could just about hear the news. There must have been 300 people on board but it was pin drop silence and all we could hear was the crackling radio.

Then after what seemed like ages with military jeeps driving around outside, We finally taxied to the runway and were the very last flight that managed to leave Karachi before the airport was fully shut down. The lights were only turned on inside the plane after we were over the Arabian Sea.

The pilot then updated the news all the way until we reached Heathrow, with several stop overs along the way..

This was 1977

That was some twist. Didn't expect that

 

[Giannis]

Earliest news story I vaguely remember was probably 9/11 and the subsequent war, I barely remember any news from before then except maybe the 2000 Bush-Gore election circus but I'm not sure if I remember it happening in real time or if I had seen a movie about it like a year latter, I was only 5 in 2000 so its like a fever dream.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Hanging of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

I may have some older ones but they are vague.

 

[Last Monetarist]

It was a C-130 transport aircraft not a helicopter...

Mea culpa, thanks.

 

[Robert]

Apollo 11 landing.

 

[shaz619]

1992 WC when England lost the final [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION]

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Diana

 

[maverick85]

Mad cow disease and the culling of cows with spongelike changes to their brain.

 

[Hitman]

Rajeev Gandhi’s assassination.

 

[OMB]

I don't remember the first major news.
Though I do remember picking up newspaper to scan through the comic strips even when I had not learned to read much. Phantom and Mandrake were the two comic strips.

 

[OldWarHorse]

Kargil

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Rajeev Gandhi’s assassination.

Same here.

 

[warcry]

Musharraf takeover and his speech in 99.