Home » Culture & Society » History » US History

What Were You Doing During Great Moments in Recent History?

Ranked #3,532 in Culture & Society, #74,093 overall

Share Memories of the Kennedy Assassination, Moon Landing, 9/11 Terrorist Attack, and Other Momentous Events

A great moment in history or a moment of horror locks into a person's mind those events. Years later they will still remember vividly what they were doing when they heard the news. Think back to the Kennedy assassination, the first man to set foot on the moon, the planes crashing into the World Trade Center and other events of modern times.

Where were you and what were you doing when these momentous events occurred? Share with us your thoughts and experiences from those times.


Poster/Print: Man on Moon - NASA 1969 by VintageCabaret
More Nasa Posters

May 2, 2011 Osama Bin Laden Killed by U.S. Navy Seals

Where were you and what were you doing when you heard about the death?

Comments are reviewed before posting to prevent weird political rants and SPAM and hateful comments.
OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD shirt
OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD by sodashirts

submit
Show All

What the Buzz Is about Osama Bin Laden on the Blogs

Teen Arrested in Flight Ruckus Sang of Bin Laden
A Saudi Arabian teenager who authorities say swung his fist at a flight attendant, tried to hit passengers and mentioned Osama bin Laden during a flight to Houston was indicted Wednesday on charges of interfering with a plane crew.
Health workers linked to CIA's Osama bin Laden assassination plot are sacked
Seventeen local health workers have been fired in Abbottabad for their part in a CIA scheme to try to confirm the presence of Osama bin Laden in the northern Pakistani town. The low-ranking health department employees were punished for helping Dr ...
Kathryn Bigelow's Osama Bin Laden movie to be filmed in India
By Andrew Buncombe There were disagreements about the details ? one said Rajasthan, another said Punjab ? but the Indian media was in agreement yesterday that movie director Kathryn Bigelow is poised to film parts of her new movie about Osama Bin Laden ...
Bin Laden's death unlikely to dim flame of Islamic extremism: CSIS
OTTAWA - Just hours after US forces killed Osama bin Laden, Canada's spy agency predicted Islamic radicalism would live on despite the al-Qaida leader's death. A newly released assessment by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service says bin Laden ...
Powered by Google

May 2, 2011 Osama Bin Laden Killed by U.S. Navy Seals

The first book about the death of Bin Laden

Osama Bin Laden: His Death and the Future of Al Qaeda (Osama Bin Ladin Killed)

Osama Bin Laden: His Death and the Future of Al Qaeda (Osama Bin Ladin Killed)

by: U.S. Army (Ret) Lieutenant Colonel Joe Ruffini

Amazon Price: (as of 02/23/2012)Buy Now

September 11, 2001 - Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center

What were you doing that day? Share your memories.

9/11 10th Anniversary WTC and the Flag bumpersticker
9/11 10th Anniversary WTC and the Flag by pjwuebker

submit
  • Reply
    MarigoldTortelli Jan 20, 2012 @ 1:10 pm | delete
    I was at school when a teacher came in and told us that a plane hit the World Trade Center. At first we were all grumbling about drunk or suicidal pilots. Then the second plane hit. All day in every class we left the news on. We thought this was the beginning of a new World War.
  • Reply
    CruiseReady Dec 19, 2011 @ 11:13 am | delete
    My husband and I were getting ready to go to a weekly senior bowling leage ... and we immediately thought about the son, who worked in a building just across from the WTC. Turns out he saw it all. We spent much of that day trying to get in touch with him. He had had to walk home through all the chaos that ensued.
  • Reply
    AliciaMae Dec 13, 2011 @ 1:58 am | delete
    I was a senior in college in Indiana, got up and turned the tv on to watch the Today show like I normally did before class, just in time to watch the 2nd plane hit - I spent the next 2 hours glued to the screen. I don't remember the rest of the day, or week...somehow I managed to drag myself to class between phone calls to family on the east coast.
  • Reply
    GardenCherub Dec 10, 2011 @ 6:45 pm | delete
    I was at McDonald's waiting to meet my son. The first tower went down while I waited on him (I had the radio on in car). I had designed some fliers for him & he was picking them up. He arrived, I gave him the fliers then we talked in amazement about the tower being hit. Then went our separate ways. On the drive between McD's & home, the 2nd tower was hit. Wow! I remember every detail of that day.
  • Reply
    skiesgreen Dec 8, 2011 @ 6:44 pm | delete
    I was in bed asleep when my daughter rang and said the US was being attacked and to turn the radio on. My sister appreciated me calling her as well. We then watched until the early hours of the morning.
  • Reply
    aquarian_insight Dec 8, 2011 @ 3:43 am | delete
    I was at work it was just after lunch time and one guy announced that a plane had hit the World Trade Center - we all thought it was a horrible accident, until the second one hit. I remember the servers were going nuts because everyone was trying to log on to the news to see what was happening. I'll never forget my journey home that day because I came home by Heathrow airport and the skies were empty.
  • Reply
    thebutterflyfx Dec 8, 2011 @ 3:29 am | delete
    I just had moved to a new appartment in another city. I still had no tv and heard the news on the radio. I coudn't figure out what was going on because it was so unbelievable. Only when I saw it on Tv i realized the extend of it.
  • Reply
    victoriuh Dec 7, 2011 @ 11:32 pm | delete
    I was driving to work. When I got there we watched the news and it kept getting worse and worse.
  • Reply
    BuddyBink Dec 7, 2011 @ 7:52 pm | delete
    Just woke up and turned on the news. Thought it was a trailer for a movie until I listened to the commentary.
  • Reply
    mrducksmrnot Dec 7, 2011 @ 7:14 pm | delete
    On my PC reading the local newspaper.
  • Reply
    hzandstra Dec 7, 2011 @ 7:07 pm | delete
    I was in my office at home preparing to go to work when my wife got a call from her mother and we turned on the news to confirm what she said was true
  • Reply
    lasertek Dec 7, 2011 @ 6:54 pm | delete
    I was eating with my family watching TV and then we saw what happened.
  • Reply
    AlleyCatLane Dec 7, 2011 @ 6:49 pm | delete
    I was helping the psychiatrist at work run his monthly med clinic. When we came out, staff were telling us about all the attacks. We thought they were joking.
  • Reply
    bril79 Dec 7, 2011 @ 5:26 pm | delete
    I was at the office, sitting at my desk working, when a co-worker came in and said a plane had just hit the North tower. I went to another office to watch the TV and saw the second plane hit. I also remember my boss was traveling that day and was stuck at the airport.
  • Reply
    JDWheeler Dec 7, 2011 @ 4:06 pm | delete
    Working at a radio station about to wrap up the morning show. At first you thought it has an accident, and then the second plane hit...
  • Load More
Show All

Read More about 9/11

Books available from Amazon

Loading

Photos of the World Trade Center and 9/11

These update daily

World Trade Center Buildings Rise by Geoff Livingston
WTC In The Rain by indi.ca
February 14 by terryballard
Local de uma das torres WTC by Cesar e Camilla
Homenagem aos bombeiros... by Cesar e Camilla
11/set/2011 - ninguem esquecera.... by Cesar e Camilla
O novo World Trade Center by Cesar e Camilla
Sunset as seen from World Trade Center, NYC by RodneyRamsey
WorldTradeCtr1976Jan026 by d a murphy
WorldTradeCtr1976Jan029 by d a murphy
WorldTradeCtr1976Jan028 by d a murphy
Rain At The Dutch Hospital by indi.ca
automatically generated by Flickr

August 29, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina

Where were you and what did you think about this disaster?

Hurricane Katrina Poster print
Hurricane Katrina Poster by AlanCrosthwaite

submit
  • Reply
    MarigoldTortelli Jan 20, 2012 @ 1:14 pm | delete
    This I don't remember so clearly. I was in college, and I live in Texas, but my area was not directly affected by the hurricane. My college has a campus in Galveston, though, so for a few weeks we had students from the Galveston campus in our classes.
  • Reply
    CruiseReady Dec 19, 2011 @ 11:15 am | delete
    I was following Katrina's every move on TV and on weather forums on the net, as I do every tropical system, from tropical lows right up to monster storms. I'm a bit of a tropical weather system junkie, as I live in hurricane country (though not the gulf coast.)
  • Reply
    AliciaMae Dec 13, 2011 @ 2:03 am | delete
    My boyfriend lived in Metairie (just outside, west, of New Orleans proper) - he lost everything except the few things he had in the car to that storm. I remember lots of desperate phone calls, then texts, then nothing as the phone died - he spent 10 hours trying to get to Baton Rouge to safety, then spent a week in Houston at relatives'. He relocated to the east coast when he found his apartment had flooded and everything was gone or molded. 6 years later and that storm is still known in our house (in New Hampshire away from the coast!) as "that b**ch" !
  • Reply
    skiesgreen Dec 8, 2011 @ 6:46 pm | delete
    Watching the event unfold on television. Most Aussies were glued to their sets as the hurricane exploded over the cities affected.
  • Reply
    aquarian_insight Dec 8, 2011 @ 3:46 am | delete
    I was in Mumbai where I was stuck indoors for 24hrs with no electricity or water because there was extensive flooding in the area. It was nowhere near as bad as Katrina, but it got no news time due to the events happening in New Orleans. I only found out about Katrina after speaking to my family back home in London and saw it on the news once the electricity was back on.
  • Reply
    BuddyBink Dec 7, 2011 @ 7:53 pm | delete
    Just heard about it on the news. Prayed for the people.
  • Reply
    mrducksmrnot Dec 7, 2011 @ 7:19 pm | delete
    I was bouncing back and forth from the weather channel and NASA site watching the path of the storm before it hit.
  • Reply
    AlleyCatLane Dec 7, 2011 @ 6:52 pm | delete
    I was home watching the weather station to see if we were going to get any of the storm here in Tallahassee, and praying New Orleans wouldn't get a direct hit. Then watching the horrific stories of those poor people after the storm hit.
  • Reply
    RawBill Dec 7, 2011 @ 3:04 pm | delete
    I don't really remember much about when I heard this for the first time. I think my mind sort of brushed it off at first though as we often hear about natural disasters on the other side of the world and because they are so far away, they do not really mean much. There is always some sort of flood, earthquake or cyclone going on somewhere. This one hit home with me more as it went on and I saw how bad the damage was and heard about how poorly the USA officials responded to it.
  • Reply
    Helenee Dec 7, 2011 @ 3:01 pm | delete
    Well, besides feeling sorry for the lives lost and properties destroyed, I regret not having vivited the US and New Orleans before that one happened.
  • Reply
    BunnyFabulous Dec 7, 2011 @ 2:04 pm | delete
    I was in Orlando and after getting hit by 3 hurricanes the year before, I was watching the news closely and praying that people in NO would be ok.
  • Reply
    mukunda22 Dec 7, 2011 @ 12:46 pm | delete
    It was hotter than the hinges where I was, and we were all fearful that Katrina would hit where we live in PA. My family was visiting from Oregon, and they were getting ready to fly back. Little did we know then how tragic everything was destined to be.
  • Reply
    TravelingRae Dec 7, 2011 @ 12:09 pm | delete
    I was recovering from dental surgery that delayed my vacation by a week. Good thing, too, or I would have been in New Orleans when Katrina hit. I had to change my vacation plans fast!
  • Reply
    nikosgr Dec 7, 2011 @ 12:08 pm | delete
    I was a seamen that period and i was in New Orleans trying to go to my country Greece..It took me 4 day to go home..
  • Reply
    MJsConsignments Dec 7, 2011 @ 11:14 am | delete
    I was an Army Staff Sergeant and a GS employee working full time for the Ohio Army National Guard. I spent a couple of months working most days and many weekends moving Ohio's soldiers in and out of Louisiana for the relief effort.
  • Load More
Show All

Hurricane Katrina Pictures on Flickr Photos

Dead 6 Flags by Keoni Cabral
Abandoned High School 3 11 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned High School 3 9 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned High School 3 8 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned High School 3 5 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned High School 3 4 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned High School 3 10 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned High School 3 7 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned High School 3 3 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned Green House 4 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned Green House 6 by xshamethestrongx
On not forgetting tragedies by quinn.anya
Sponsored by Katrina by Keoni Cabral
Gentilly Peoples Avenue November 2005 by Infrogmation
Storm by Jason Rosenberg
Abandoned High School 3 13 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned High School 3 6 by xshamethestrongx
Abandoned High School 3 12 by xshamethestrongx
automatically generated by Flickr

June 4th 1989 - Tiananmen Square Massacre

What were your thoughts when you first saw this on the news? Possibly 400 to 800 people were killed and some estimates go as high as 3000.

Remember Tiananmen Square mousepad
Remember Tiananmen Square by 454ink

submit
Show All

Learn More about Tiananmen Square and What Happened There

and how it affected China

Loading

July 20, 1969 - Man Walks on the Moon

Do you remember watching this on TV?

Men Walk on Moon Newspaper Headline Sign print
Men Walk on Moon Newspaper Headline Sign by yesterdaysgirl

submit
Show All

November 22, 1963 - John F. Kennedy Assassinated

What do you remember about that day? What were you doing when you heard the news?

JFK KILLED Button button
JFK KILLED Button by samappleby

submit
  • Reply
    CruiseReady Dec 19, 2011 @ 11:19 am | delete
    Oh, my - I was a junior in high school, and home sick with toncilitis. Bedded down on the couch, I was watching the Dallas parade on TV when it happened. Immediately got up, went to the phone, and called the school... they didn't believe me at first, even though I was a good student, not prone to pranks. It was a sad time for our country.
  • Reply
    skiesgreen Dec 8, 2011 @ 6:49 pm | delete
    My mother woke me up with the dreadful news in the morning here. We were all stunned,
  • Reply
    LiteraryMind Dec 7, 2011 @ 9:20 pm | delete
    I was a freshman in college, walking to my music class and everyone time I passed people I could hear them saying "Kennedy". This seemed to be more than just mention of a president. The instructor said: "I know you are all upset about Kennedy being killed, but we have to hold class anyway. Then, I noticed people were already in tears.
  • Reply
    Bahrns Dec 7, 2011 @ 8:43 pm | delete
    I've watched a show last night where there's a group of cake makers who created this BIG cake for the celebration of the first walk in the moon. They created a replica of the even and Buzz Aldrin was there. The cake was amazing and the event/celebration looks good! Making that cake is definitely time consuming and tiring but I'm sure it is all worth it!
  • Reply
    BuddyBink Dec 7, 2011 @ 7:57 pm | delete
    Sitting in my third grade class room when they announced it over the PA system. Did not understand the meaning of it at the time. Many of the teachers were crying.
  • Reply
    fullofshoes Dec 7, 2011 @ 7:30 pm | delete
    I was a young student, in the classroom and we were watching the Dallas parade on television...a special treat for our 6th grade class. When the teacher realized what had happened she turned the TV off and asked us to put our heads on our desks and stay quiet. She dashed out of the classroom for a minute or two, I imagine to confirm with others what she thought she had seen. She came back in and told us that the President really had been shot. The kids all began to cry..... it was frightening.
  • Reply
    fullofshoes Dec 7, 2011 @ 7:30 pm | delete
    I was a young student, in the classroom and we were watching the Dallas parade on television...a special treat for our 6th grade class. When the teacher realized what had happened she turned the TV off and asked us to put our heads on our desks and stay quiet. She dashed out of the classroom for a minute or two, I imagine to confirm with others what she thought she had seen. She came back in and told us that the President really had been shot. The kids all began to cry..... it was frightening.
  • Reply
    mrducksmrnot Dec 7, 2011 @ 7:30 pm | delete
    Never forget this day. I was at school and everyone was going home as the school closed down all over the county.
  • Reply
    bunyip Dec 7, 2011 @ 7:26 pm | delete
    I was only about 10 years old at the time and the first I knew of it was when my mother came in to wake me for school in the morning and said that he had been assassinated. It didn't really mean much to me at the time, but I remember seeing a lot of it on tv.
  • Reply
    AlleyCatLane Dec 7, 2011 @ 6:56 pm | delete
    I was at high school band practice. When we came off the practice field the choral students told us the presdient had been shot. It was a horrible time. Everyone was crying.
  • Reply
    senditondown Dec 7, 2011 @ 2:44 pm | delete
    I was home from school for the day and was watching TV with my dad. When the regular programming was interrupted, dad said "Sit up and pay attention, something really big is going on." In just a few moments, we found out just how big...
  • Reply
    DLeighAlexander Dec 7, 2011 @ 2:23 pm | delete
    I was on the family farm in New Mexico with my grandma. I had just turned 4 years old and don't really remember understanding what actually had happened but got the feeling that it was a sad day. I do remember watching John F. Kennedy's funeral on TV a few days later and I remember feeling bad for his children.
  • Reply
    Frankster Dec 7, 2011 @ 1:56 pm | delete
    In a class in grammar school. They took us in the library to hear the radio. I sobbed.
  • Reply
    mukunda22 Dec 7, 2011 @ 12:52 pm | delete
    Horrible. My mom told me at the moment it happened that the CIA was responsible. And she was right.
  • Reply
    scarlettohairy Dec 7, 2011 @ 12:34 pm | delete
    I was young and being from Illinois, thought that President LINCOLN had died. Oy.
  • Load More
Show All

Visitors to This Page Come from Many Places

Flickr Photos Relating to John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy International Airport by redlegsfan21
REVIEWING OBAMA'S STATE-OF-THE-UNION SPEECH by roberthuffstutter
Aircraft_0576.jpg by DWissman
Tree by Reck Dickhard
IMG_0523.JPG by Yoshimasa Niwa
IMG_0529.JPG by Yoshimasa Niwa
JFK--Photo by Cecil Stoughton by roberthuffstutter
Texas School Book Despository by naypinya
005 of 365 by Yogesh Mhatre
Ridicute by TheNickster
iPads in JFK Airport by tbirdcymru
en route to the terminal, christmas eve eve by cuttlefish
automatically generated by Flickr

December 7, 1941 - Attack on Pearl Harbor

Anyone have first-hand memories of this?

Remember Dec. 7th - WWII Pearl Harbor print
Remember Dec. 7th - WWII Pearl Harbor by caferetro

submit
Show All

Learn More about Pearl Harbor

Loading

Flickr Photos of Pearl Harbor

Sailors work on the mooring lines as the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. by Official U.S. Navy Imagery
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) returns to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after completing a seven-month deployment. by Official U.S. Navy Imagery
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) returns to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. by Official U.S. Navy Imagery
Sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) man the rails as the ship passes the USS Arizona Memorial. by Official U.S. Navy Imagery
USS Bowfin Submarine by tylersmiller_
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific by tylersmiller_
USS Bowfin Submarine by tylersmiller_
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific by tylersmiller_
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific by tylersmiller_
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific by tylersmiller_
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific by tylersmiller_
USS Bowfin Submarine by tylersmiller_
automatically generated by Flickr

What other Great Event Should be Included Here?

I'll be glad to add more topics

The Beatles appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show?
Death of Princess Diana?
John Lennon's death?

submit
Show All

Help Someone Become Independent

The Food For Everyone Foundation's mission is to teach and assist families everywhere to grow successful and sustainable vegetable gardens, and really enjoy the experience.

by

vallain

I'm Virginia Allain, a retired librarian. Now I devote myself to writing, photography and designing books to self-publish. Having fun!
My current project... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Explore related pages

More about JFK and His Death 

Why the JFK Assassination Still Matters

Why the JFK Assassination Still Matters

by: Richard Buyer

Amazon Price: $13.44 (as of 02/23/2012)Buy Now

More about the World Trade Center Attacks 

WTC 9-11-01 Day Of Disaster

WTC 9-11-01 Day Of Disaster

Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 02/23/2012)Buy Now

The Biography of the First Man on the Moon 

First on the Moon: A Voyage With Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.

First on the Moon: A Voyage With Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.

by: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin E. Aldrin Jr.

Amazon Price: $35.00 (as of 02/23/2012)Buy Now

Related Tags