Have You Witnessed an Historical Event?

Just wondering if anybody has ever witnessed a Historical Event? Not on T.V, i mean that you were actually there, physically. They don't have to be incredibly huge moments, but I think it's interesting, because perspective is always different from the general public reaction.

I don't think i have, but what about you guy's here on ATS/BTS?

~JDN24

[edit on 24/12/2007 by JDN24]

Good question and it will be interesting to see what some say

For me it was the Funeral of Princess Diana, I say a historical event as it had the whole of the UK at a standstill and many days leading up to it,

I watched the car with her coffin pass and through flowers along the road as did many UK (londoners)

It in an odd way made every one stand together, And people where just hugging each other, I felt then that this was a "moment" i guess in History..

reply to post by asala



I bet that was intense. Yea the whole world stopped for Diana, and the Conquest for Princess Diana still continues today.

Anybody else? Are there any eye witnesses to 911?, Katrina?

This is not "Historical" but i witnessed the sinking of Illegal Indonesian Fishing Boats....

The navy sunk them next to the wharf in Darwin to make artificial reefs. Ive also witnessed numerous car accidents.

Apart from that, i haven't seen much...

I'm surprised that no responses have been made to this thread. There has to be at least a handful of members that have witnessed an historical event.

I witnessed the challenger explosion when I was very young (school field trip). I didn't really understand what I saw at the time because of my age, but I knew it was something terrible. I remember being rushed away without any explanation to what just happened. I didn't have a front row seat but I was close enough to see the shuttle and explosion. It was very confusing because when kids like myself asked what happened to the astronauts they would say that they didn't know. It's funny how children know when they are being lied to even if they don't understand what has happened. Before this historical event took place we talked about it in class for weeks. After the tragedy it was never spoken of in my classroom. I understand why I was lied to. I can't imagine trying to explain to a child what happen to the people on the shuttle. However, I remember being more terrified because my teachers and parents would avoid talking about what I had witnessed.

Thats my historical event and I hope it inspires other members to talk about their experience. I would love to hear about everyones personal moment in history and how it affected them at the time.

I was alot younger but i vividly remember the Three Mile Island incident. I remember that the morning it all went down. I was at Milton Hershey School in a home named Buchanan, that morning my "house father" pointed out the morning dew on the grass. It was very strange and looked like large crystals on the grass.

I also remember being in class when a teacher came in and talked quietly to our teacher then he left and our teacher turned on the TV. I remember thinking that "this was big" but I also remember that I never felt scared or anxious or anything like that at first.

Shortly after they started loading us on buses and it was at this time that I started noticing the look of panic or terror on every adult I seen and when I realized that I became terrified and stayed that way until late that night even though we were well out of danger by mid-afternoon.

I was also in the first Iraq war (desert shield/storm). I dont know how historic that was but for me it was a memory I will never forget.

[edit on 16-8-2008 by jwstarry]

I can't think of anything that would be worthy of mentioning as being a historical event but I have witnessed quite a bit and will have to think if there are any angles that might make them somewhat 'historical' in nature.

I'm really looking forward to reading what fellow ATS/BTS'ers are able to contribute. GREAT idea for a thread!



Jemison

I think we all have witnessed Historical Events - we just don't know it yet because they haven't been labled as History. When I think History - I think of World War II. I think of things that happend before I was born, I don't associate the events of Last year as History - but still as Current Events.

I've listened to Scientific Theories of my father's, and I've listened to random opinions on Economics and Politics from friends...

Perhaps one day - these things will be important and relevant, and help make new discoveries - perhaps then they will be considered Historical Events.

- Carrot

Edit to add: I saw Cher in Concert in Las Vegas, one of her opening shows for this year in May - does that count?



[edit on 8/16/2008 by CA_Orot]

Hi There!

I've been witness to two events and written about it. They're too long to post here but you can read both of them at this earthquake forum:

The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

The 1991 Oakland/Berkeley Firestorm

This is a thread I posted here on ATS if you'd like to listen to and see footage:
Loma Prieta Earthquake Footage & Ham Radio Broadcast

silverking, you brought back to remembrance the day I watched the Challenger accident. Although I wasn't there physically, I was 8 years old at the time and watching the launch on television. I recall when it got up just enough it exploded then there were two rockets that branched off. The announcer kept saying in hope that the last remaining debris could be the astronauts in the cockpit and they could still be alive. But it all fell over the waters. They zoomed in on what was visible in the water and again said it could be them in the cockpit still alive. I guess the correct term is crew cabin.

But yea, I agree with CA_Orot. We've all witnessed Historical Events...they may not meet the standards of worldy history books and what not but we all got some story to tell.

And since Jemison brought up the angels, just imagine all their eye witness accounts of our lives. That's surely gotta be written down in the His-story books of Heaven.

Good day/night ya'll

I was in Tampa Florida, when the Shuttle Challenger exploded. Tampa is at least two or three hours away from Cape Canaveral and at first we had no idea what in the world the debris cloud was - then it came over the radio it was the Shuttle.

They had been having lots of Shuttles going up, some of those were brilliant night launches, that could be seen well from Tampa.

It still amazes me how big the debris cloud was from that far away.