Historical Events You've Personally Witnessed

[Coffee]

Has anyone witnessed any historical events with their own eyes? I don't mean that you watched it on television...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.

For me, I was on-site about an hour after the Texas A&M Bonfire stack collapsed in 1999. It was a very gruesome scene, and it was extremely hard to deal with. I remember distinctly giving a radio and a television interview that morning. My roommate had woken me up at 4 AM(it fell at 2:45), and we had gone immediately there, trying to do anything we could. I remember running every red light on the way. We stayed until 8, and then I actually went to a class. Thankfully, the professor was an alumnus, and his first impulse was to try and help any of us who were having a tough time.

Not a very happy memory, but it was a historical event that I witnessed. I was also there for Hurricane Alicia in 1983...so I guess that counts. Anyway...let's hear it, Lounge.

[fyodor]

I was in Algeria early 1976 when they closed their border with Morocco at the beginning of the Western Sahara War - another link



At the time it was a great inconvenience to us as we wanted to get into Morocco and from there to Spain where Carol's parents had a villa. omg why are these people fighting? They're ruining our vacation. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

We didn't know anything was even happening till we were out one night in Constantine and some soldier pulled an automatic on us outside a military garrison of some sort. Algeria was a real pain in the arse place to be at the time.

We found out that it was something to do with Spain pulling out of Spanish Sahara. Never really got all the details though. Ended up taking a ship to Marseille where we split up. Carol went to Spain and I went to Amsterdam. The end of a beautiful relationship. I blame the war.

[ChipWrecked]

I would imagine lots of 2p2ers have 9/11 experiences.

[Toro]

Do sporting events count? I was at the Belmont Stakes in 1973 when Secretariat won the Triple Crown of Racing by an astounding 31 lengths. It was the most incredible thing I've ever witnessed in the realm of sporting events.

[Colt McCoy]

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Do sporting events count? I was at the Belmont Stakes in 1973 when Secretariat won the Triple Crown of Racing by an astounding 31 lengths. It was the most incredible thing I've ever witnessed in the realm of sporting events.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow. Very cool!

[Fishwhenican]

Pretty small even in the scope of things like 911 but it was big for me at the time.

I was in the OSU Marching Band and at the Gator Bowl 1978 Ohio State vs. Clemson when Woody Hayes went after a player from Clemson after he intercepted an Art Schlichter pass.

YouTube Video

This was a pretty big deal at the time. Woody was a pretty big time college football coach and this was the event that got him fired the very next day.

[battschr]

McGwire's 62nd homer.

(I lose)

[Toro]

[ QUOTE ]
McGwire's 62nd homer.

(I lose)

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But at the time, before we "knew" about the juicing and before Bonds broke his record, it was incredibly big.

[Dominic]

well, I went to college in Florida and it was common for a bunch of us to drive down the coast and watch the shuttle launches. So I witnessed the Challenger disaster. Yes, I'm so old I was in college in 1986!

[Dominic]

I'm assuming sports moments aren't really what you're going for, but:

Was there when Adam Kennedy hit three homers to defeat the Twins in the League Championship Series and send the Angels to the World Series. Also, was there in games 2, 6 and 7 of the WS.