What is your first "where were you when"?

[Shawnster]

Where were you when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor? 

 

Where were you when man landed on the moon? 

 

Where were you when Lincoln, Kennedy, or Reagan was Shot? 

 

Where were you when the Challenger exploded? 

 

Where were you when 9/11 happened? 

 

My apologies for the US-sentric examples. 

 

What is your EARLIEST "where were you when" moment? It might be the moon landing.  It might be the Union Carbide deaths in India. It might the Chernobyl disaster. It does not mattw5 what the historical event was. What I want to know is what is the earliest event that happened during your life that is now in the history books? 

 

[LeolaRootStew]

I think 9/11 was my first event - I was 11.

[Tortuga]

I was in the hospital when I was born, I don't remember being there but I saw the paperwork.

 

Other than that, I remember the Kennedy assassination, moon landing and a lot of the events you listed.

 

I'd love to meet anyone here that was around when Lincoln was assassinated 

Edited yesterday at 03:08 AM by Tortuga

[Ludwika]

For me it was Kennedy's assassination.

I was 11 years old and in the kitchen, when from the lounge I heard the BBC announce "President Kennedy has been shot". We couldn't believe it. 

[Dages]

That would be the Berlin Wall but I was too young to be asked about it.

So, for France, I'd say it's either 9/11
OR
the 1998 Soccer World Cup where France won 3-0 against Brazil. 

In Japan, I think the most common would be : the 1995 Kobe earthquake

Edited yesterday at 03:16 AM by Dages

[Wanda Hill]

Mine was the assassination of John Kennedy. I was 8 and in school, they sent us all home, most of us had no idea that it was such a monumental event in history. I remember that my teacher was so upset that she wrote what happened on the blackboard. 

[LeslieDean]

Kennedy assassination. Age 7  Sick home from school and mom had fixed a pallet on the sofa for me to watch TV while she did ironing. I don't remember the TV as much as I remember her being in shock and crying. Moon landing

My dad called me to the TV where we watched and he told me to remember this moment as history was being made. NASA SPACE CHALLENGER blew apart shortly after launch and 7 astronauts were lost. Then OKC bombing just dropped kids off at school. Then 9/11 tragedy.  3 births I remember but not as clearly as the 9/11 event. I suspect my next one will be GT realization possibly Armageddeon. 

 

[kejedo]

JFK: I was in school. Someone whispered to me,"The president's shot!" Bostonians, we drooped those Rs. I thought she was talking about his height b/c so many people talked about his appearance. This was followed by days of watching people around  me cry. 

The space shuttle: I was just starting to go out in service and was told not to bring it up. (Got Baptized later that year.)   

 

[AYMA]

8 hours ago, Wanda Hill said:

Mine was the assassination of John Kennedy. I was 8 and in school, they sent us all home

Same! Scared and confused. 😕

[DLJBSP]

Space Shuttle explosion.

I was pioneering, had just returned around noon to the hall. I was standing at the report desk, and a brother came in the back door, and asked if we heard about the shuttle. We had not, and he filled us in. Went home instead of service and watched the news for the rest of the day.

 

[Qapla]

The first "where you when" moment I can remember would be the JFK assassination. The next may have been the premier of Star Trek on TV. Others I remember (in no particular order:

• Moon landing
• Apollo 13
• John Lennon
• Berlin wall
• Challenger - we saw that from the front yard
• Vietnam War ending
• Hurricanes Andrew and Catrina
• 3-mile Island and Chrernobyl
• 9/11
• Trump being elected for a second time

I'm sure there are others - they just don't come right to mind

[Tortuga]

12 hours ago, Shawnster said:

Where were you when Lincoln, Kennedy, or Reagan was Shot?

Where were you when Lincoln was shot? 

[Tortuga]

53 minutes ago, Qapla said:

The first "where you when" moment I can remember would be the JFK assassination. The next may have been the premier of Star Trek on TV. Others I remember (in no particular order:

• Moon landing
• Apollo 13
• John Lennon
• Berlin wall
• Challenger - we saw that from the front yard
• Vietnam War ending
• Hurricanes Andrew and Catrina
• 3-mile Island and Chrernobyl
• 9/11
• Trump being elected for a second time

I'm sure there are others - they just don't come right to mind

Manson

Chappaquiddick 

Nixon

 

[jdcarlson]

My first significant "I remember when" was a theocratic event.

 

August of 1962, at the District Convention in Tampa, Florida.

 

There was a talk about the clarification of understanding of who were the "higher powers."

 

That was the year we learned that "higher" did not mean "highest." So, "higher" powers were those who had power on earth. "Highest" power belongs to Jehovah.

 

At age 18 that was a significant clarification to me.

 

Another part of that day I remember was when I looked at the Convention Program, and noticed on the next day there were three talks scheduled:

 

"The Word, Who Is He According to John - Part 1"

"The Word, Who Is He According to John - Part 2"

"The Word, Who is He According to John - Part 3"

 

After the significant clarification on the identity of "The Higher Powers" my initial worry was whether we were to receive clarification on the understanding of John 1:1 the next day.

 

As it turned out, my fears were NOT founded. The three talks were introducing the 96 page booklet The Word, Who Is He According to John, which had a very in depth analysis of John 1:1, and other scriptural references and analysis and comparison of them showing conclusively that Jesus was indeed the Son of Jehovah.

 

The next significant "I remember when" moment was a year later, at another Theocratice event. At the District Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July 1963, I was at the Pioneer Meeting when Brother Knorr announced to the Pioneers present at the meeting that in April, 1963, there were 1,040,000+ publishers reporting field service time. The first time more than 1,000,000 reported time in any month. 

 

The next significant "I remember when" moment for me was about six weeks later when I married my wife, August 30, 1963. I distinctly remembering walking back down the aisle, with my wife on my arm, and thinking "self  -  do you have any idea what you have just done?"

 

The rest of the "significant events" others have listed are mostly (but not completely) also in my memory. 

 

I am too young to remember the assissination of Lincoln.

 

I am too young to remember the attack on Pearl Harbor.

 

There was a sports event mentioned, but I have not followed sports since about 1960 (except for the U.S. hockey win at the 1980 Olympics).

 

Someone also mentioned their birth - I am in the same situation with that event. I do not remember it, but I have seen the paperwork about it.

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

 

[grain of mustard]

At the time of Michael Jackson's death, I was at a construction site building a Kingdom Hall. 

[Qapla]

I forgot to include the first broadcast of "Monday Night Football" - many thought this was a fad and would have long since ended.

 

I also remember when ESPN and The Weather Channel started (oh, and MTV) channels/networks/services many thought would never last ...

[LeslieDean]

MTV...my mom waiting for the premier of Dallas then the cliff hanger for Who shot JR. It was a whole summer of listening to people give their guess on who it might be. Then the commercials were on A LOT. The concluding episode of MASH was anticipated too. 

[minister159]

October 16, 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis

 

I was in the 6th grade and most of the friends in our congregation were thinking that this might lead to WWIII and/or Armageddon. The cold war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was about to reach the boiling point. At school we had practice drills in case an atomic bomb was dropped on Los Angeles about 20 miles away. My job in the drill was to quickly draw the heavy vinyl drapes so no light/radiation or breaking glass could get into the classroom, as if that could stop it!

 

All I remember is that it was a terrifying time for everyone, including Witnesses, because of the tense situation and uncertainty of what was going to happen from one day to the next. Later in life, I watched a documentary on this crisis, and I realized just how close the U.S. came to the brink of war and how serious the ramifications would have been. Looking back, I realize we had good reason to be more than a little anxious, if not scared.

 

Just to add a little context, the Organization/Governing Body/Faithful and Discreet Slave didn't have a clear understanding of what the great tribulation was until 1970, (See w70 1/15 pgs. 41-56). In 1962, all we really understood was Armageddon and we thought that it could come at any time and very quickly as a result of a crisis of this magnitude.

Edited 22 hours ago by minister159

[Hinata]

On 9/15/2026 at 11:38 AM, Shawnster said:

Where were you when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor? 

 

Where were you when man landed on the moon? 

 

Where were you when Lincoln, Kennedy, or Reagan was Shot? 

 

Where were you when the Challenger exploded? 

 

Where were you when 9/11 happened? 

 

We didn’t start the fire… it was always burning, since the world’s been turning. 🎵

 

 

 

I was born before the September 11 attacks, but I am too young to remember that event specifically.

 

(Can you believe that nowadays, more than 100 million Americans have no memory on 9/11?)

 

 

 

I think the earliest that I can say for certain, would be the 2016 United States presidential election.

 

I was in university, and we were in a computer room, and everyone went crazy over the live result.

 

And mind you, this was from the complete opposite side of the earth!

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Hinata

[kejedo]

This is first time ever to have my utilities canceled. House insurance yesterday,  TV from Spectrum this morning (was robbed by  son.) I expect internet and phone to be gone by today. Duh, and I had a study scheduled for this evening.

Here is my mailing address:  Pauline W. 9 Rear Chapel St.  Ellenville NY 12428 Will log  on when I  get near someone who is connected.   from ys, Sorry for OT

[Mike047]

I was in a classroom in 1952 when we were told that King George VI had died; and in a music class on 22nd. November 1963 When JFK was assassinated.

[Sheep]

5 hours ago, Hinata said:

I think the earliest that I can say for certain, would be the 2016 United States presidential election.

 

I was in university, and we were in a computer room, and everyone went crazy over the live result.

 

I found the 2016 election surprising. I was thinking that it was the first US election that everyone who voted did so to keep someone else out of office! Usually, people vote someone into office, not to keep someone out! People didn't want Trump in office, so they voted for Clinton for no other reason! Everyone else didn't want Clinton in office, so they voted for Trump so she wouldn't get in.

 

It was the weirdest thing.

 

5 hours ago, Hinata said:

And mind you, this was from the complete opposite side of the earth!

 

Me too, almost. I'm not even an American citizen! I live in Canada, so why would I care about a US election?