Friday Fantastic Four

History is happening right now in Egypt as a popular uprising appears to have toppled the Mubarek government.  It's live on CNN and across the internet on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Which got me to thinking of all the history I have seen in my life. Thus, the Friday Fantastic Four is BACK, baby and back in a BIG way!

What are the four most historic events you witnessed or have lived though?

1. The Fall of the Berlin Wall - Nov 9, 1989.  This was arguably the biggest historical event in my life.  The Cold War came to an end, Millions tasted freedom for the first time and communism's stranglehold on Eastern Europe was broken
2. 9/11 - I was in New Hampshire and I drove home listening to NPR, marveling that our nation was so fragile.
3. The Challenger Disaster - January 26th, 1986 - I was in biology class when spaceflight was shown to be anything but routine and seven Americans lost their lives.
4. Barack Obama elected - November 4, 2008 - Our country did what many thought might never happen and looked beyond race to elect the first non-white president in our history.

How about you?  What are your top four?  There is certainly room for debate for folks of my generation.  The older set has some other amazing stuff to choose from.  What do you think?

Comments

[Ed Paffett]

Hmm..Iran hostages freed, John Lennon shot, Oklahoma city bombing, princess Diana. I remember where I was when I heard about those, but I don't think I'll recall where I was when I heard Obama won. Probably because I expected it to happen. I'll give you credit for the first three, but I would swap your #1 and #2 because of all that followed 9/11 (ie. Iraq and Afghanistan).

[Matt P]

9/11 would be the most historic for me. Was at Temple my Junior year, we watched from Elizabeth's dorm room before everyone came back to 3447.

Was also at 3447 with Grandpop for the Challenger, in the kitchen (this kitchen, in fact).

Watching the first Gulf War start in the early days of CNN, with what looked like green lasers due to the night vision.

Was at the Boathouse for the Phillies winning the WS.

[Cavalier92]

My boyhood friend Ed Paffett checks in from afar!

Iran hostages were close for me. I remember watching the tension unfold over that year and a half, seeing Jimmy Carter seemingly pulled under by the situation. I don't generally worship the cult of celebrity, and am not sure what was going on in my life when Lennon and Princess Di were lost, but I can't really recall the moments.

Oklahoma City scared the hell out of me and I see its echoes every day with giant planters in front of buildings all over the City of Brotherly Love.

Dear brother, I was in my living room in Moorestown for the Phils in '08, my son and I turned down the TV and listened to Harry make the call we had waited so long for.

I was broadcasting a women's basketball game the night the bombing of Baghdad started and the next night participated in a candlelight march on Cabrini's campus. The war looked so different than VietNam had looked, somehow more high-tech and distant. Today we know that the first part was easy, but that wars are harder and take longer than you planned.

It's interesting the different takes people have on the space shuttle disasters. "It was just a big, expensive plane crash in the end." was one memorable quote from the office on Friday. I guess in a way that DOES sum it up, and there have been so many far worse plane crashes that did not transfix the nation and world.

Thanks for stopping by!