40 News Stories from 40 Years of Life ♥√♣
This is a follow-up to the 40 Songs from 40 Years of Life; which is part of an on-going theme about Turning 40. All of us have emotions about events that happen in the world. Here, I chronicle the 40 News Stories which most impacted me, over the past 40 years. Next up (for this theme) will be 40 Man Crushes from 40 Years of Life.
News from 1968 – 2008:
Stonewall Riots - Man Walks on Moon - Woodstock - Kent State Shootings - Charles Manson - Munich Olympics - Nixon Resigns - Vietnam War Ends - Jonestown - Iran Hostage Crisis - John Lennon Killed - First Recognized Cases of AIDS - Bhopal – Live Aid - Challenger Blows Up - Chernobyl Disaster - 1st National Coming Out Day - Tiananmen Protests - Jeffrey Dahmer – End of the Cold War - Waco Disaster - World Wide Web Is Born - Cobain Dies - OKC Bombing - O.J. - Unabomber - Princess Diana Dies - Lewinsky Scandal - Matthew Shepard - Dr. Jack Kevorkian - John F. Kennedy, Jr. - The Florida Count - 9/11 - Beltway Snipers - Iraqi War - Nick Berg - Asian Tsunami - Hurricane Katrina - Nancy Pelosi - Virginia Tech Massacre
Tags: anythingbutsad.wordpress.com, Birthday, Defying Despondency, News, Steve Rebooted
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July 20, 2008 at 9:10 pm
What an interesting list of news stories. And a great teaching tool. My 17 yr old son is sitting with me as I look through these. I remember all of them (except Nick Berg) and can tell him about what happened before he was born or old enough to remember for himself. Thanks, Steve!
Steve says, “The Nick Berg thing was absolutely disgusting. It demonstrates the dark side of humanity and how it can be ‘distributed’ over the net. The video of his decapitation got millions of hits. Oh, and some things I wasn’t old enough to remember when it happened. But I know how it changed things in the world (like Stonewall), so it made my list.”
July 21, 2008 at 1:39 am
I was too clueless in ‘69 to be aware of Stonewall. Actually, I wasn’t really aware of it until I embraced the gay. But I know it now (though I have much yet to learn). I distinctly remember the moon walk. Mama and Daddy got us out of bed to watch it on TV late that night. I was not amused at the time, but I’m glad for it now. Aside from that one, the first story I personally remember is Nixon resigning. The other early ones I became aware of as I got older. I was alive when JFK was shot, but was way too young to know anything. I could barely form sentences at that age.
But it would be on my list of important news stories during my lifetime.
Steve says, “Yeah, the first story I recall is Nixon resigning. Remember watching it on television.”
July 21, 2008 at 7:21 am
Where’s the “iPhone debuts” headline?
Great list. Being Canadian I’d insert “The FLQ“, “Trudeau flips the Bird at Journalists”, Anything stupid the Conservatives did in power and The CN tower completion.
Steve says, “iPhone was no where on the list, but iPod almost made it! No architectural accomplishments made the list. But San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid almost made it.”
July 21, 2008 at 9:13 am
Hi Steve!
I can’t understand why your e-mails to me bounce back! Please check…
the listing I see when I post a reply here is correct!!! Please try again!
Northsdad
Steve says, “I dunno why. Gives me a fatal error. I gotta leave for the train, but will try late this evening.”
July 21, 2008 at 10:12 am
interesting choice of news items. i don’t know that all are as important, but i remember almost all of them. nice touch with the 40 things though. 27th right? i’ll try to remember to email you something funny. i turn 50 next month steve- in so many ways, it’s better. there’s just that damn physical part that i can’t reverse. one of mine that you would probably not have been affected by was an article on peter staley in poz magazine titled “turning the tables on tina”. i always admired staley because of actup and his activism with burroughs wellcome and starting aidsmeds.com, but when i read about his addiction to meth and his subsequent activism against it, it helped me get outta my own shit.
Steve says, “Yeah, on the 27th. And I have no problem with turning 40. Just can’t believe this much time has gone by! Where did it go?”
July 21, 2008 at 1:36 pm
A huge and fascinating choice!
Steve says, “How a French dude blogging about Basketball, found this blog, is beyond me! But thanks for commenting.”
July 21, 2008 at 10:51 pm
I remember the Assassination of JFK very well. I was in my 6th grade history class and only a few weeks after being told that from now on no more prayer will be allowed in school, the principle announced over the loud speaker that the President had been shot and we all were to pray for him. I’ve heard many theories as to why but I believe it was payback for the Bay of Pigs invasion on Cuba. Oswald had visited both Russia and Cuba and the invasion was a failed attempt to overthrow Castro.
Steve says, “Well, if I were old enough, his death would be on my list. So would the Cuban Missle Crisis and the death of MLK. MLK died the same year as my birth; but I wasn’t born yet.”
July 21, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Tang! I loved Tang! And now that I’m getting OLD I like the orange flavored Metamucil because it tastes a bit like Tang. How pathetic is that?
Do you remember when it was all about the space race? I remember these little sticks of food they sold to us gullible kids marketed as the kind of food served in space. I liked the peanut butter flavored ones. Anybody remember that? Can not for the life of me remember the name.
Steve says, “I don’t know if it’s true, but Tang was marketed as a drink used by astronauts. But, I don’t remember ‘Space-Race’ foods. But I definitely remember how exciting NASA used to be. It’s lackluster now. Even with the Mars thing, I’m not enthralled (yet).”
July 22, 2008 at 9:00 am
Dang. I have a vivid memory for almost every news story listed.
Where’s Obama?
Steve says, “I’m not a fan of Obama or McCain. Haven’t been a fan of any candidate in over 15 years. Of course, if he’s elected, that would be newsworthy. But, that would be after my 40th birthday. It would make my Top 50 at 50 years..”