Most Important/Historical Event You Ever Witnessed in Person

[Allie Fox]

I was across the street when the the FBI raided the Elian Gonzalez house in Miami.

I wasn't there myself but I watched it on tv. My wife's aunt lived about five houses down from the Gonzalez family. Being the elderly Cuban lady she is, she was more upset about the people all over the place than she was about the political situation.

I had forgotten about being at the first Space Shuttle launch in 1981. We were in the car listening on the radio driving into the Space Center. The traffic was horrendous. As Mission Control counted down the final minutes over the radio, everyone pulled off the road and got out. We watched it go up from the side of the road.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

I also have a memory of being led outside school to see a space shuttle piggybacking on a shuttle carrier aircraft flying overhead - but I have no way of confirming if that happened - I'm not sure it makes any sense that it would have done that - and my memory is terrible.

Somewhere around '78-80 NASA gave the test shuttle Enterprise to the Smithsonian and before it went to VA/DC it toured around to different parts of the country piggy back a 747. We saw it fly through Maryland (Although that is a lot closer to DC)

[Brazoo]

Somewhere around '78-80 NASA gave the test shuttle Enterprise to the Smithsonian and before it went to VA/DC it toured around to different parts of the country piggy back a 747. We saw it fly through Maryland (Although that is a lot closer to DC)

Hmm --- Maybe it was part of that - but would they have flown it through Canada over a suburb of Toronto? Also, the school I'm picturing in my head would make it about '83ish - if my memory is accurate at all.

[megojim]

The Shuttle Columbia was breaking up right over the D/FW area. I was sitting at the computer that morning and heard an explosion but could tell it was off in the distance, it was kinda muffled. I walked outside, at the same time 2 of my neighbors followed suit, we looked at each other like "what was that?" I looked up to the southern sky and saw the debris field streaking across the sky. At that time I thought it was a meteor breaking up upon entry. We soon found out the sad truth. My nioece was attending Steven F Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX where the bulk of the shuttle was found. There was a large piece of Columbia about a half mile from her apartment.

[david_b]

I was in Red Square when the Soviet Union Flag came down and the Russian flag went up.. (1991)

david_b

[Mikey]

I was in Red Square when the Soviet Union Flag came down and the Russian flag went up.. (1991)

david_b

That one has just about all of us beat

[Nostalgiabuff]

I saw Paul McCartney open Citi Field in Queens
Saw Rogers Waters do the Wall show at the Berlin wall in 1990....had to watch it live on TV but I was in Germany, just could not get over to Berlin by myself.
.
course David still has me beat

[saildog]

I looked up to the southern sky and saw the debris field streaking across the sky.

I'm kind of freaked out a bit by the fact that, just yesterday, I was talking about the Columbia accident with some of my co-workers.

That debris field created a contrail (I guess that's what it would be called) and the prevailing winds that morning carried it over my house within a few hours of the accident. Seeing that really got to me.

[lepage]

I was less then a block from the U.S.O. in Naples Italy when a car bomb went off. I was with 3 of my buds when the blast came down the back alleyway and laid us flat on our backs resulting in broken eardrums. Not a good time in my life.

Bombs In New Jersey and Naples - TIME

[Brazoo]

My Old apartment in Brooklyn faced right across from the Twin Towers witnessed the second Plane hit.......

Seeing it on TV was so surreal and mind boggling - I can't imagine how my brain would even process seeing that in real life.

[david_b]

That one has just about all of us beat

Purely coincidental.. I was on my 'last vacation trip' while stationed in Germany (being there when the Wall came down as well, but in Giessen, West Germany, not Berlin...).

The trip choice was actually a toss-up between Casablanca and USSR, so knowing my tour of duty was practically up, I opted for USSR. Spent Christmas in Moscow, New Years Eve in St. Petersburg. Got to walk through and see Lenin's Tomb there as well.

A few pics and stories, but not much to share here in the Forum. Witnessing 9-11 first-hand, now THAT's impressive.

Perhaps odd to say, but the Cold War was a great time to be an American Soldier, especially under Presidents Reagan and Bush, Sr.

david_b

[david_b]

I saw Paul McCartney open Citi Field in Queens
Saw Rogers Waters do the Wall show at the Berlin wall in 1990....had to watch it live on TV but I was in Germany, just could not get over to Berlin by myself.
.
course David still has me beat

Where were you in Germany..?? I was there from '89-'92.

I did get to see McCartney in Frankfurt in '90, actually front row about 10ft away from center stage.. THAT was cool.

[Cmonster]

October 18th, 1977, Yankee Stadium.

I watched Reggie Jackson hit 3 home runs against the Dodgers. I was there.

77 was the best year of my life. "Star Wars" came out. Yanks won the world series. Me and my friends went as Tusken Raiders for Halloween, ALL in homemade costumes, and the mego thing was in full swing. Now if I could have only talked my mom into the KISS concert...

SC

[kingdom warrior]

Seeing it on TV was so surreal and mind boggling - I can't imagine how my brain would even process seeing that in real life.

I swore I thought for a moment I was in the movie independence day when will smith went to his lawn picked up the newspaper then looked up to see the Alien ship......


I worked nights so I was still sleeping when the first plane hit I remember hearing the first plane but being a New Yorker I paid it no mind to it....until my phone rang a few minutes later and my Dad telling me to look out my Window in a horrified tone.......The scene blew my mind and all I thought was OMG what a horrible accident........then I saw the second one hit and gasped and said that's no accident.....

[kingdom warrior]

October 18th, 1977, Yankee Stadium.

I watched Reggie Jackson hit 3 home runs against the Dodgers. I was there.

77 was the best year of my life. "Star Wars" came out. Yanks won the world series. Me and my friends went as Tusken Raiders for Halloween, ALL in homemade costumes, and the mego thing was in full swing. Now if I could have only talked my mom into the KISS concert...

SC

Awww yeah Reggie my boy!!! I saw it on TV.......but i was there on opening day when on his first at bat, first pitch hit a homerun and was showered with reggie bars......I didn't throw mine I had already ate mine and was trying to get my sisters......