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What is the first major news story that you can remember

(207 Posts)
HurdyGurdy Fri 24-Nov-17 16:42:42

This is something that was asked on another forum I am a member of, and it was interesting to see the different responses. Also shows that most of the forum members are a lot younger than me, because a lot of their answers were Hillsborough, Holly and Jessica, Princess of Wales dying, Jamie Bulger and Dunblane.

For me, it was Aberfan, and for my husband it was Torre Canyon.

Also interesting that no one really posted about any happy, or positive stories. Almost everyone's memories of first major news stories were sad ones.

So - what is your first memory of a major news story?

Alima Sat 25-Nov-17 16:56:54

Winston Churchill died in January 1965. JFK was assassinated on 22nd November 1963. It was my sister’s 13th birthday.

Craftycat Sat 25-Nov-17 16:51:51

JFK & Churchill's funeral. Not sure now which was first. Would have been 12 when JFK died.

TheGlovers1 Sat 25-Nov-17 15:55:56

It was the dreadful Aberfan disaster. I was alone in the house and my Grandad came in to tell me the news ,he was really upset .I can remember asking him if he wanted a cup of tea. I was not allowed to use the kettle so made it from the hot tap. For some reason i put pepper in his tea as I knew he liked pepper on his food.It is such a vivid memory.

pollyperkins Sat 25-Nov-17 15:52:29

Exalted wombat - I can assure you that the death of the King in 1952 and coronation of the new Queen in 1953 could not have been more major news nationally, at the time! As someone else remarked, to those who had ben through the war, the King & Queen (later the Queen Mother) were very popular, I too remember being amazed that the National Anthem was going to be different.

brunswick Sat 25-Nov-17 15:22:15

The death of Queen Mary. I was in a taxi with my grandmother driving up the Mall and she told me Queen Mary had died, and we could see all the windows of Clarence House were blacked out.

Grandma70s Sat 25-Nov-17 15:09:08

It was another child at school who told me the King had died. She was weeping, too. I was quite shocked he’d died, but not at the weeping level. I just thought how strange it would be singing God Save the Queen, like Victorian children. We were eleven.

TellNo1Ok Sat 25-Nov-17 15:01:49

The death of king George... when same as an earlier contributor ... the head called our teacher out of the classroom... she came back in WEEPING ... we were shocked ... and she just said "Children ... the King is dead"... we were less than impressed but i suppose it was the end of an era for those who had been through the war and all that entailed...
Also remember my mum and auntie DANCING in the road with neighbours arm in arm like the okay cokay on what i think was VE Day...

Swanny Sat 25-Nov-17 14:56:48

I can remember hearing of the Mau Mau rebellion (I thought it a funny name), death of the King and the Queen's coronation, going with my mother to vote for Attlee (but I can't remember which year), Burgess and Maclean turning up in Russia, Bulganin and Khrushchev visiting Britain, and Ghana getting independence. All before I was 10 as I remember where I was living at the time.

I also remember a few years later ringing my mother at work to tell her I had a job interview and adding 'By the way, Churchill's died' and the following year being at work myself when I heard of the Aberfan disaster.

MrsEggy Sat 25-Nov-17 14:21:54

Victory in 1945 - I was 7. We had a hastily arranged street party with jellies and tinned fruit produced from hidden hoards saved for years for this longed for day. Dining tables and chairs carried into the street and games for the children. My dad made a sign "V.E." out of light bulbs and fixed it on the front of our house (he was an electrician and too old for call-up).

luluaugust Sat 25-Nov-17 14:18:11

The Coronation, I was taken to a friend of my mothers to see it on the television.

queenofsaanich69 Sat 25-Nov-17 14:03:45

Edmund Hilary & Tenseng Norgay climbing Everest,my older brother burst into my bedroom to tell me ,it was announced the day of the Coronation although they actually reached the top on 29th May ,still remember clearly.Have read quite a few books on Everest since.

ExaltedWombat Sat 25-Nov-17 13:55:15

Interesting how many people are classing a royal occasion as major news.

JanaNana Sat 25-Nov-17 13:46:50

The Coronation in 1953. I was 6 years old and we had a big street party and fancy dress parade, all of the children dressed in red, white and blue. My sister won second prize. It got rained off initially and all the food had to be taken inside various houses for a while. We all received a commemorative cup and saucer at the end and the following week at school were given a commemorative teaspoon which I still have.

pollyperkins Sat 25-Nov-17 13:39:32

For me it's the death of King George VI as well. I remember hearing it on the radio and my mother cried. We had a special school assembly and had to wrte about it. I was 8. But the following year the Coronation was very exciting. Yes, I had a little gold coach too. Red whie & blue stripes on my socks and hair ribbons and a village party. We watched it in black and white on a tiny TV with the curtains drawn. But my mother went to the cinema with a friend later and saw it in colour. I had pictures of the Queen and also of little Charles and Anne on my bedroom wall. I was a big fan!
I can also remember most of the memories others have mentioned but not the death ofElvis!!

Welshwife Sat 25-Nov-17 13:38:26

Edmund Hilary climbing Everest must have been June 1953 as they released the news in Coronation morning.

I was doing OLevel history at the time of Suez and that day we had a lesson - Miss Taylor the teacher came in and told us to forget what we were supposed to be doing as we were going to talk about Suez as it would be such an important part of history. I just loved her and her lessons.

Sheilasue Sat 25-Nov-17 13:33:12

Oh h says winning the world in 66. That was a happy time.

Sheilasue Sat 25-Nov-17 13:32:16

My h remembers King George dying that would be the queens father, I remember the coronation of our queen, Kennedy, aberfan but most of all has to be 9/11 and the bombings in London of the IRA you could go on and on.

Katekeeprunning Sat 25-Nov-17 13:20:53

Princess Anne getting married

Direne3 Sat 25-Nov-17 13:04:29

We were in our village school playground too, when I heard of King's death, Jane43. I also remember that the piano had been moved out there (can't recall why though), so it must have been a nice day in Oxfordshire.

jangeo44 Sat 25-Nov-17 13:01:21

The conquering of Everest in 1952.

Jane43 Sat 25-Nov-17 12:41:06

The death of George VI for me too. I remember being in the school playground and somebody said that the King had died.

oldandbold Sat 25-Nov-17 12:37:32

The death of George VI and the coronation.

Marieeliz Sat 25-Nov-17 12:28:28

Listening to the radio when I was in Primary school and the war in Palestine which made me afraid. Nothing changed there then.

Yesterday my friend and I where discussing war time and what happened to us but we had no help with trauma? It was after the news item re the Manchester tragedy.

Bellanonna Sat 25-Nov-17 12:23:59

Yes I was on Charing Cross station on my way home and an unknown man came up to me and told me!

bluebellwoods Sat 25-Nov-17 12:21:09

President Kennedy's assassination.