What is the first major news story that you can remember

Sputnik 1957. I was five years old and, obviously, I knew of it from adults talking. I remember seeing footage of the news of JFK's assassination (1963) and I remember watching Winston Churchill's funeral procession in 1965. I was 11 and 13 by then though, so those news items made an impression on me without adult input.

The launch of the first satellite, Russia’s Sputnik. We went out to spot it in the night sky. It seemed miraculous and all space travel since has left me cold. I was about 13 but we children knew nothing about the news normally. Like money, politics, sex, those subjects were not mentioned.

The first I REALLY remember is the death of Elvis. Although I have a vague memory as a very young child of getting up in the middle of the night, and the TV glowing and my dad watching it. For years, as an adult, I thought I imaged that memory, then eventually put 2 & 2 together and realised I woke up while he was watching the moon landing on TV.

Bbevan, the baby polar bear was Brumas.

Assassination JFK

The Cuban missile crisis in 1962. I was nine years old and terrified there was going to be a nuclear war.