Where were you when you heard of President Kennedy's assasination?

[MillieDynamite]

In 63, I was nowhere, nowhere at all. I don't remember when or where I even learned about it.

 

[Wonderer67]

I was not even a thought yet.

My wife was seven years old and she remembers getting off the school bus and her mother telling her about it. She said it seemed like the world stopped.

 

[saintcero]

4th grade classroom. I remember thinking, “OK, this has happened before. There is a replacement in place. It will probably happen again someday. What’s the fuss about. It seemed like an overreaction.”

 

[lc69hunter]

I was in eighth grade. It was lunch time and the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders were all in the lunch room just being rowdy and noise kids. Suddenly the lunch room moderator stepped up the microphone and told the whole room the news. For the rest of the day all of the classrooms had news broadcast in the class rooms.

Some kids could have cared less. Others were somber. I remember a few girls with teary faces.

I'll never forget that day. All of our innocence taken away.

I was also in the eighth grade, on a field trip to the state capitol

 

[NightPorter]

My father was 4 years old. So none of my problems had started yet, good times.

 

[madelinemasoch]

That was sixty years ago, dude. I wasn't born yet.

But where'd I hear of it... In elementary (or middle?) school it would be discussed alongside MLK's assassination, and we were kinda curious about all of that stuff. And then later again on Joe Rogan's podcast speculating conspiracies. And then still later yet again when getting into Marilyn Manson's Holy Wood album, learning about how Manson identified with JFK and found the whole story quite sad but inspiring.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

A little shy of a year old, I was home with my mom and didn’t know or care at the time. She was a big fan of Kennedy and said she cried so I probably did too.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Neither of my parents were born back then, so I guess I was genetic potential and nothing more.....

 

[Lifestyle66]

In elementary school, and I didn't hear about it until I was home and saw it on the evening news my parents were watching.

School didn't close, because in our rural community, almost all kids had miles to go to get home. So, factories and stores even stayed open as usual. It was just another day to most people there.

That was a far different era, compared to today, when even the wrong word from of someone on the other side of the planet sets off a physical riot with a thousand ignorant lemmings!

EDIT: Maybe that's why I don't get so worked up over anything. That early life just made me so much calmer. "Get over it. I'll have other things to do tomorrow."

 

[Cagivagurl]

I was in eighth grade. It was lunch time and the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders were all in the lunch room just being rowdy and noise kids. Suddenly the lunch room moderator stepped up the microphone and told the whole room the news. For the rest of the day all of the classrooms had news broadcast in the class rooms.

Some kids could have cared less. Others were somber. I remember a few girls with teary faces.

I'll never forget that day. All of our innocence taken away.

Circling Uranus, in a spaceship named.
"Waiting for conception."

 

[Kelliezgirl]

My generation doesn't have that moment yet.
Kennedy was my Grandparents.
Challenger was my Parents.
I was born post 9/11.
Kind of scary to think what it will be. Friend thought someone might use a nuke in Ukraine and that would be it. Thank God that didn't/hasn't happened.

 

[gtnlynn]

Cleaning my rifle at the ROTC armory in college.

 

[metal4lace]

Cleaning my rifle at the ROTC armory in college.

Would've been funny if you said cleaning your rifle at the Dallas Texas School Book Depository!

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Fourth grade in the cafeteria.

 

[AchtungNight]

I just missed it. Got born in time to watch the moon landing live on TV though.


Nowadays, it's where were you when 9-11 happened.
And I remember where I was when John Lennon was murdered, when the missiles started hitting Baghdad in green night-vision live on TV, and when the Berlin Wall fell.

Probably in history class for both the moon landing and JFK death. I was asleep, then getting dressed, and then working security at Walmart when I heard of 9-11. I was in English class for the Berlin Wall collapse, the OJ verdict, and Tienamen Square.

 

[Lady2020]

Third grade, Lutheran school, Houston. Announcement came over the loud speaker. School closed. Lots of crying. A seminal moment.

 

[AllAmericanMale]

I wasn't around yet but I've read through most of this thread. Thank you to the OP for the idea.

It's been interesting reading everyone's thoughts and experiences. Truly a nice cross-section of how mulit-generational lit really is.

 

[gordo12]

5th-grade elementary school. They closed the school and sent us home. I remember being sad and puzzled at the same time. I had no real idea of what had happened other than it was the US president.

 

[rainsol]

hi school 4th period.

 

[SimonDoom]

In the womb, and I wasn't getting reports from Walter Cronkite. The event most like it in my lifetime was 9-11. I was getting ready for work and happened to turn on the today show.

 

[onehitwanda]

it was 14 and a bit years before I was conceived, so I might have been a glint in my father's eye but it's unlikely.

 

[lanceGibs]

Three years old living in South Africa

 

[onehitwanda]

In the womb, and I wasn't getting reports from Walter Cronkite. The event most like it in my lifetime was 9-11. I was getting ready for work and happened to turn on the today show.

9-11 was surreal even on the other side of the world. Lunch time in South Africa, someone in the office suddenly says "Oh Jesus Christ" in that tone of voice that just lets you know that major shit has just gone down somewhere.

Thinking back I remember wondering how long it would be until the mushroom clouds started to bloom, and whether I'd have time to hug my friends goodbye.

 

[la_ruche]

9-11 was surreal even on the other side of the world. Lunch time in South Africa, someone in the office suddenly says "Oh Jesus Christ" in that tone of voice that just lets you know that major shit has just gone down somewhere.

Thinking back I remember wondering how long it would be until the mushroom clouds started to bloom, and whether I'd have time to hug my friends goodbye.

I second that.

 

[Duleigh]

Second Grade
I was going to a Catholic school and I remember the Nuns all weeping, the "civilian" teachers were barely holding it together and we got sent home for rest of the week. Since I had younger sisters to watch, mom was home so there were several days off wasted. I do remember watching the funeral train and the big whoop-de-do about Johnson being inaugurated on an airplane.

Also - this day was the debut of Dr. Who. There is a rumor that he was involved somewhen.