What is the most historic event you witnessed?

arybvtcw0eolkf · 10-06-2011 04:49PM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I would have thought witnessing something would really mean seeing it in person and not on TV

+1.

I'd have thought the same.

But I guess live TV has made the world a smaller place.

For me it would be witnessing the civil war in Beirut, then the night we were leaving.

General Michel Aoun and his Chritian forces were making their last stand in East Beirut and some Israeli forces were engaged in a battle in the mountains to the south - I remember looking at it all and thinking 'well its someone else's war now', and I felt like a voyeur looking in on something obscene.

Four hours later I was drinking with my civilian friends back home here in Dublin and not wanting to tell anyone about it all.

Ok, on TV my biggie would be Mandela'a release and Mick Carruth's Olympic Gold medal.

Then watching the second plane hit the twin towers on TV.. I was just home from Lebanon (again) and we were getting reports in work that tensions were high in the Irish battalions area of operations as the locals were celebrating in their thousands on the streets.

faceman · 10-06-2011 05:00PM

Either that massive earthquake in China a few years ago or the opening of the Empire Strikes Back in the cinema.

Elliemental · 10-06-2011 05:06PM

I remember the fall of the Berlin Wall very well. Also, the release of Nelson Mandela. I was only a child at the time, so had little grasp of the significance of these events.

I doubt it really counts as "historic," but my earliest memories are of the Hillsborough Distaster. Although I was not there, I remember the mood of the city afterwards (I'm from Liverpool), the aftermath of the event and the impact that it had.

Chuck Stone · 10-06-2011 05:12PM

When Snuffler got killed by a car on the road; Mrs Murphy loved that dog.

Seen Theirry Henry hand the ball in Paris. Well kinda - because I was at the far end of the stadium - but YKWIM.

Fratton Fred · 10-06-2011 05:13PM

In person it would have to be Pompey winning the FA Cup, followed by Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose's last game for the Windies at Lords.

On TV, same as above really. I grew up convinced that there would be a WWIII so to see the fall of communism and in particular the Berlin war were amazing. The release of Mandela and the ending of Apartheid would rank alongside that.

10-06-2011 05:14PM

I was all prepared for the Rapture but it didnt happen

df1985 · 10-06-2011 05:15PM

Was in croke park for ireland v england, first time for god save the queen to be played. Ive never felt emotion or passion like that before and ive been to a lot of rugby, soccer and gaa matches including about 10 all ireland finals.

Ill leave big kildare gaa days out of it cause im sure no one gives a ****e

Also we all witnessed a new millenium in 2000 folks, nothing to us but not many generations will get to say that.

Latchy · 10-06-2011 05:15PM

Elliemental wrote: »

I remember the fall of the Berlin Wall very well. Also, the release of Nelson Mandela. I was only a child at the time, so had little grasp of the significance of these events.

I doubt it really counts as "historic," but my earliest memories are of the Hillsborough Distaster. Although I was not there, I remember the mood of the city afterwards (I'm from Liverpool), the aftermath of the event and the impact that it had.

Strangley had overlooked this because I was in the city on the day of that terrible event to , watching it all unfold on tv,on the BBC news as it was hapenning which I also remember so well because a friend from Dublin who was living in London at the time , had come to vist me for the weekend .

I was also in Liverpool when James Bulger was murdered and you could see the sadness ,sorrow and pain in everybodys face right across the city .

NothingMan · 10-06-2011 05:16PM

Fratton Fred wrote: »

In person it would have to be Pompey winning the FA Cup

I was there! Despite having little or no interest in football I got some of the best seats in Wembley, all free thanks to working for the sponsoring company of Portsmouth at the time!

Match was forgettable, nice pints afterwards though.

Elliemental · 10-06-2011 05:22PM

Latchy wrote: »

Strangly had overlooked this because I was in the city on the day of that terrible event to , watching it all unfold on tv,on the BBC news as it was hapenning which I also remember so well because a friend from Dublin who was living in London at the time , had come to vist me for the weekend .

I was also in Liverpool when James Bulger was murdered and you could see the sadness ,sorrow and pain in everybodys face right across the city .

Ofcourse, poor James Bulger. I remember that, too. Even twenty years later, I can see those grainy, fuzzy CCTV pictures of that toddler being led away to his death, by two other children. Very sad days for the country, as well as just the city itself.
Just going back to Hilsborough; I was nine and my parents did their best to shelter me from the full impact of it. But everyone who was around at that time remembers the ever increasing death toll as the afternoon wore on.

df1985 · 10-06-2011 05:23PM

Dont really get why people include what they saw on tv to be fair.....you could include a lot of things even just in the past week!

Fratton Fred · 10-06-2011 05:24PM

NothingMan wrote: »

I was there! Despite having little or no interest in football I got some of the best seats in Wembley, all free thanks to working for the sponsoring company of Portsmouth at the time!

Match was forgettable, nice pints afterwards though.

Oki?

You were probably where I was, in the middle tier. Great way to watch football.

Latchy · 10-06-2011 05:30PM

df1985 wrote: »

Dont really get why people include what they saw on tv to be fair.....you could include a lot of things even just in the past week!

Because ie, not everybody was there in Manhatten while the twin towers were attacked but watching it happen live on tv still makes people feel they are witnessing history

Elliemental wrote: »

Just going back to Hilsborough; I was nine and my parents did their best to shelter me from the full impact of it. But everyone who was around at that time remembers the ever increasing death toll as the afternoon wore on.

Yes indeed , to say the city wept buckets while it all unfolded before their eyes would be a understatement .I was out that night in a club and everywhere you went people were in floods of tears knowing they had lost a friend or somebody they knew ,people from all backgrounds and walks of life .

NothingMan · 10-06-2011 05:30PM

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Oki?

You were probably where I was, in the middle tier. Great way to watch football.

I was near the half way line about 5 rows from the front. Yep Oki. Was a great position, nice stadium too. Was impressed with the lack of queue for beers.

cesc77 · 10-06-2011 05:39PM

I was 20 miles away from New York when the towers came down but could see the resulting dust cloud from my house.It was surreal watching the towers fall on tv and out my window,in the distance was proof that it was really happening.

The town I lived in had many cops and firefighters who were involved in the tragically vain search for survivors.The haunted look on their dusty faces when they came into the bar for a few cold ones after working 18 hour shifts looking for their pals,will always stay with me.

There wasnt a thing you could say to these guys,just nod and make sure that the"house" kept the beers coming.

Such a frightening day as it seemed that the attacks just kept coming and there was little anyone could do.

LuckyGent88 · 10-06-2011 05:41PM

In Croke Park to witness Clare win the Hurling All-Ireland after a 81 year wait and the scenes while running across the pitch.

Croke Park for the Ireland-England Rugby match and then watching on the TV afterwards the emotion coming from John Hayes during the national anthem.

dubtom · 10-06-2011 06:53PM

All the historic events for me have been on TV, not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Apart from 9/11, which as it happens was the day I dug the foundations for my shed, strangely enough I can remember with clarity the digging as much as what unfolded on TV that day, the 1st Iraq war I remember as being terrifying as well as exciting, it seemed to just erupt on the 10pm news. It was said to be the first fully televised war,and it seemed that way, from the planes dropping bombs on Baghdad filmed live from hotels, to supposed down pilots being chased by baying crowds in a canal and shot at,never did find out if that really was an allied pilot. Funnily enough I rarely watch TV now,all the major events I usually see weeks later on utube.

BESman · 10-06-2011 07:04PM

I was on the tube in London the last night that drinking on the tube was legal. One minute we were boarding and the next minute, a flash mob came out of nowhere with lots of booze and started cramming onto the carriages. Was absolute chaos, but fun. No more booze on the tube now folks.

I agree, probably the most significant historical event since the Industrial Revolution....or the invention of the modern day stapler.

Chris P. Bacon · 10-06-2011 07:17PM

The most historic thing i witnessed was on 29 March 2004 all across Ireland,at 12 o' clock i had to stand outside for a smoke :mad:

Latchy · 10-06-2011 07:28PM

dubtom wrote: »

All the historic events for me have been on TV, not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Apart from 9/11, which as it happens was the day I dug the foundations for my shed, strangely enough I can remember with clarity the digging as much as what unfolded on TV that day, the 1st Iraq war I remember as being terrifying as well as exciting, it seemed to just erupt on the 10pm news. It was said to be the first fully televised war,and it seemed that way, from the planes dropping bombs on Baghdad filmed live from hotels, to supposed down pilots being chased by baying crowds in a canal and shot at,never did find out if that really was an allied pilot. Funnily enough I rarely watch TV now,all the major events I usually see weeks later on utube.

This is another one of those overlooked scenarios ,if only in the sense of the events which you describe and which I also remember so vividly .

When some of the first scuds were launched from the American warships I remember somebody standing next to me in the pub saying '' So I guess this is it .... WW3 ? '' .

Then on tv watching as the the tv reporters were tracking the Scuds on their way to the targets and the two downed pilots being chased along that canal yet we never did find out if they escaped but it was all so real and happening before our eyes .

pragmatic1 · 10-06-2011 07:29PM

The end of the troubles.
9/11.
Human genome decoded.
Fall of the Berlin wall.
Queens visit.
New millenium.
Dolly the sheep.

ArtyM · 10-06-2011 07:30PM

The loss of my virginity. It may not matter a damn to you guys but it was a f**kin epic moment in my history.

AG2R · 10-06-2011 07:31PM

Obama

walshb · 10-06-2011 07:32PM

David Blaine levitating, or sitting in a box.

Only kidding; he's a twat

For me it is without doubt the tragic September 11th attacks. Still difficult to believe that it happened. To see such power being unleashed, misery and death all in one act, is something I will never forget.

irjudge · 10-06-2011 07:52PM

McDonalds drivethrough coming to Drogheda.

ICE HOUSE · 10-06-2011 08:17PM

Joe Strummers last gig

Skinfull · 10-06-2011 08:29PM

In person I guess the most historic thing I remember (barely) is Bobby Sands Funeral. That was surreal and the significance of it was beyond my comprehension at such a young age.

And on a lighter note, in Millenium stadium for Ireland Grand Slam :cool:

But on tv I remember vividly camped out infront of Sky News in a bar in Galway, watching both towers collapse on 9/11. :eek:

losthorizon · 10-06-2011 08:42PM

Fernando Whining Tango wrote: »

+1.

I'd have thought the same.

But I guess live TV has made the world a smaller place.

For me it would be witnessing the civil war in Beirut, then the night we were leaving.

General Michel Aoun and his Chritian forces were making their last stand in East Beirut and some Israeli forces were engaged in a battle in the mountains to the south - I remember looking at it all and thinking 'well its someone else's war now', and I felt like a voyeur looking in on something obscene.

Four hours later I was drinking with my civilian friends back home here in Dublin and not wanting to tell anyone about it all.

Can I ask did that have any effect on you? Did you like the Lebanese?

Selinab85 · 10-06-2011 08:48PM

The towers in Ballymun coming down - Sad but true - For a local here it was history in the making of the community..

That's prob the only thing I've first handidly witnessed.

Everything else seen it on TV.

My own personal one would prob be Take That reforming... hahaha :P

DublinWriter · 10-06-2011 08:51PM

In 1974 I remember being in Dublin city centre during the bombings.

My mother had brought myself and a couple of the neighbour's kids in to see Jungle Book at the Curzon at the top of Parnell St.

I remember hearing a really deep resonant boom and seeing a pall of smoke come up into the sky.

It was then followed by another such explosion.

Ten minutes later I remember my dad flying around the junction at Dorset St., bundling us all up in the cab of truck he has driving at the time.

All high drama for a four year old, but with the benefit of hindsight you can only really appreciate the true horror of the situation.

What is the most historic event you witnessed?

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