Earliest Memory of Seminal News

The first news I remember was Suez and Hungary, both in 1956 when I was 4 (although I had to check to see which came first ). I had no idea what was going on, but we always had to be quiet when the news was on, so I couldn't ask why they were talking about hungry at breakfast time. Eventually I remembered to ask after the news was over and it made more sense.

I worked beside a member of Susan's family for a while. She was one of several victims of the vile Robert Black. The man who alerted police and helped to catch him lived in our village and has since had a street named after him.

Susan Maxwell, a little girl that had been kidnapped from the Coldstream area, I think. I took a lot of notice because they said police were stopping vehicles, particularly those with children in, and at the time I was going with my dad to work in his lorry. Not once did they stop him, whether I was in it or not!!
That poor girl!!!
And then the Falklands war looming...my neighbour caught me crying at the bottom of our steps and comforted me!

Oh gosh yes - I remember Aberfan on the news.

I remember Aberfan on TV. I remember there was something on TV after it about gifts being sent to the surviving children and I commented how lucky they were to get presents and my mum looking tearful and explaining to me how sad it was. I also have a clear memory of my class (and maybe some other classes) being allowed to watch Winston Churchill's funeral on T V at school. Being allowed to watch TV in school was such a novel experience but tbh I had no idea what it was all about.

Many congratulations Bijou, that was a fascinating post. I hope I’m still posting on GN or wherever when I’m your age!

Bijou
Congratulations! on you 100th Birthday Anniversary!! You have lived a century and seen the world evolve. I believe you’ve had a good life and lived it well. You are a heroine to so many. Hope you see this still.
God Bless You. 💐🌹🌟🍫🎂🥂
USA Gundy

Wow, Bijou. How marvellous. Have a wonderful birthday.

Bijou congratulations on your forthcoming 100th birthday. Have a lovely time.

Bijou what a remarkable early memory you have! Thank you for that and like Musicgirl I send you every good wish for your 100th birthday 🎂

My earliest memory of ‘news’ seems to have been from when I was 11 - JFK assassination. And as that happened on a Friday late afternoon UK time and I remember hearing about it in the school playground at lunchtime, it also took all weekend to reach me in my London suburb.

@Polremy, I have just checked the date on Google and it was 15th February 1971. I was certain of the time because of the age I was and the year I was in at school

Bijou, I am so glad that you contributed to the thread. The mind boggles at you being able to remember the General Strike of 1926. Your contributions are always fascinating as they open a window to a time long gone that most of us learned in history lessons but you actually lived through. Congratulations on your hundredth birthday and Many Happy Returns. 🎂

(Juggernaut.)
You are right. I was three at the time of the 1926 General Strike and my sister had just been born. I remember that night dad taking me into the front bedroom where the midwife was bathing her.
I shall be 100 in two weeks time.

Winston Churchill died on my 13th birthday so I've never forgotten that.

And I remember Yuri Gagarin's space trip, we were travelling to see my Nanny in the car and had the radio on,

Siope

JFK’s assassination. I recall a newsflash interrupting something I was watching, but not which programme it was. I was the only person in the room, so I’m guessing my dad was at work, and my mum was putting my siblings to bed.

I remember this very well too, I was around 14 I think and remember feeling so sad.

Because we came from the DP camps in Germany after the war, all things Russian were of utmost interest and importance - since they were the enemy. The first thing I remember being truly aware of was Yuri Gagarin’s space ride. The following year was the Russian Nuclear Missile Crisis/Cuba. I was afraid to go to bed at night. I think we were all trembling.
Nyet!
USA Gundy

I remember a boy rushing into the playground after lunch yelling 'Ghandi's dead, Ghandi's dead!' At the age of 7 it meant nothing to me - I didn't even know who Ghandi was. It was only years later that the full import of that piece of news struck me...

The Cuban missile crisis. I was 9 or 10 at the time and moved myself into my parents’ room and slept between them. I remember thinking that if we were doomed I wanted to be with them. My Dad convinced me , however, that President Kennedy would ‘whip their backsides’ if they tried anything. My dad was a fan of JFK and wept openly when he was assassinated.

Getting ready to go back to school after having been home for dinner, and hearing on the news that Annette Mills (creator of Muffin the Mule) had died - my cousin and I both burst into tears...I was 6.
I also remember sitting with my Nan (we lived with my grandparents) watching a flickering black and white TV in great amazement that we could see pictures coming directly from America,. via the new Telstar satellite in 1962.

Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzig Norgay reaching the summit of Mount Everest 1953. 🏔️

Aberfan because my brothers and I were of the same age and the Torrey Canyon, we were due to go to Cornwall on holiday that summer and remember taking a great interest.

Sitting in the front seat between my parents listening to the car radio. No seatbelts. Heard about the Rosenbergs being spies and atomic secrets. I was probably 4 or 5 and it made me afraid whenever I heard a plane thinking we would be bombed.

My father came into the back of our Australian delicatessen, ashen faced and said, ‘They’ve killed Kennedy.’ I was about five.

DeeJaysMum

I think it would have to be the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 77, I was 9.
There's probably something earlier than that but there's nothing else coming to mind

That's made me feel very old 😁

I think it would have to be the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 77, I was 9.
There's probably something earlier than that but there's nothing else coming to mind