Momentous Moments in the world....

[Pushka]

The victory of Obama and his Victory speech will be 'one of those moments' in time that everyone here will remember. So what else have people experienced here that will be remembered as 'one of those moments'. Lets go on a memory walk (Not including personal stuff like marriages and the like!) Maybe if everyone could list a sad and a happy time?

To start the ball rolling I can remember -

the Assassination of JFK
Man walking on the moon......was it real?

 

[Nathan]

september 11, was that real aswell? we will never know.

 

[wylie]

For me the stand out "I remember what I was doing when.... " moments were the death of Princess Diana and the Twin Towers.

 

[depreciator]

I remember watching the moon walk at school. I must have been in kindy. They set us a TV on the stage and we all sat on the floor. I suspect we were all hoping they were going to put Play School on.

I also remember the Whitlam dismissal. I remember my mother telling me. And I remember not knowing what she was talking about.

I also remember the defeat of John Howard.

Scott

 

[MichaelW]

I'll add:

1/ Kevin Rudd's "Sorry" speech. For indigenous Australians, and anyone proud to be Australian, this was a landmark occassion in our history.

2/ In a similar vein I'll add Whitlam's handing back of land to the Gurindji people following their strike for land rights. The symbolism of him pouring dirt through the fingers of Vincent Lingiari's fingers lives with me to this day. That image still resonates.

Its funny how we are so invigorated by momentous advancements abroad, but get uncomfortable when envisaging the same advancements at home... Sort of reflects poorly on us as a nation at times. But as I posted elsewhere, we live in amazing times and I live with "hope" in my heart. I only hope I live to see an indigenous Prime Minister of Australia. Now, THAT, would be momentous.

3/ I guess to close, I'll agree that the double dissolution of the Whitlam government is also a momentous moment I remember well, but for all the wrong reasons. "Well may we say God Save the Queen, but God will not save the Governor General!"

The defeat of John Howard? Not Momentous, just overdue...

Cheers,
Michael

 

[artemis]

assassination of john lennon.. i was very young and remember my mother crying and the song 'imagine' playing in the background..

happy time - eddy mabo victory, and without remembering names or even the date, the aussie ice skater who won gold at the winter olympics after the rest of the field fell.. classic

 

[our obsession]

As well as the moments mentioned above...(the ones I was/am aware of):

-Barack Obama- President (again!!)

-Sorry Day (again!)

-Julia Gillard appointed Deputy Prime Minister

-Hillary Clinton being a candidate for the Democratic nomination

-Berlin Wall coming down (and actually being there, for that)

-Cathy Freeman's (Olympic opening) then 400m gold Sydney

-Sheer despair and horror: the Rwandan genocide

many many more, but think I may have overstepped the 2 mark.

 

[depreciator]

The death of Elvis.

Not sure why I remembered it. But it's so clear. I was getting ready for school and it was on the radio - 2SM. There was a caller in tears and she said: 'I was just standing there when I heard the news and I threw the coat hangers across the room and thought how unfair life was.' Maybe it was the coat hanger comment that made me remember it.
The guy on the radio suggested she turn off the radio because she was obviously upset (and unhinged).
I'm not sure life was so unfair to Elvis.

 

[lizzie]

to me ...

the landing of the first space shuttle. the first explosion of the space shuttle.

the advent of the personal computer - recall going with dad down to the megacomputer at the national centre to feed his punchcards thru during his pre-booked timeslot. dad had one of the first portable computers - about the size of a sewing machine with a screen about half an a4 page.

the first mobile phones - the portable was the size of a briefcase, with a brick handset.

sorry - that's more than two.

 

[twobobsworth]

- Kieran Perkins winning the 1500m gold medal from lane eight in 1996.

- Y2K nothing happened!

- September 11

- The Tsunami

This is starting to look like Bert Newtons 20 to 1!

 

[Aaron Sice]

good show that - some great memories to re-live.

challenger was a definite memory for me, princess di, bush stealing the presidency from al gore, the shot of all those troops running into iraq behind the humvees and wondering where all the resistance was....

 

[Nards]

good show that - some great memories to re-live.

Might watch it if cheesey sleazy Bert Newton wasn't on it! Cant stand that guy!

The Bali Bombing - happened on my wedding day, a date I will never forget now.
September 11
Death of Princess Di
Watching the first Gulf War on TV as a kid..the flashing lights that were actually bombs - very surreal.

Nadia

 

[AUSPROP...]

I only hope I live to see an indigenous Prime Minister of Australia. Now, THAT, would be momentous.

the chances are slim... indigenous population in Australia is so small vs the african american population in the US. take away the uneducated perecentage and I would say you have buckleys of finding a suitable PM candidate

 

[BayView]

I remember all of the above, except the Kennedy assassination

And what about the Westgate Bridge collapse?

I was in Grade 4, we had the radio on.

 

[MichaelW]

the chances are slim... indigenous population in Australia is so small vs the african american population in the US. take away the uneducated perecentage and I would say you have buckleys of finding a suitable PM candidate

Senator Aiden Ridgeway / Senator Barack Obama...

Doesn't sound too different to me...

Cheers,
Michael

 

[battle on]

I remember hearing on the radio that the ship "Lake Illawarra" had hit the Tasman Bridge, I looked out my bedroom window( I think I was about 11) to see a gapping hole there in the bridge,

I also remember well driving along the road with my mother and on the radio they said "The King is dead"..... Elvis had passed away.

And who could forget 1983 with Australia II snatching the Americas Cup 4-3 from Liberty and Bob Hawke saying ‘Any boss who sacks a worker for not turning up today is a bum.’

 

[steveadl]

Waking up on Sunday morning to hear Princess Diana had been killed.

Watching the end of the Ch. 10 late news when Sandra Sully was the first to cross to the live feed from NY, before they knew what was happening.

 

[TheCamel]

I suspect we may be lucky enough here to see the first female head of state. (No, i'm sorry, the queen, and/or monarchy, are not the head of our state, no matter what people may like to think or suggest or beleive.)

however - mine so far, cause im such a young tacker and all, is 11/9 and the first black president.
(I also suspect I may get to see a presidential assassination during my life...)

 

[The Fence]

Princess Di was killed the day we moved into our first PPOR.....never forget that.
That's my two right there...one up one down.....!


Not so sure about indigenous Prime Ministers in Australia.....however...if so...right now could be Noel Pearson...a man with real vision guided by the fundamental truths of indigenous Australians...not the extreme activists views.

I live in the country area of NSW and do not agree with alot of city peoples' views on indigenous issues....sorry for that but I live among indigenous people and have many as friends and they don't agree either....

 

[Aaron Sice]

I live in the country area of NSW and do not agree with alot of city peoples' views on indigenous issues....sorry for that but I live among indigenous people and have many as friends and they don't agree either....

the "views" are constructed through experience....