I agree with both of these. I'm 22, so while a lot of shit has happened in my "generation" I was too young to really remember or appreciate the significance of a lot of it. Some of the events that stand out:
-9/11
-Princess Di
-OKC
-Columbine
-OJ
-Obama
-Virginia Tech
I also agree with the post that said Columbine may have had the biggest personal effect. I went to a white, middle-to-upper-middle class school and I thought the same things. I would tie Virginia Tech in there as well. I was a freshman at Ohio State and I can remember plain as day sitting in a 500+ student classroom when the news was breaking in the very early afternoon, thinking to myself, "How easy would it be for someone to walk into this classroom and pick off about 50 of us?" It certainly made things more real. The rest of the quarter, all of the courtyards were only student ID access after 7pm or so.
I would consider MJ's death a big event, but certainly not a signature event. All the other things I listed certainly changed my perspective on my world as well as the world surrounding me. All I(as well as all my friends) did when MJ died was share a few good natured jokes that were circulating via text or Facebook, throw on an MJ playlist, and get fucked up.
Laley23;430293 wrote:Probably very true.
In that case, our timeframe for "this" generation is probably way to long. It should be split into 2 generations. 25 and under and 26 and older....
bigkahuna;430569 wrote:Like someone else said, I consider a defining moment as something that I can remember instantly what I was doing when it happened. I was born in 86, so bear with me.
A. Berlin Wall fell in 1989-I was 3. Don't remember it, so I can't include it for myself, however, it tops the list.
In no particular order
1.OJ Trial-I was in 4th Grade helping out the secretary in the office. The tv was on, and the principal, secretary, and 2 play ground aids were eating their lunch watching the verdict. I went back to the class, and the teacher let me interrupt class and make the announcement. Later, the secretary came on and said "Staff and Students, Not Guilty." I went home and my older cousin (In High School) said that the every class room had the feed on their tvs watching. Kind of dumb, but it took the country over.
2. Princess Diana's Death-Getting ready for church Sunday Morning. I woke up at 4am later in the week to watch the funeral. "Candle In the Wind" that's all I'm saying.
3. Death of Pope John Paul II-Just came back from class Freshmen Year in college. Everyone was watching in my dorm room because I had the biggest tv
4.Columbine Shooting- 8th Grade was getting ready to start. The entire scope of school security changed after that. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Now, you see the weird kid walking down the hall with a trench coat and think "When is the day he's gonna do it?" For me this had the biggest impact because school completely changed. Doors were locked during the day, and you had Lock Down Drills.....
5. Obama's win-Not going to say anything; it just happened 2 years ago.
I gave 2 people that have died during my life and neither one was Michael Jackson. I can remember Princess Diana in 97 and the Pope in 05, but not the day Jackson died in 09. Also, put Mother Theresa before him as well. How bout Tupac in 96? Hell, I can remember that better than MJ
Also, just to throw these out there. They may be more for people in the area, but what about the L.A. Riots and Cincinnati Riot?
