Most significant (live) TV you've ever seen.

[trekkiedane]

Before the world hears Obama say the magic words:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

What is the most momentous thing you have ever seen on television (be it "live" or "taped")?



To me it was the launch of Apollo 11.

I probably watched it live (at least I'm old enough to have) but I don't remember so; it's just that nothing I've ever seen on TV -even in innumerous repeats- has had quite the same impact on me.

Nothing else I have ever watched has had the same amount of hope, can-do spirit, belief in personhood… faith in the future -if you will… than those few minutes of television history!

Every single time I see this clip of a Saturn V blasting off, my belief in us, as a species, is rekindled.

What is your most significant TV-and-history moment?

 

[Trippy]

9/11. I watched the second plane crash into the twin towers.

 

[Holdfast]

9/11. I watched the second plane crash into the twin towers.

I have to go with 9-11 too, though I only caught it live from a bit after the second crash.

In terms of true world impact, that had geopolitical ramifications way ahead of the other "big events" I've seen live.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

9/11 was my momentous (for the wrong reasons) TV event too.

Next momentous for me was live feed of Voyager 2 reaching Neptune. I was really into astronomy as a kid, and I had waited all my life for that moment, seeing Neptune for the first time up close and personal.

Unfortunately I had missed other greater moments in human history such as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

 

[Holdfast]

Unfortunately I had missed other greater moments in human history such as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

I forgot about that. Funny how time makes massively significant events seem less so. I guess this just about pips 9-11. Maybe.

 

[trekkerguy]

The point of 9/11 was to be significant.

I try to place no significance on it because that is in a very small way giving
into the "terrorism". It happened, was horrible, moving on.

This year's Election. And on Tuesday the swearing in of my President will take
the place as most significant.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Unfortunately I had missed other greater moments in human history such as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

I forgot about that. Funny how time makes massively significant events seem less so. I guess this just about pips 9-11. Maybe.

I remember I was worrying too much about taking part in a dancing pageant at that time, missing the whole thing completely.

[My sordid past comes back to bite me in the bum once again. ]

I do remember seeing Nelson Mandela walking free from prison, though. That was a pretty cool day, all in all.

 

[shapeshifter]

9/11 was my momentous (for the wrong reasons) TV event too.

Next momentous for me was live feed of Voyager 2 reaching Neptune. I was really into astronomy as a kid, and I had waited all my life for that moment, seeing Neptune for the first time up close and personal.

Unfortunately I had missed other greater moments in human history such as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

"Neptune All Night" on KPBS?


Unfortunately 9-11 is now my most significant, replacing Live pictures from the Moon of the Buggy driving around. (which I later found out we're not live at all but a tape playing on a loop )

 

[Zulu Romeo]

replacing Live pictures from the Moon of the Buggy driving around. (which I later found out we're not live at all but a tape playing on a loop )

But there was a bomb on that buggy! If it slowed down to less than 6mph it would go off!

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I don't know if it is the most significant but the first one I remember strongly was Reagan getting shot. That and the first shuttle launch which we watched in school but I'm not sure which came first.

The point of 9/11 was to be significant.

I try to place no significance on it because that is in a very small way giving
into the "terrorism". It happened, was horrible, moving on.

This year's Election. And on Tuesday the swearing in of my President will take
the place as most significant.

I see your point but the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Guatanamo Bay, Abu Gharib, the Patriot Act make it hard to downplay the significance.

 

[trekkiedane]

9/11 was my momentous (for the wrong reasons) TV event too.

Next momentous for me was live feed of Voyager 2 reaching Neptune. I was really into astronomy as a kid, and I had waited all my life for that moment, seeing Neptune for the first time up close and personal.

Unfortunately I had missed other greater moments in human history such as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The point of 9/11 was to be significant.

I try to place no significance on it because that is in a very small way giving
into the "terrorism". It happened, was horrible, moving on.

This year's Election. And on Tuesday the swearing in of my President will take
the place as most significant.

"Multiquote" doesn't seem to work for me right now.
Nevertheless: I should have said: "Most significant positive TV you've ever seen." -my bad.

Obviously 9/11 is unforgettable and quite the momentous TV-horror. I remember a 'friend' calling me; telling me to turn on my TV -something in his voice told me he wasn't making one of his usual bad jokes…

"Voyager 2" - sorry to say; I don't even remember that! -I did however stay up all night to watch the live images (not really ordinary video) from when Giotta met Halley's Comet.

And indeed, watching German television during the fall of the wall was quite memorable.

 

[RevdKathy]

Oh Lord, so many. The first one that sprang to mind was the 'great step for mankind'. We had a TV in school (very avant guard in those days!) and I recall watching a moon walk on it.

I saw Nelson Mandela walk free, people smashing up the Berlin wall, and the planes on 9/11 (I was visiting a gentleman dying of lung cancer and he had it on the TV). I remember the first Live Aid satellite link-up for a multi-national concert.

 

[ThankQ]

I don't know that it's the most significant to everyone else, but the Challenger disaster had the greatest effect on 2nd grade Dave.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned January 16, 1991.

 

[chardman]

It's a toss-up between Kennedy's speech about going to the moon, or the actual coverage of Apollo 11 itself.

 

[Sephiroth]

both shuttles blowing up, that politician blowing his brains out, I find no signifigance in 9/11, it's a tea party compaired to Iraq and Afghanistan

 

[trekkiedane]

It's a toss-up between Kennedy's speech about going to the moon, or the actual coverage of Apollo 11 itself.

I actually never bothered to look up this speech before (my baaaaad )

"The other things" are actually way more significant than "going to the moon" - that man was a frakking trekkie!!!

 

[TheGodBen]

I'm too young for most of these significant events, and I was in school on Sept 11 2001 so I missed the whole thing. Even though it wasn't "live", I watched live news on the day Columbia broke up on re-entry, and I watched as the earliest recorded footage of vapour trails got through to the news networks. That was pretty bleak.

I stayed up late in November to see who won the US election and was completely over-whelmed by the live footage coming in of black Americans celebrating at the moment the election was called for Obama. It was an incredible moment of pure positive emotion.

 

[trekkiedane]

I'm too young for most of these significant events, and I was in school on Sept 11 2001 so I missed the whole thing. Even though it wasn't "live", I watched live news on the day Columbia broke up on re-entry, and I watched as the earliest recorded footage of vapour trails got through to the news networks. That was pretty bleak.

I stayed up late in November to see who won the US election and was completely over-whelmed by the live footage coming in of black Americans celebrating at the moment the election was called for Obama. It was an incredible moment of pure positive emotion.

Most importantly (for this thread): which of the things that once were (as good as) live television were most significant to you? -You don't(/didn't) have to actually sit there in front of the tube/flat screen the very first time it was televised. You just have to have some sort of emotional connection to watching it on TV!

 

[Cali]

I stayed up until 4.15am last year in November to watch Obama win. That was pretty awesome.

 

[Captain Ice]

1/1986 - I watched the space shuttle Challenger lift off on live TV during my history class.

9/2001 - I watched the second plane crash into the World trade Center and then watched both towers fall.