What's the first big news story you can remember being concerned about.

[Slick Mongoose]

BSE scare. My mum wouldn't let us eat beef for a year.

[Datepalm]

The whole Oslo peace process - I remember the possibility of a Jordan peace treaty being something exciting (I would have been about 6-7,) and then the Rabin assassination. 

I also remember really caring, and following the news, about the 1997-8 Asian financial crisis. Beats me why. 

[zelticgar]

The Iran hostage crisis was the first big news story for me. I remember seeing the day counter on the nightly news every evening. That got me interested in the 1980 election. I remember my parents were staunch democrats but they voted for Reagan because they were pissed Kennedy lost to Carter. 

The Jonestown suicides also happened a little before that time period and I remember the scenes of all the dead bodies laid out around the pavilion. Still freaks me out to this day. 

 

 

[Which Tyler]

Good point on some of those terrorist attack first memories; that pushes my first memory back a little earlier to October 1981 and the IRA bomb in the Oxford St. Wimpy bar which I missed by about 10 minutes (we were on the steps to the underground at the time having been in that bar before heading home; I thought it was an earthquake).

 

Of course, in the days before massed communication, mobile phones etc; no-one in the station, knew what was going on, and we just continued on our way home. Chances are that my neighbour who had taken us (us? me? I can't remember if my brother was there or not - I have a feeling he was the reason I was going with a neighbour not mum and dad) to London found out at Paddington, but I know my mum spent a couple of hours in dread having heard about it on the news; and knowing what the approximate plan for the day was.

 

1982 is still the first major memory rather than snatches; and an awareness of what was happening, whilst remembering approximate dates to this day (I had to look up the Wimpy bomb).

[Luzifer's right hand]

I remember seeing news about the gulf war on TV but I do not remember being concerned about that.

The bombings by the "Bajuvarian Liberation Army"(later it was discovered that the loner Franz Fuchs was responsible) is the first thing I remember being concerned about.

[Mlle. Zabzie]

First memory of a news story:  Reagan getting shot.

First news story I remember caring about:  Challenger explosion.

[Maithanet]

The first news story I really remember was the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.  I remember one of the Kuwaiti princes going on the news in a ceremonial military outfit, which included a sword.  He was imploring the US to help and I thought "Of course they need our help!  They are fighting Iraqi tanks with just swords!"

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

The late 1970's gasoline shortage.  I remember seeing videos of lines for gas at gas stations.  We were lucky and I don't remember any here in Columbia SC.  Then we went to Reading PA to visit my Stepfather's family.  We had to wait in some looooong lines for gas to get home.

[Iskaral Pust]

Chernobyl.  I was 8.  I remember being scared for the next several weeks about an approaching radioactive cloud, but thankfully the westerly wind resumed and removed that risk. 

[MisterOJ]

Probably the Mt. St. Helens eruption. I remember thinking it was cool and scary at the same time.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

It's hard to choose just one, but I think my most vivid memory is probably of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.  My parents were obsessed with Saddam Hussein and he filled most of the horror stories my parents told.  Hussein was even frequently mentioned in church sermons. Most of the stories revolved around the idea that Saddam was dropping chemical bombs atop unsuspecting customers filling their cars up with fuel.  So every time we stopped to fill up the car, I'd start crying in terror that we'd be immediately bombed.  

That memory was more directed by my parents, though.  The first big political news story that I remember following and thinking about independently was about the health care reform plans of the early 90's.  I thought Hillary Clinton was so cool and smart.

[James Arryn]

I had unspecific fear of nukes since a very early age as my mom's asshole BF used to tell me about it often, in detail and that it was inevitable, regardless of Cold War being over. 'Man has never invented a more effective killer it didn't thereafter use', etc.

 Therefore any crisis quickly became fear of nuclear bombs, so much so that I don't remember any specifics about each case. First issue I got really involved in/passionate about was Dubya's Iraq war, but I think that's an answer to a different question.

[DunderMifflin]

35 minutes ago, Dr. Pepper said:

It's hard to choose just one, but I think my most vivid memory is probably of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.  My parents were obsessed with Saddam Hussein and he filled most of the horror stories my parents told.  Hussein was even frequently mentioned in church sermons. Most of the stories revolved around the idea that Saddam was dropping chemical bombs atop unsuspecting customers filling their cars up with fuel.  So every time we stopped to fill up the car, I'd start crying in terror that we'd be immediately bombed.  

I remember the first Gulf War with Bush Sr. and my parents were angry at me for not caring about it. The coverage was live on CNN and I didn't want to watch it because honestly it was boring to me.

My parents were all like this is war!! WAR!!!! It's serious !!!!! And they forced me to watch it. I was 14 at the time and I just remember being like we have an army that's better than GI Joe. How much can this "war"  possibly go off script here. 

[Fez]

First one I remember was the LA riots, but I was too young to really care or even fully understand what was happening.

First one I remember caring about was the 1996 presidential election. There were competing rumors going around the school that Dole and Clinton wanted to get rid of summer break, and since my parents were Democrats I decided to believe the one about Dole and not the one about Clinton. And I really liked my summer break. What can I say? I was 9.

[Quoth]

I enjoy coming to this board and forgetting how ancient I am. Truly, you folks have kept me young (or at least younger) through the many, many years I've spent here. Then every once in a while a thread like this comes along... *deep sigh*

The JFK assassination. Was in kindergarten at the time. Spent the entire weekend watching the news following the horrific story and aftermath.

[Liver and Onions]

I too remember the first Gulf War. My family was overseas at the time, near two American military bases, so there was the concern that we might targets if things went south. 

Also the Challenger. That was hard-hitting. 

[Buckwheat]

3 hours ago, Stannis Eats No Peaches said:

(This thread makes me acutely aware of how much younger I am than the average board member age haha)

Yup, same here.

[Corvinus85]

I think 1998-99 was the first time when there were some events both in my home country and in the world at large that I took serious note of: the Kosovo War, the Y2K problem (I actually went in my old pre-Pentium, DOS based computer which I had and changed the calendar date on it to an older date because that would surely fool it ) and the last or 2nd to last Miners Revolt in Romania which involved medieval like battles between the miners and the police forces (gendarmes).

[Maltaran]

I remember Thatcher resigning, and later on the first Gulf War.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Quoth,

I'm just glad there is someone senior to me.  I remember some NASA thing on the news when I was really little.  Probably the Skylab shot.