Princess Diana’s death – 31st August 1997
Asleep in bed. I sleep with Radio 4/World Service on, and I woke in the middle of the night to hear that there had been a crash. Then I dozed off and when I woke up, they announced that the Princess of Hearts was dead. I thought “oh, that’s sad”. Then I watched the news over the next few days with growing bewilderment.
Margaret Thatcher’s Resignation – 22nd November 1990
In my room at Brasenose. I ran out into New Quad and bumped into a very right wing Tory friend. We hugged each other and danced around. He was delighted because he never thought a woman should have led his party in the first place.
Attack on the Twin Towers – 11 September 2001
On popbitch. There was a report of a plane having hit the WTC, and paper falling out of the air. Somebody (possibly a poster called Fozzie) claimed that it was a stunt to market Posh Spice’s new single, and that the paper read “Not Such and Innocent Girl: BUY IT NOW”.
Then the internet went down.
Popbitch was the only place where you could still find out what was happening.
England’s World Cup Semi-Final against Germany – 4 July 1990
I must have been in college, but I can’t remember this at all.
President Kennedy’s Assassination – 22 November 1963
My father had known my mother for a couple of months by that stage. So I have no doubt I was a twinkle in somebody’s eye.
Over to you.