48 years ago

[73ss454]

As time goes by less and less people seem remember what happened on this day 48 years ago. Every year on this date it was big news and I haven't heard a word about it today. When I was at the bank today I mentioned it to a few of the tellers who were standing around and they all sort of looked at me like, Hmmm, I heard of him but......

I was sitting in 9th grade SS Class when it came over the PA about John F. Kennedy being assassinated in Dallas.

 

[donheff]

As time goes by less and less people seem remember what happened on this day 48 years ago.

In two years we will go through a massive half centennial and everybody will know about it.

 

[W2R]

It's a huge Big Deal to me and always will be. For whatever reasons, my life changed. I guess it was the end of innocence, of a certain kind, for many in my generation.

That day, just before Home Room in 9th grade, one of the boys came running in and said the President had been shot. We all thought he was joking and we were laughing and cutting up until the teacher came in with tears in her eyes. Then we went to the auditorium to watch news coverage for the rest of the day on a big screen TV. Or, we could choose study hall instead.

 

[Nuiloa]

I was in 6th grade and remember my teacher coming in with tears in her eyes.

This was a watershed moment for me as well. As a Canadian kid, I knew very little about the American political scene and really couldn't have cared less. But the murder of JFK opened my eyes to the fact that there was a whole world beyond my small town.

 

[pb4uski]

I was in second grade and was home for the day ill. I remember it well. Traumatic at the time.

 

[freebird5825]

I was 5 years old at the time, just 2 months into kindergarten. My memories were hearing all the adults around me being very upset, being sent home early that day, and then our entire family watching the broadcast of the funeral on our small black/white TV.
I distinctly remember seeing the two Kennedy children (ages 6 and 3 at the time) standing next to their mother in black and JFK Jr's salute, and the horses and the caisson.
I was too young to really understand what had happened to JFK until a few years later when MLK and RFK were shot. Then it all came together. Scary times...

 

[REWahoo]

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/where-were-you-when-it-happened?-18607.html

 

[eytonxav]

I was sitting in 9th grade SS Class when it came over the PA about John F. Kennedy being assassinated in Dallas.

I was in the Principals Office when this happened and was told to return to my 9th grade social studies class (funny coincidence with 73ss454). I informed the class of what had happened and the teacher gave me the big stink eye and said, if this is your idea of a joke, its not funny. The rest is history, but it is certainly one day in history that I will never forget where I was.

 

[lemming]

Honestly I remember being told about the Cuban missile crisis more vividly-the teacher was very shaken. We were an Air Force school and I imagine the base went to high alert status although I really don't remember the aftermath.

After the assassination news we were sent home. I remeber The whole school at one time walking along the causeway into the base gate-and quiet.

 

[Nodak]

I was in an 11th grade psychology class.

 

[oldtrig]

I was in an 11th grade History class.

 

[Brett_Cameron]

I was in the third grade and they let the schools out the next day. I remember going out to play and there was no one around. Not many cars on the street. I saw the newspaper headline later int he day and realized what happened. Oceanside, CA.

 

[East Texas]

7th grade walking from music class to the reading classroom and heard the PA announcement. Sad day for all.

 

[sheehs1]

I was in 3rd grade and can't remember the details of the hours at school.
We just knew something major happened. We found out what it was when we got home. All I really knew at that time was someone killed the most important man in America. Our President.

 

[Ronstar]

3rd grade also. I remember it being one of the rare days when the teachers brought out the tv's to watch the news. A real tragedy.

 

[Major Tom]

I was born 6 days after it happened, so don't remember too much.

 

[old woman]

I was in 10th grade home ec class just finishing when they announced to stay in your class. Then they announced he had been shot. They said he would want us to stay in school and made us stay all day then gave us the next day off.

He was only the second president I had noticed and I liked that he had the kids and the wife everyone admired. I had a little calendar on my wall that you turned the date everyday but I left it on Nov 22 for years in remembrance.

I did hear about it on the radio today so it wasn't forgotten.

 

[BLS53]

5th grade. The teacher was called out of the classroom, and returned a few minutes later stating: "We're closing school for the rest of the day. When you get home your parents will tell you why." This was a small town, where most kids walked to and from school. There was a neighborhood boy, a year older than I, who was kind of a condescending know it all, who stayed abreast of politics and current affairs. He somehow had heard of what had happened. I walked home with him, and asked him why school was being let out. He replied: "Don't you know? The President's been assassinated." I wasn't really sure what assassinated meant, but I knew it was associated with the killing of President Lincoln.

The most memorable moment for me, was watching TV that Saturday morning, and seeing Ruby shoot Oswald. I recall the reporter continually repeating: "Oswald's been shot!" I knew this was real, and not some TV crime drama.

 

[52andout]

A day I'll never forget. My mother had taken us to see him speak when he was campaigning on the East Coast outside of Boston. My teacher was married to a cousin and on the 22nd the principal came and took her out of the classroom then took over the class. I remember her because she had a lot of jewelry and fancy designer clothes, very expensive for the day. After she left the school the principal made the announcement on the loudspeaker. The teacher went to the funeral and took several weeks of leave and when she came back told us all about the family. I remember Caroline's pony Macaroni - do you remember photos of her riding the pony at the White House? And John John in his coat saluting the coffin.

 

[Walt34]

7th grade art class. An announcement over the PA system, then they plugged that into a news radio station. I remember the mood being very somber, but not much else about that particular day.

 

[Koolau]

10th grade History class. I heard something in the halls just prior to class (no details, just lots of "Dallas", "Motorcade!", "Dallas".) When a student mentioned it in class, the teacher pontificated that it was BS (not his words - but his usual "jock" attitude - he was the Cross Country coach, not a real history teacher if you know what I mean.) When it was announced on the PA a few minutes later, Coach shut up.

I definitely thought of it yesterday when I saw the date on my computer. It always brings back a flood of memories.

 

[Nodak]

I can't remember anything about that day before the knock on the door to inform the teacher. I remember the rest of the day vividly.

 

[TromboneAl]

For some reason, the Kennedy assassination changed from an historic event into some kind of quirky memory game. I'm not criticizing, just saying that instead of talking about how it changed history, or the posthumous popularity of presidents, it's all about where you were when you heard. It's weird.

Also I wonder whether we remember because of all the times this memory has been refreshed when the topic comes up. I don't remember where I was when Bobby Kennedy or MLK were killed.

 

[Thormole]

2nd grade. It was the only time I'd ever seen my teacher cry. Living in Massachusetts it was especially hard. We were not that far from the Kennedy compound. The world was a different place for many of us after that.

 

[Nords]

For some reason, the Kennedy assassination changed from an historic event into some kind of quirky memory game. I'm not criticizing, just saying that instead of talking about how it changed history, or the posthumous popularity of presidents, it's all about where you were when you heard. It's weird.
Also I wonder whether we remember because of all the times this memory has been refreshed when the topic comes up. I don't remember where I was when Bobby Kennedy or MLK were killed.

For those who can't remember the Kennedy assassination, it'll be "Remember where you were during the 9/11 attack?"