History is what we remember, not what we try to forget.
When I read today’s prompt — “What major historical events do you remember?” — I noticed that most of the responses focused on tragedy: wars, bombings, tragic weather events, major natural disasters , assassinations, terroist attacks like 9/11, mass shootings. All important and historical , yes — but I wanted to take a different road today. I wanted to remember the positive milestones in my life — the moments that gave me hope, pride, and a shared sense that the world was still capable of doing great things.
The Night We Landed on the Moon (1969)
I can still picture our little living room that summer evening — lights dimmed, family gathered close, Walter Cronkite’s steady voice filling the air. I was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of our 19″ Emerson black-and-white TV when my father leaned over and said, “Pay attention, Richard — this is history in the making.”
He said that a lot — he was a news junkie through and through. But that night, it hit home. When Neil Armstrong took that “one small step for man,” it felt like the whole planet took a collective breath. For a brief moment, there were no borders, no politics — just awe. We weren’t watching America succeed; we were watching humanity reach for the impossible.
When Color Came to Life
My parents once won a 26″ Magnavox Quasar color television in our church’s 50/50 raffle. Suddenly, we were the first family on the block with color TV — and that made our tiny living room the most popular spot in the neighborhood. Every afternoon after school, the kids would crowd in to watch Batman.
We’d shout and laugh when those big comic-book words — POW! BAM! ZAP! — flashed across the screen in full color. That TV wasn’t just entertainment — it was magic. It was proof that the world was changing fast and we were lucky enough to be young while it happened.
The Beatles and the Music That Changed Everything
Music in the ’60s was electric — not just sound, but energy and emotion. I still remember singing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to my kindergarten teacher, Miss Perryman, who I had a hopeless crush on. The Beatles were brand new then, but they were already changing everything — the music, the fashion, the feeling in the air. Add in the soul and harmony of Motown, and it seemed like the whole world had found a new rhythm.
A Miracle of Medicine — The First Heart Transplant (1967)
When Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful human heart transplant, the world stood still. The thought that one person’s heart could give another person life was almost too incredible to believe. I remember people talking about it everywhere — in barbershops, at school, even in church — half in awe, half in disbelief. It was one of those rare moments when science felt divine.
The End of the Vietnam War (1975)
By the time I was in high school, the Vietnam War dominated the news. Every night, I’d watch the body counts on TV and wonder if it would still be raging by the time I graduated. The draft was always in the back of my mind — a shadow that hung over boys my age.
When the war finally ended, I remember feeling this deep, quiet relief — like a long, dark cloud had finally passed. I didn’t fully understand all the politics of it then, but I understood enough to know that peace, however imperfect, was something to be grateful for.
A Nation’s New Chapter (2008)
Decades later, I sat once again in front of a television — this time in high definition — watching another kind of history unfold. The election of America’s first Black president was something I honestly never thought I’d see in my lifetime.
These are the memories I hold onto — not the dark ones that scarred us, but the bright ones that shaped us. The nights when we came together as families, as a nation, and as people. Because history isn’t just what happens to us; it’s what lifts us, changes us, and stays with us long after the headlines fade.
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