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Sept 11 attacks, Katrina top list of memorable U.S. TV moments of last 50 years

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So easy to see this was done in the US...

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

@tmarie: that's why the header says "memorable U.S. TV moments". But I have to agree, why should the world care about American TV moment?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

With so many other events though, pretty sad that only THREE are not US centric though, right?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

What about the Tiananmen Incident, "Liberation" of Saigon, Fall of the Berlin Wall, Collapse of the Soviet Union, Chernobyl disaster, Sarin Attacks on Tokyo Underground, Yom Kippur War, Oil Shock, Entebbe Rescue, Death of Elvis, Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, US diplomats held hostage in Tehran, Cuban Missile Crisis... sheesh, people have short memories.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As an American, I'm embarrassed by this list, but completely believe it. TV coverage is fickle. I can't remember what was happening that OJ Simpson's trial bumped, but it was certainly more important to the USA and world.

Most Americans only look internally. The terrible loss of life in China earthquakes, Myanmar cyclone and Indonesia tsunami with 130,000-750,000+ people killed where completely ignored. Katrina (2005) killed about 1800 people in comparison.

I'm surprised that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon is missing. I know that event changed my life.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Um.....no moon landing?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I have seen traffic analysis data of numerous English web sites in Japan, and the number of hits from overseas are more or less proportional to the size of the populations of countries where English is native language of a majority of the population, in descending order. So you invariably get the US, Britain, Canada, Australia, and then all the rest.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Whatever happens in USA makes news in every other language, the same way China will be sharing the spotlight in a few years too. 9/11 will be in the top forever, will be displaced only by an UFO landing live broadcast.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Whatever happens in USA makes news in every other language...

Hahahahaha! Classic. Nope. Not even close.

9/11 is the top for AMERICANS, certainly not everyone else.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Considering that most of the respondents probably don't even know or remember why they celebrate the fourth of July, I am not really surprised.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"9/11 is the top for AMERICANS, certainly not everyone else."

Unless you can show me otherwise, I'll take a bet it was the most watched event globally. The images were shocking and changed the world irrevocably.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I'm not even going to comment on that reticules list! Just to say it's very silly to say the least. A wedding of two famous people more important than the earthquake/tsunami in Indonesia? In that case, I'm surprised the divorce between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes is not on the list! That would have made the list even dumber. Okay...nuff said...I promised not to comment so I have to keep my word.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

tmarie, perhaps you can provide the proper list to help us Americans out.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

reticules list

I did not see a list of those.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Unless you can show me otherwise, I'll take a bet it was the most watched event globally. The images were shocking and changed the world irrevocably.

Just because many people saw it happen after the fact doesn't make it the most memorable for them.

Super, how about things like, say, Tienanmen square, the fall of the wall, the Asian tsunami coverage... You know, international things that affected lives of others not American?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Agree with Tmarie the "Fall of the wall" is way more memorable and important to me as are other events.

Now if we talk US-TV alone(which the article is about) .......

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Talk about short memories, more than a third were events in the last 5 years. I would have thought Apollo 11 or 13 would have been on the list. But of course the moon landing was a hoax......just kidding! :)

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

You could also put in the famous kneefall of former German chancellor Brand in Warschau, which basically initiated the fall of the iron curtain by reestablishing diplomacy between the blocks. But wait - these things are probably too abstract and too complex to be covered in common TV programs in the US. The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany is in fact as much a change of era as the events of 9/11. I could imagine 3/11 as well as a change of era, but that truly remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the explosions of the nuclear plants are virtually burnt into my memory just like the falling towers.

However, this is not about importance, but about memorability for common (American) comsumers. The latter is predetermined by prejudice (without any judgement on my part).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

For this American the bookends are the Apollo Landing and 9-11.

Americans pioneered flight, to the moon even, and we built planes for the entire world - only to have a bunch of medieval nutjobs use them to slaughter innocents by the thousands.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

tmarie: Super, how about things like, say, Tienanmen square, the fall of the wall, the Asian tsunami coverage... You know, international things that affected lives of others not American?

Tienanmen and the fall of the wall are good answers, but look at the list. Only one event made it from the 1980s. They two events from before that were Kennedy which have been played a billion times since they happened. I think the list probably had quite a few younger people responding, before they had a memory of seeing those events live. Like I said...no moon landing?

tmarie: 9/11 is the top for AMERICANS, certainly not everyone else.

It's not our fault that media in foreign countries focus so much on the US. We don't dictate what is shown. The flip side of the coin is that the foreign media falls over themselves to air out the US's dirty laundry. Everything from the TSA, gun crime, obesity, etc. gets shown quite a bit but I fail to see how it impacts people in other countries. It just makes some people happy to see negative news about the US. I guess some should be careful what they wish for....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

tmarie: 9/11 is the top for AMERICANS, certainly not everyone else.

Apparently, you are not aware that non-Americans also died in the WTC on 9/11.

Anyway, I agree the moon landing should have been on the list. Personally, I think TV coverage of the death of John Lennon and Nixon's resignation should have been included in this Top 20. As a Beatle, Lennon helped reshape the way the world viewed itself in other ways besides just music. Although he was instrumental in opening up China to the West by personally breaking fortune cookies with Chairman Mao, Nixon was still sent packing live and in living color.

RR

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It still causes deep emotions when I see footage of 9/11. I saw this list being shown on TV yesterday actually. I'm surprised Tienanmen square, and the breaking of the Berlin wall were on here but the death of Whitney Houston was. We didn't see any super dramatic footage or something. I remember the day very clearly on Saddam Hussein's death. The JFK assassination is footage I'd argue every American has seen. RomeoR just reminded me of the moon landing. Very historic moment.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Whatever happens in USA makes news in every other language...

*Hahahahaha! Classic. Nope. Not even close.

9/11 is the top for AMERICANS, certainly not everyone else * Huh? Are you living on Earth? If 9/11 wasn't top news in your place, then you and your people are living in a cave undersea.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's not our fault that media in foreign countries focus so much on the US

The foreign media has nothing to do with this. It's a list of US TV moments.

Huh? Are you living on Earth? If 9/11 wasn't top news in your place, then you and your people are living in a cave undersea.

Things that happened in my undersea cave that topped 9/11 -

3/11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown

Boxing Day tsunami

2nd Gulf War

1st Gulf War

Kobe earthquake

Tokyo sarin attack

Tienanmen Square

Fall of the Berlin Wall

Moon landing

9/11

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Well, I guess you and tmarie are from the same place then. Nice, isn't it?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I reckon tmarie and I come from places at least 3,000 miles from each other, but nice try.

Unless by 'the same place' you mean 'not America'.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Well said Cleo! So easy to spot the right leaning Americans on threads like these.

Apparently, you are not aware that non-Americans also died in the WTC on 9/11

Um, yes I am but I am also well aware that many more people from non-American countries have a hell of a lot more to think about and remember concerning their own countries.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

tmarie: Um, yes I am but I am also well aware that many more people from non-American countries have a hell of a lot more to think about and remember concerning their own countries.

And it's good to know that when they become too focused on their own countries you'll step in and remind them that other countries exist, like the US.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Apparently, you are not aware that non-Americans also died in the WTC on 9/11

So what? Many, many more people of all nationalities including Americans died in the Boxing Day tsunami, but it doesn't seem to be anywhere on the list.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

What's Boxing Day?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What's Boxing Day?

Day after Christmas Day.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Is that a term used in Southeast Asia?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Super - I thought it was universal, but a quick dig in my trusty dictionary tells me it's used 'in parts of the British Commonwealth' (including, now, one small corner of Japan :-)) You learn something every day.

(ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from the custom of giving tradespeople a Christmas box on this day.)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So I suppose you know what I'm going to say next? heh ;)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So I suppose you know what I'm going to say next? heh ;)

That you learned something too? :-)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Nah, I always knew what Boxing Day was. British roommates......God Bless Them..... ;)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Then why did you ask, Super? And what are you going to say next? God bless the Brits??

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It was just funny to be criticized for not including the "Boxing Day Tsunami" because we focus too much on ourselves, only for you to find out you had no idea your own description of the event wasn't used much outside of your own country. If you want to criticize people for not looking outside their own borders you might want to check yourself first.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Super, I did not criticise. I responded to a post that claimed anyone who did not put 9/11 at the top of the list was 'living in a cave undersea'. I also pointed out that what the foreign (=non-US) media reported on was apparently not the same as what the US media reported on.

As for my 'description of the event' - a rose by any other name? Only three events out of twenty in the list not US-centric means, I think, that the rose garden is pretty much overgrown with weeds that block the view to the outside world.

Having you criticising what name I give to the Boxing Day tsunami is a bit like me criticising you for spelling words like centre and theatre wrong, or for calling the ground floor the first floor and the first floor the second floor. Petty and a bit irrelevant.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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