November 22 1963 Memory

Image via The Washington Post

Nearly every "baby boomer" knows the answer to this question... Where were you on November 22, 1963 when you heard that President John F. Kennedy was shot?

I know exactly where I was... 4th grade at Foster Street Elementary School in Lansing, MI. I even remember my teacher's name. It was Mrs. Angell (not sure if that's the correct spelling). In fact, she's the only teacher I can remember from my years at Foster Street School.

I also remember that our school was closed early... like most all schools across the nation. Like most American families, we gathered in our living room to watch the non-stop television coverage of the assassination, the shooting of the President's murderer, and finally the Kennedy funeral.

You have to wonder if this historical event will still be the focus of so much media attention twenty years from now as the "baby boomers" start to exit the scene. On the other hand, in contrast to an event like Pearl Harbor, this was the first national tragedy that received widespread television coverage.