Name a historical event that fascinates you.

Pivotal moments in history can be fleeting and forgotten in the proverbial “blink of an eye”. Who really is fascinated or remembers things like “The Dancing Plague of 1518”? For those curious, in July of that year, a French woman began to dance in the street. Within that week, 400 people had joined her and danced for more than a month. In some cases, people even danced themselves to death. (Source: Parade)

Personally, I’ve always been fascinated by certain events in history, some of them completely captivating me as a child and others shocking me in my 50’s. Today, I’m going to highlight ten of those events that come to mind (in no particular order) and attempt to explain why they gripped me for decades in some cases.

JOHN F. KENNEDY’S ASSASSINATION (1963)

JFK’s assassination happened prior to my birth, but as a young child I was oddly obsessed with everything to do with its occurrence. My parents had a Time Life book with color pictures of the Kennedy presidency and the aftermath of the assassination (the procession, the picture of John-John saluting his father, President Johnson being sworn in). I literally would look at that book like it was Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. There are times I wonder what my parents were thinking letting me look at that book like it was a children’s story.

My interest in all things related to the assassination hasn’t abated even after nearly 60 years, including the Warren Commission and the conspiracy theories surrounding this senseless act.

THE BUILDING OF THE GIZA PYRAMIDS (2600 BC)

With the ongoing tumultuous events in the Middle East, this bucket list item is one I’m not likely to complete any time soon. Regardless, my fascination with all things Egyptian (mummies, pharaohs, antiquities, and of course – pyramids) remains one of my favorite subjects when it comes to natural wonders. How did they build something so long ago with such precision and beauty over the course of 60 years? How did they move the blocks into place when pulleys hadn’t yet been invented? The building of these structures remains as amazing today as it was thousands of years ago.

IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS (1979)

Ted Koppel hosted a late-night news program called “ABC News Nightline” (which is still on btw) that began 4 days after the Iran Hostage Crisis began. Originally, the show was titled “The Iran Crisis – America Held Hostage: Day XXX” with XXX representing the number of days the Iranians held U.S. Embassy occupants hostage in Tehran. As a teenager, I remember seeing the show with the update that seemed unreal, not knowing what would become of the 52 Americans held captive by militant Iranian college students who supported the Iran Revolution. Watching then-President Carter flounder with attempts to free them through diplomacy and later through failed rescue attempts, it wasn’t until minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as U.S. President that the hostages were released, 444 days after their nightmare began.

STAR WARS (THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK) PREMIERES (1980)

In all honesty, my lifelong affection for George Lucas’ Star Wars saga began in May of 1980 when the sequel “The Empire Strikes Back” was released in theatres. The film made me curious about the first installment which I hadn’t seen yet. Fortunately, I went to the local video store to pick up a VHS copy of “Star Wars”, which would later be renamed “Star Wars: A New Hope”.

Later I convinced my wife to let me share the films with my young daughter , likening them to “The Wizard of Oz” in that a band of strangers become friends to reach an end goal. My wife was quite fond of “Oz”, so fortunately it worked out well for all of us. Should you want to read about that experience check out THIS POST from a long time ago in a galaxy not too far away.

The launch of the Star Wars universe in 1977 was the catalyst (along with “Jaws”) of what would later become the ongoing success of blockbuster franchises (Marvel, Harry Potter, Avatar, and more).

THE DEATH OF PRINCESS DIANA (1997)

When I reflect on the life and death of Princess Diana, it’s not the paparazzi chasing her through a Paris tunnel on motorcycles, or the scandal of the divorced princess being in the company of Dodi Al-Fayad, or even her dancing with John Travolta. What I remember most is a former kindergarten teacher being thrust into a blinding spotlight that would eventually lead to a date with destiny in August of 1997.

The scrolling CNN news reports made it seem as if she was in a car accident, but that it wasn’t too serious. Heading to bed that night, I was shocked in the morning to learn that the “People’s Princess” had died from her injuries the evening before. My biggest regret is for her two young sons and what the death of their mother would bring into their lives. Having just finished reading Prince Harry’s book “Spare”, the impact to him has been grave for decades (initially he thought she’d faked her death and was simply in hiding).

The chill brought on post-death by Queen Elizabeth II (perfectly captured by Helen Mirren in “The Queen) only heightened the interest in what was going on inside Buckingham Palace.

CHALLENGER SPACE SHUTTLE EXPLOSION (1986)

Here’s another event that most of us who were alive at the time can remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news of the explosion. I had stopped off at my girlfriend’s home between college classes (we would chill and watch “As the World Turns” before hitting our next course). Today, I think of how much money we pour into the NASA program, and wonder what technology or advantage we’ve gotten from it…other than a whole lot of moon rocks.

THE MURDER OF JONBENET RAMSEY (1996)

So, who do you think did it?

Like a trainwreck ending to a crossover episode of “Toddlers & Tiaras” and “Dateline NBC”, the murder of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey is fraught with mystery and unanswered questions on the circumstances surrounding her death. Personally, this one hit me particularly hard at the time as my own daughter was a precocious 5-year-old beauty herself.

At one time or another, parents John & Patsy as well as older brother Burke were all suspects in one way or another, with the long ransom note thought to be written by JonBenét’s mother after killing her daughter in a fit of rage after a bed-wetting accident. As of this writing, the murder is considered a cold case and the investigation continues.

THE SINKING OF TITANIC (1912)

The aforementioned daughter of mine was a huge Titanic fan even before James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster film “Titanic” was released in theaters. She knew names, places, events, anything concerning the doomed White Star “unsinkable” ship. Being relatively young, this was one of the final films we caught on the largest movie screen in the state, which has now been torn down and replaced by some non-descript businesses. It was glorious to see that at-the-time “state of the art” film on that colossal screen.

Today, one of my bucket list items is to visit Halifax, Nova Scotia to walk in the cemetery where many of the shipwreck’s victims were buried. Robert Ballard’s discovery of the wreck in 1985 and the stunning photographs and video still enthrall me like no other. We’ve been to a number of the Titanic Museum exhibitions and most recently were visiting the Branson, Missouri location when the OceanGate’s submersible Titan lost contact (with little oxygen left) while shuttling tourists to visit the famous wreck, adding more deaths to the enigma that is Titanic.

9/11 TERRORIST ATTACKS (2001)

The thing I remember about 9/11 the most is the way Americans came together to support and help each other. There were no racial, political, gender, or economic divisions amongst us for a short time after our world was rocked that Tuesday morning. We were all Americans unified in dealing with a tragedy and the loss of countless innocent American lives.

Two years ago, I recounted my personal experience having arrived with my family at Boston’s Logan Airport a day or two before the attacks happened, and how my week in the Northeast played out after the worst attack on U.S. soil in my lifetime. READ “OUR 9/11: FROM SURREAL TO REAL” HERE.

“When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

THE TRIAL OF O.J. SIMPSON (1994)

Do you think he did it?

As callous as it seems, this event played out like a tv series to me. I remember being at my in-laws the evening the white Bronco interstate chase took place, glued to the TV like it was the Super Bowl (it did pre-empt the 1994 NBA Finals). I thought to myself, “this is O.J. Simpson” we’re talking about, recalling the movies and commercials in addition to his legendary football career that made him everyone’s hero and a sincerely likeable guy. He couldn’t possibly be a cold-blooded killer.

But then the evidence began to come to light. In my opinion, it seemed he likely killed both Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman in a fit of jealousy. Later, the “Trial of the Century” turned the case upside down, with attorney Johnnie Cochran uttering the now famous line, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit!” as Simpson made the wearing of the gloves used at the murder scene seem very tight and uncomfortable.

Truly must-see TV.

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WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THIS?

Surely you have 10 completely different events that come to mind that have captivated you over the years. Be sure to remind me (and our readers) of those events and why they changed the world by adding a comment below!