It choked me up...maybe because Tuesday is
Veteran's Day. The following are events and matters that I remember, I'm sure some of you have other memories...and that is what defines YOU.... Remember:
Note: Personal events, personal comments, etc., are shown in LIME TEXT.
Today, I became reflective of the fact that I turned 50 in May and there were certain events that have occurred, and will never happen again.
Within the historical events are the personal events such as births... deaths... and marriages... Places I have lived... Things that I have done... As I contemplate these matters, I realize that collectively, these incidents have shaped and defined me.
There are dozens of events hat occurred during the last 50 years, that I simply do not remember with the exception of hearing words on the CBS news, as a small child, through the famous deep voice of Walter Cronkite, or by my Dad speaking with my mother upon reading the newspaper.
I was born in 1964 into a household of Beatlemania, so I like to say that I was born in the year the Beatles first came to America (which also happened 3 months before I was born, in February of 1964).
FUN FACTS - 1960's
If you have $100 Converted from 1960 to 2005 it would be equivalent to $679.09 today
In 1960 a new house cost $12,700 and by 1969 was $15,500
In 1960 the average income per year was $5,315 and by 1969 was $8,540
In 1960 a gallon of gas was 25 cents and by 1969 was 35 cents
In 1960 the average cost of new car was $2,600 and by 1969 was $3,270
1964 - Last towns in Vermont received electricity - Victory, Granby and Jamaica
April 15-18, 1969 - 500,000 music fans travel to Bethel, New York for Woodstock festival
July 21, 1969 - American astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to set foot on the moon
I was brought up playing out doors, finding entertainment by making it up with my neighbor friends, often oblivious to serious matters that evolving around the world. I do remember my father watching Walter Cronkite - every evening - and hearing the words "Vietnam".
It wasn't until I saw the LIFE magazine photos that I had any understanding of war. I do remember specifically a photo of young boys running through a street looking terrified, one of which was naked. There was another photo of (what I thought was a Chinese man - having no other reference) holding a pistol to another terrified young man's head. I had a morbid fascination with these photos, because I had to look at all of them, to understand it, but mostly it disturbed me. I did not understand. I knew that these individuals had been stripped of dignity, and to me that was horrible.
INFLACTION FACTS - 1970's
To provide an estimate of inflation we have given a guide to the value of $100 US Dollars for the first year in the decade to the equivalent in today's money:
If you have $100 Converted from 1970 to 2005 it would be equivalent to $517.65 today.
In 1970 a new house cost $23,400 and by 1979 was $58,500
In 1970 the average income per year was $9,350 and by 1979 was $17,550
In 1970 a gallon of gas was 36 cents and by 1979 was 86 cents
In 1970 the average cost of new car was $3,900 and by 1979 was $5,770
1970 - The Beatles disintegrated, ironically, their last concert was in America. I simply cannot watch this - seriously - without watching Ringo's deep sadness, and choking up. Fuck. There is no other word for what I feel when I watch this video. Inevitably, I cry. What a bloody shame. In my opinion, NO ONE has come close to the the magic of this foursome.
1971 - Charles Manson is convicted of various murders. Around 1976, I remember reading the book HELTER SKELTER which detailed the horrific events of these crimes.
1975, 30 April - The Vietnam war is ended as North Vietnamese troops take control of Saigon
May 25, 1977 - The first Star Wars film is released
August 16, 1977 - Elvis Presley dies in his home in Graceland. Two days later, 75,000 fans line the streets of Memphis for his funeral.
Nov 29, 1978 - 918 members of American cult, the People’s Temple, are found dead from cyanide poisoning at the Jonestown commune in Guyana. A note left by cult leader Jim Jones explains the deaths as suicides but survivors claim that he forced the group to drink a soft drink laced with the poison
INFLATION FACTS - 1980's
To provide an estimate of inflation we have given a guide to the value of $100 US Dollars for the first year in the decade to the equivalent in today's money:
If you have $100 Converted from 1980 to 2005 it would be equivalent to $243.45 today.
In 1980 a new house cost $68,714 and by 1989 was $120,00
In 1980 the average income per year was $19,170 and by 1989 was $27,210
In 1980 a gallon of gas was $1.19 and by 1989 was 97 cents
In 1980 the average cost of new car was $7,210 and by 1989 was $15,400
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December 8, 1980: John Lennon is shot dead outside his New York home by 25-year-old Mark Chapman, with Yoko Ono by his side.
May 13, 1981 - Pope John Paul II is nearly killed by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca
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| Already looking in opposite directions.... |
August 1, 1981 - MTV: Date founded
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1985 - Madeleine M. Kunin became first woman Governor of Vermont
July 13, 1985 - Bob Geldof’s dual-venue Live Aid concert raises £30m for African famine victims
October 18, 1985 - The Nintendo Entertainment System - was first released in North America and featured 18 launch titles. The NES was succeeded by the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, released in 1991.
January 28, 1986 - January 28 The American space shuttle Challenger explodes seconds after lift-off, killing its crew of seven
April 26, 1986 - One of four nuclear reactors at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explodes, sending a cloud of radioactive fallout into the atmosphere, which affects large areas of Europe
October 16, 1987 - Who couldn't forget the completely wonderful and emotional news of the rescue of little 18 month old Jessica McClure, in Midland, Texas?
November 9, 1989: Borders between East and West Germany open - leading to the dismantling of the Berlin Wall.
INFLACTION FACTS - 1990's
To provide an estimate of inflation we have given a guide to the value of $100 US Dollars for the first year in the decade to the equivalent in today's money:
If you have $100 Converted from 1990 to 2005 it would be equivalent to $153.76 today.
In 1990 a new house cost $123,000 and by 1999 was $131,700
In 1990 the average income per year was $28,970 and by 1999 was $40,810
In 1990 a gallon of gas was $1.34 and by 1999 was $1.22
In 1990 the average cost of new car was $16,000 and by 1999 was $21,100
August 2, 1990 - Iraqi troops invade Kuwait, marking the beginning of the Gulf War.
December 25, 1990 - British engineer and computer scientist, Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, perfects his invention; the World Wide Web.
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| WWWho would've thunk? |
1996 - WebTV was invented by Diba Inc and Zenith Electronics, who produced and marketed the first WebTV sets. This was a fantastic alternative for those (me, at the time) who could not afford a computer....
May 5, 1996 - At age 32, I was sworn into the United States Army for the Vermont Army National Guard, at Camp Johnson, Vermont. I went to Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, in September. I was honored to be chosen to accept the graduation award representing our Battalion, for the End of Cycle Perfect Score; and, to have had both parents attend the graduation. Later in November, I went to to Advanced Training at Fort Jackson,(Adjutant General School for Administrative Training) in Columbia South Carolina.
August 31, 1997: Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed are killed in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma road tunnel in Paris.
I remember that I was moving into an apartment in Montpelier on Barre Street, and was listening to NPR when I first heard the news.
September 5, 1997 - Mother Teresa dies
April 20, 1999: The Columbine High School massacre occurs in Littleton, Colorado. I watched on CNN.
June 5, 1999 - I watched my niece Shyann Adrienne Rose Hinckley being born at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, Vermont.
2000, Vermont's assembly approved same-sex marriages
September 23, 2000 - I married Bill Bacon (discography link) in a very private Justice of the Peace service in Barre, VT.
October 26, 2000 - Sony’s PlayStation 2 debuts, selling over 139 million units to date. Welcome, new generation of 3-D gaming!
January 21, 2001 - I moved to Essex, Massachusetts, upon accepting employment in Gloucester, for The Open Door Cape Ann Food Pantry. I was hired as Manager for it's resale store, Second Glance Resale Shop. All profit beyond operating costs supported hunger relief programs in Cape Ann. I am not ashamed to say (and please forgive my language) I kicked ass. I love Cape Ann and it lives forever in my heart. Certainly the beauty of the region was a factor, but the people were SALT.
September 11, 2001 - Al-Qaeda terrorists hijack four commercial airliners en route to Los Angeles and San Francisco. American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 are flown into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York, American Airlines Flight 77 is flown into the Pentagon in Washington, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashes into grassland in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to regain control from the hijackers. I was at work and did not see the news until the end of the day. I remember literally crumbling to my knees and saying "...on American soil..." in disbelief.
Warning: content is graphic and disturbing.
October 7, 2001 - The United States invades Afghanistan, with participation from the British Armed Forces, in response to the September 11 attacks. The invasion marks the beginning of the current, ongoing war in Afghanistan.
November 10, 2001 - The iPod is released, changing media consumption, Apple’s core business, and the music industry.
November 13, 2001 - U.S. President George W. Bush signs an order allowing military tribunals against any foreigners suspected of having connections to terrorist acts or planned acts against the United States. This is the first act of its kind since World War II.
April 9, 2002 - The funeral of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother takes place in Westminster Abbey.
June 3, 2002 - The Party in the Palace takes place at Buckingham Palace, London for Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.
August, 2003 - MySpace prototype launches. Ultimately fails as social-networking site but forever alters how music is marketed: by bands themselves...and of course, Tom is in your extended network!
December 13, 2003 - Saddam Hussein is captured by US forces at a farmhouse in ad-Dawr.
February 4, 2004 - Facebook is founded by Mark Zuckerberg
August 29, 2005 - Hurricane Katrina striking Louisiana, U.S., killing more than 1,400 people and devastating the city New Orleans and the Mississippi coast.
February, 2005 - YouTube founded.
March 21, 2006 - Twitter Inc., Date founded.
November 5, 2006 - Saddam Hussein is sentenced by the Iraqi Special Tribunal to death by hanging. His execution takes place on December 30 in Kadhimiya at Iraqi army base, Camp Justice
November 19, 2006 - Nintendo Wii’s radical, easy-to-use motion-sensitive controllers create whole new gaming demo: women.
May 3, 2007 - Madeleine Beth McCann (born 12 May 2003) disappeared on the evening of from her bed in a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, a resort in the Algarve region of Portugal. The disappearance became what one newspaper called "the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history." Her whereabouts remain unknown.
Anna Nichole Smith dies due to "Accidental prescription drug overdose" (1967-2007)
January 2, 2008 - The price of petroleum hits $100 per barrel for the first time in history
January 21, 2008 - Stock markets around the world crash amid growing fears of a global recession
June, 2008 - Bill and I go our separate ways. I moved back to Vermont, and lived on Spring Street in Montpelier until October of that year, when my brother Donald became ill.
November, 2008 - I met my future husband, Old Rusty.
April, 2009 - Divorce is final. I am happy to say that we still keep in touch and support one another, when ever possible. He will always be very near and dear to me.
October 31, 2009 - Something is horribly wrong with my brother, I drove him to Fletcher Allen Hospital for neurological testing.
November 7, 2009 - My brother Donnie, died unexpectedly in our parents home.
January 20, 2009 - Senator Barack Obama is inaugurated as the United States of America’s first African American President
June 25, 2009 - Michael Jackson dies of a cardiac arrest, prompting worldwide mourning from fans.
August 19, 2009 - Obama announces the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, bringing the war to a close
Farrah Fawcett died from Anal cancer.(1947-2009)
November 16, 2010 - It is announced that Prince William of Wales will marry long-term girlfriend, Kate Middleton
April 29, 2011 - The marriage of Prince William Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge took place at Westminster Abbey. Catherine and William chose to break with royal protocol and, like Diana, Princess of Wales, omit any vow by Catherine that she "obey" her husband. A few hours prior to the ceremony, William's new titles of Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus were announced, as is customary for princes on the occasion of their weddings.
August 28-29, 2011 - Tropical Storm Irene pummeled the slopes and valleys of Vermont with heavy rain and wind. Statistics regarding this storm can be found here: http://www.anr.state.vt.us/anr/climatechange/irenebythenumbers.html
Amy Winehouse was a five-time Grammy Award-winning English singer-songwriter
died due to alcohol intoxication. (1983-2011)
2012:
February 11, 2012 - Whitney Houston dies. Houston’s official cause of death was accidental drowning due to the “effects” of heart disease combined with long term cocaine use.
August 1, 2012 - Rover Curiosity successfully lands on the Planet Mars
November 2, 2012 - Obama elected for second term as U.S. President
2013:
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013, becoming Pope Francis. He is the first pope from the Americas.
Nelson Mandela Dies at 95. 12-04-2013
US government shutdown. 10-01-2013
Washington DC Navy Yard Shooting. 09-17-2013
Tokyo Japan wins to host 2020 Olympics. 09-07-2013
Detroit files for bankruptcy. 07-18-2013
Baltimore cruise ship fire in Caribbean. 05-27-2013
Scientists successfully cloned human stem cells. 05-17-2013
Boston Marathon Blasts. 04-16-2013 - Link:
Boston Bombing - Warning Content is graphic
Margaret Thatcher Dies at 87. 04-07-2013
July 22, 2013 - Prince William and Kate Middleton became parents with the birth of their first child, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was born at 4.24pm weighing 8lbs 6oz.
Meteorites injured hundreds in Russia. 02-14-2013
Pope Benedict XVI resigned. 02-10-2013
About 230 Dead During Brazil Nightclub Fire. 01-27-2013
2014:
Engaged on Valentines Day complete with an on the knee proposal! "Will you marry me, Bub?"
Russ and I were married on May 31, 2014. He is the kindest, sweetest and dearest person I have ever met. I still get butterflies when he calls me... 6 years and going strong!
Back to Reality....
Ebola Virus Outbreak. 07-30-2014
Nigerian School Girls Abduction. On April 14 this year, dozens of heavily armed Boko Haram insurgents stormed a government-run boarding secondary school in the town of Chibok in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, abducting scores of schoolgirls from their dormitories.
The following day, a spokesman for Borno state government – speaking on the basis of information passed to it by school principal Asabe Kwambura – declared that 129 girls had been staying at the school that night and abducted. Of these, 14 escaped as they were driven into the bush, leaving 115 still being held by their captors, the state government said.
Four days later, on April 19, Enoch Mark, a Christian priest whose daughter and two nieces were among the kidnapped schoolgirls, spoke to reporters insisting that over 300 girls had been abducted. BRING BACK THE GIRLS!!!!
See more at: http://africacheck.org/factsheets/
Malaysia Air Plane Missing with Over 200 Passengers On-board. No crash site has been found, to date. 03-05-2014
Robin McLaurin Williams - died from apparent suicide. (1951-2014)
Joan Rivers - died from anoxic encephalopathy.
(1933-2014)
Shirley Temple, American actress and diplomat, famous as a child star in the 1930's dies of natural causes at 85. February 10, 2014
Lauren Bacall: Born: 1924-09-16 - Died: 2014-08-12 - She was an American film icon who graced many important movies in the “Golden Age” of American cinema. She was married to the love of her life, Humphrey Bogart on May 21, 1945.
Inflation Facts Sources: thepeoplehistory.com/
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