A TV Fan’s Top TV Moments Ever

With the 10-year anniversary of September 11th approaching, I wanted to reflect on the top television moments in history, specifically my history. The only reason I say my history is because these moments were important to me. I lived them, was impacted by them and was affected by them. Doing it this way limits the arguments of events that occurred before my time, such as the JFK assassination, man walking on the moon and the Beatles performing on Ed Sullivan.

My top five TV moments of all time in no particular order:

9-11: World Trade Center Twin Towers Destroyed

This was my JFK moment. I knew exactly where I was and what I was doing when the news preempted regular programming. I was at Western Illinois University when the janitor came by and said one of the towers was hit. Soon after, he said the other was hit. The group I was with found a television and for the next few days, the only images seen were planes hitting the towers and rescue workers helping out their fellow Americans. My mother always told me that too much television was bad. In this case, the coverage wasn’t enough. I wanted to know everything that happened.

“Seinfeld’s” Final Episode

“Seinfeld” is my favorite show ever. When I say that I’ve seen each episode at least a dozen times know that I am not making this up. I could quote entire episodes if you let me. The final episode aired May 14, 1998. Advertising on the program averaged $1 million for a 30 second spot. That may seem like a lot but considering the finale was broadcast to nearly 77 million viewers it may not have been enough. Even with the series being off the air for more than a decade, it still finds fans in syndication.

Mark McGwire Hitting 62

Along with the finale of “Seinfeld,” 1998 saw another historic television moment. Mark McGwire, known to baseball fans as Big Mac, broke Roger Maris’ single season homerun record of 61. McGwire went on to knock 70 total homeruns out of the park that season, but number 62 was what fans and historians remember the most. Today, that number doesn’t hold a lot of value with Barry Bonds breaking the record and a looming steroid issue hanging over Major League Baseball, but in 1998 this moment was something special.

Michael Jackson’s Death

The King of Pop’s death put the end of any impure thoughts people had of Michael Jackson. The weirdness that surrounded Jacko was soon forgotten when the news broke that Michael Jackson had left the building. I happened to be in Cleveland, OH during this time and visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame days after his death. The Rock Hall held a candlelight vigil for the singer and a part of the museum was designated for flowers, cards, pictures, etc. People took photos of the area, cried and sang Michael Jackson songs. I didn’t realize how big a deal this was until several news channels showed day long footage of Jackson’s funeral. Major roads were being closed for this specific purpose. You would have thought the President was in town.

OJ Simpson Verdict

Before Casey Anthony, there was a person named OJ Simpson. Like Anthony, Simpson was acquitted for murder. The court of public opinion believed Simpson was guilty, but the jury ruled differently. As fascinating as the slow car chase featuring Simpson’s famous white Bronco was, nothing was more mesmerizing than when the juror read the verdict. I take that back, even more mesmerizing was the reaction by Simpson and his Dream Team of attorneys. Whatever opinion you have of Casey Anthony, the public being fascinated with court trials began with Simpson.

Honorable Mentions

Obama Wins Presidency

Casey Anthony Trial and Verdict

Tiger Woods’ Single Car Accident


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