LITTLE ROCK — Where were you at 7:46 a.m. Sept. 11, 2001?
If you were like millions of other Americans that Tuesday, you were — or soon were — glued to the nearest television set as the nation came under terrorist attack.
Americans watched for hours as the World Trade Center towers burned and collapsed, the Pentagon was attacked and United Flight 93 plunged into a field in Pennsylvania.
The vivid memory of that day, and the days to follow, has stuck with us.
Those events, according to a poll released last week by Nielsen Research and Sony Electronics, were the most memorable moments on television during the past half century.
The survey rankings are tied, however, to the age of the viewer. According to The Associated Press, the survey rankings “were based on a questionnaire of consumers about events they had watched, if they remember where they were and if they discussed the events with others.”
In other words, a 25-yearold is going to vividly recall 9/11, but have no memory of the Challenger space shuttle exploding or anything earlier.
As with many, I recall exactly where I was on Sept. 11. I was at the office writing at the same desk where I’m sitting now. My desktop television was tuned to NBC but muted. I witnessed the very first breaking news report and the scores that followed as the horrific tale unfolded all morning.
Clusters of hushed coworkers gathered around TV sets in the newsroom. It was a long day.
Sony officials had initially expected memorable entertainment events to be high on the list. Moments such as the finale of M*ASH, The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and the “Who shot J.R.” Dallas episode were pre-survey favorites. Those three ranked, in order, 42nd, 43rd and 44th in viewers’ memories.
Memorable moments also varied in importance according to sex. However, men and women did agree on the top three — Sept. 11, Hurricane Katrina and the O.J. Simpson verdict. After that, the list diverges.
Women ranked the 1997 funeral of Princess Diana as No. 4; men had it at No. 23. Women placed the February death of Whitney Houston at No. 5, with men dropping it to No. 21.
For older viewers — those over age 55 — the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 ranked No. 2.
It’s difficult for anyone not yet born when JFK was shot (I had turned 15 the day before) to imagine the national impact the event had as we watched it on TV.
Survey age differences explain why Neil Armstrong’s historic 1969 walk on the moon ranked only 21st while 2011’s Casey Anthony murder trial notched 19th.
For the younger crowd, between 18 and 34, last year’s death of Osama bin Laden ranked No. 2, while President Obama’s Election Night speech in 2008 followed at No. 3.
The study was conducted online and quizzed 1,077 adults scientifically selected by Nielsen. Here’s the top 20 list of TV’s most memorable moments.
- Sept. 11 terrorist attacks (2001)
- Hurricane Katrina (2005)
- The O.J. Simpson verdict (1995)
- The Challenger space shuttle explodes (1986)
- Death of Osama bin Laden (2011)
- The O.J. Simpson white Bronco chase (1994)
- The Japanese earthquake and tsunami (2011)
- Columbine school shooting (1999)
- BP oil spill in Gulf of Mexico (2010)
- Princess Diana’s funeral (1997)
- Death of Whitney Houston (2012)
- Capture and execution of Saddam Hussein (2006)
- Barack Obama Election Night speech (2008)
- Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (2011)
- John F. Kennedy assassination (1963)
- Oklahoma City bombing (1995)
- Bush/Gore disputed election (2000)
- Los Angeles riots, Rodney King beating (1992)
- Casey Anthony murder trial verdict (2011)
- John F. Kennedy funeral (1963)
For the record, Chaz Bono on Dancing With the Stars rated No. 59 and Kim Kardashian’s marriage to Kris Humphries landed at No. 76. Why did Sony commission the survey? To prove the continued viability of the TV medium over social networking.
Brian Siegel, vice president of television business for Sony, told the AP that “television is really the grandmother of all the social devices. Television remains integral to the family’s information and entertainment. We still turn to TV to drive our discussions.”
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. E-mail:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Weekend, Pages 32 on 07/19/2012