How Long Does it Take to Forget?

from JoeUser Forums
Sunday, the 12th of September, marks my fifth wedding aniversary. Five years ago, also on a Sunday, my wife and I were married at Stokesay Castle in PA. We origially wanted to get married on a Saturday because, well, thats just the way its normally done. Unfortunately another couple had reserved the Castle for their wedding, so we were forced to get married on a Sunday.

I sometimes wonder what would have happned if we had been able to get on that Saturday. That would have made our aniversary September 11th. While I don't believe in letting things you have no control over dictate your live, I think it would have made the day a little less... special for us.

This all got me to thinking. How long does it take for a community, a nation, a population to forget something that, at the time was considered horrific? How long before the date of that event recieded in importance until it is just another day? I realized that September 11th is one of the few disasters that is simply known by its date, but it intreages me. How long does a nation morn? How long until the date is just another day?

Here are a few other days in which horrific things happened. How many of them mean anything to you?

January 28th
February 1st
April 3rd
April 4th
April 12th
April 18th
April 19th
May 7th
June 28th
July 17th
August 6th
September 6th
November 22nd
December 7th

These are just a few that sprang to my mind, and I must admit, I only knew of 6 of them off the top of my head.
1,129 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
April 19th and December 7th are the only two that I know right off the top of my head. I think I may know at least one, probably two, others but not with enough certainty to claim it. I personally will alway remember April 19th & September 11th.

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Congrats, now I need an answer to all but Dec,7.
How's about 23 October?
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
January 28th --challenger explosion, 1986
February 1st
April 3rd
April 4th--MLK assassination, 1968
April 12th
April 18th
April 19th--OKC bombing, 1995
May 7th--Lusitania sunk, 1916 or 17, can't remember (my birthday, in 1970)
June 28th
July 17th
August 6th--Hiroshima
September 6th
November 22nd
December 7th--Pearl Harbor.

That's all I know off the top of my head...May 4, 1970 was Kent State shootings, though, and 4/20 (can't remember the year...99?) was Columbine
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Thats a good one Gideon, you'd've thunk i'd've remembered August 1st (1966). The shootings at UT. seeing as I'm a student there.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Good post! I have to confess I didn't know most of them, too. Thanks for refreshing the memory!