Until Spetember 11 occured, I think the most indelible memory of a tragic event for my generation was the Challenger disaster. For me, the memory is as follows:
We were in science class in grade school watching it live. When the shuttle exploded...we knew. This girl next to me, Tracy, screamed. My science teacher exclaimed "Oh s***!!"
We had the only TV in the school, besides the teachers lounge and other classes kept flowing in...quietly...as the news spread.
Sad day.