"In 1963"

"Thinking about this, the 43rd. anniversary of the assasination of JFK, I always thought it was odd from Kennedy stating once in a speech that anyone who was around "back then" could remember exactly where they were when they heard the news that Franklin D. Roosevelt died, because now anyone who is old enough to remember JFK's death remembers exactly where they were when they heard that news.

And it's true that I remember "where" I was when he died. It, like certain other events in history: the space shuttle explosion, 9/11, will always be bruned into my memory. I was 12 years old and in the 7th. grade (Junior High, they called it back then), and around dinner everyone was called into the gym for an assembly and we were told President Kennedy had been shot. We were asked to take a few moments of silent prayer. Then shortly afterwards they came back and told us he was dead and dismissed classes. We stayed out of school until the following Monday.

Arriving home and turning on the tube it was all over the news, and in the next few days following we got to watch the scenario play out, from Ruby killing Oswald on national television, to the unforgetable funeral.

Seems like only yesterday, and seems like a lifetime ago. And I often still wonder how events in history would have been different had Kennedy not died? We can only speculate.