World Shattering Moments in Time
Elise Fiscus
Many events have occurred in the United States and around the world through the years that have caused people great pain or emotion.  In fact, most people around the world are going through a rough time as we speak with the War in Iraq.  Assassinations, wars, and technological advancements are only a few areas in which events occur that make people's lives stand still.  My parents were born in the early to late 50's, so they witnessed some of the greatest and sometimes worst moments in history.  I will write on a few of these events, which were the most significant in their lives; events that made their worlds stand still for just a moment in time.
John F. Kennedy Assassination
The event that stands out most in my parents' generation was the assassination of John F. Kennedy.  My mom was six years old when the assassination took place and she remembers candidly where she was and how she felt when the death was reported.  The news was on the television and my grandmother was fixing her hair when my mom ran in to visit her.  When my grandmother heard the news of John Kennedy's death, she broke into tears.  My grandmother was a big fan of Kennedy; he was liked a great deal in their household.  My mother remembers seeing her mom crying so hysterically and couldn't understand why she was so upset over a man she failed to even know.  Kennedy was off for a speechmaking tour in Texas when the terrible act took place.  On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy, his wife Jackie O. Kennedy, and Mr. and Mrs. John B. Connally Jr. entered the Presidential car, with bubble top down, and drove slowly around Dealy Plaza, in Dallas.
They were making their way to a motorcade where Kennedy was to make his speech ("President Kennedy killed..").  Three shots were fired from the Texas School Book Depository building, a warehouse along the car's route.  Two shots struck President Kennedy, once in the back of the neck, and the second in the back of the head.  The third hit Governor Connally, which injured him severely but didn't kill him ("President Kennedy killed..").  "The bullet tore through Connally's back, smashed three ribs, punctured his lung, broke his wrist and penetrated his left thigh" ("President Kennedy killed..").  Kennedy lost consciousness immediately after being struck, though he wasn't killed.  He later died on the way to the hospital after rigorous efforts of resuscitation. 
The supposed killer of John Fitzgerald Kennedy was Lee Harvey Oswald.  He was apprehended a mere two hours after Kennedy was shot.  Oswald was then murdered on November 24, 1963, two days after the assassination by Jack Rubenstein, also known as Jack Ruby, in the city's municipal building.  Oswald was waiting to be taken to prison.  Ruby was said to be a great admirer of Kennedy ("President Kennedy killed.."). 
US Lands on the Moon
Apollo 11, and the first landing on the moon was an extraordinary event for the United States people.  The mission, who included famous names Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, was the first mission ever to land on the surface of the moon.  According to the biography, Neil Armstrong: Apollo 11 Mission Commander, on July 20, 1969, Armstrong, the spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, took his first steps on the moon making the famous statement, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."  Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, who was the second man to walk on the moon, followed Armstrong.  They collected dust and rock samples, conducted experiments, and took photographs ("Apollo 11 Mission.."). 
My father recollects this day well.  He played baseball as a kid and at the time of the first walk on the moon, he happened to be riding in a car with his teammates, home from a baseball game.  When the walking of the moon was announced on the radio, the whole car full of young boys were hollering and shouting as loud as they could.  This is and always will be one of the greatest trademark events of the 20th century.
Elvis Presley Dies at 42
The many fans of rock legend Elvis Presley had a still moment in time on August 16, 1977.  This was the day Presley died in his Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 42 (Rohter).  Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis was the brother of a twin named Jesse Garon, who was stillborn.  Surrounded by music his whole life, Presley rose to the top of the Rock 'n' Roll charts by age 21 (Leopold).  Doing rock, country, and gospel, Elvis was more versatile than any artist in the singing industry.  His career was short-lived though.  In the summer of 1977, he performed his last concert.  Months later, the singer was found dead in his bathroom in Graceland, Tennessee (Leopold). 
According to Presley's autopsy, the death was caused by "cardiac arrhythmia," which is known in common terms as a form of heart attack (Rohter).  As Larry Rohter and Tom Zito wrote, "The three-hour autopsy uncovered no sign of any other diseases-though Presley had in recent years been treated at Baptist Memorial Hospital for hypertension, pneumonia, and an enlarged colon-and there was no sign of any drug abuse."  A liver biopsy was done two years prior to his death and, "It showed no significant abnormalities," stated Dr. Willis Madrey (Rohter).  According to the doctor, the only problem he had medically was obesity.  The singer was found at 2:30 p.m. by his road manager, Jerry Esposito, in a bathroom in his mansion.  Elvis Presley will always be known and remembered forever as the "King of Rock 'n' Roll."
John Lennon Assassination
Another assassination, which affected many people's lives, was the murder of John Lennon.  The popular Beatle's singer, and his wife Yoko Ono were heading home from a recording session of his solo album, the first album to be released in five years, when they heard a man's voice call out, "Mr. Lennon?"  As ABC News wrote, "As he turned, Mark David Chapman fired five bullets into John Lennon's back from a .38 caliber revolver."  The bullets punctured his lungs, and on the way to Roosevelt Hospital, he suffered great blood loss and died ("December 8, 1980..").  The famous singer was only 40 years old.
Challenger Explosion
The explosion of the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger was a momentous event in history.  The day of January 28, 1986, started off to be one of the most exciting days in history and ended up being one of the most terrible.  January 28, 1986 was the launching of the Space Shuttle Challenger on the next space mission.  This mission was unique because the fist civilian to go into outer space was on this mission.  Her name was Christa McAuliffe, a schoolteacher.  Seventy-three seconds into the flight, the Challenger exploded before national television, killing all seven of its crewmembers ("Challenger").  In NASA's Chapter III- The Accident, the explosion was caused by a faulty seal in the O-Ring of the Solid Rocket Booster.  This was the seal to the fuel tank.  Along with the faulty O-Ring seal, this was also stated, "A structural failure of the hydrogen tank that culminated in the entire aft dome dropping away.
This released massive amounts of liquid hydrogen from the tank and created a sudden forward thrust of about 2.8 million pounds, pushing the hydrogen tank upward into the intertank structure."("Chapter III..").  So along with a faulty seal on the fuel tank and a massive combination of liquid hydrogen with the fuel tank, the shuttle had no hope.  It exploded in front of everyone, national television for the American public to see, friends and family of the seven deceased crewmembers, and students of the first civilian astronaut, Christa McAuliffe.  This was the part of this terrible event my mother will never forget; the way Christa McAuliffe's parents looked when they watched their daughter explode.  According to my mother, her parents just dropped in devastation.  They watched their daughter die, and it was broadcasted on national television.  This was a devastating event for everyone involved and watching. 
Many wonderful and tragic events have occurred in history up until our time today.  With the current situation going on at this moment, I am sure many more graphic memories will occur that I will tell my children and grandchildren.  History's tragic events are not events to be forgotten but to always be remembered and passed on from generation to generation.  These events are a part of our culture as U.S. citizens, and just like the assassination of John F. Kennedy, he will always be remembered and truly loved for what he did for our country, not how he was murdered.