Shooting Rampage at Columbine High School Stuns Nation (April 20, 1999)

 

 

What I remember most about the shootings at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999 is that I went the entire day without hearing anything about it.  This was highly unusual because I always had the radio on in my office, but I spent this day mostly in meetings in a conference room (at ad agency Foote, Cone & Belding).  

 

 

It wasn't until I got home and turned on the TV after 7:00 that I heard about it.  It was reported that as many as 25 were dead, but since the school had been locked down until the next morning the true numbers weren't known.  The following morning the death toll was revised downward to 15 (including the two student shooters).

 

 

Before Columbine there had been four even deadlier shootings.  They occurred in a post office, two restaurants, and on a college campus.  Columbine, however was the first to have such young targets - and the first to be communicated immediately to the outside world by victims on their cell phones. 

 

 

Unfortunately, as with all previous shooting rampages in this country, after an initial outpouring of grief and recriminations, life returned to normal, i.e. a feckless Congress unwilling to buck the NRA and draw up legislation to protect its citizens.  And eight years later, 32 students and faculty were mowed down at Virginia Tech (pictured).  Even that much carnage couldn't change a thing.  And the beat goes on ...  

 

U.S. Gun Carnage: A Tragic Roll Call

• 60 murdered at Las Vegas country music festival/Oct. 1, 2017
• 49 murdered at Pulse Nightclub, Orlando, FL/June 12, 2016
• 32 murdered at Virginia Tech/April 16, 2007
• 26 murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary, Newtown, CT/Dec. 14, 2012
• 24 murdered at Luby's cafeteria in Killeen, TX/Oct. 16, 1991
• 23 murdered at Walmart in El Paso, TX/Aug. 3, 2019
• 21 murdered at McDonald's in San Ysidro, CA/July 18, 1984
• 16 murdered in Austin, TX/Univ. of TX campus/Aug. 1, 1966
• 14 murdered at office party in San Bernardino, CA/Dec. 2, 2015
• 14 murdered at Edmonds, OK post office/Aug. 20, 1986
• 13 murdered at Columbine HS/Littleton, CO/April 20, 1999
• 13 murdered at Ft. Hood, TX military base/Nov. 5, 2009
• 12 murdered at movie theater in Aurora, CO/July 20, 2012
• 11 murdered at synagogue in Pittsburgh/Oct. 27, 2018
• 10 murdered at supermarket in Boulder, CO/March 22, 2021
• 10 murdered in rural Alabama/March 10, 2009
• 10 murdered in Jacksonville, FL/June 18, 1990
• 9 murdered in Dayton, OH/Aug. 5, 2019
• 9 murdered at church in Charleston, SC/June 17, 2015
• 9 murdered in Red Lake, MN by teen boy/March 21, 2005
• 9 murdered in Atlanta/July 29, 1999  
• 8 murdered at Omaha shopping mall/Dec. 5, 2007 

The Sudden Death of FDR (April 12, 1945)

My mother was 19 years old in the spring of 1945 and had a war-related job in downtown Pittsburgh working for the American Bureau of Shipping.  The Bureau was located on the 32nd floor of the Grant Building, the second tallest building in Pittsburgh (it had been the tallest until the 44-story Gulf Building opened in 1933).  Mom's job, her first out of high school, was as a typist who prepared shipping certificates that were attached to crates of munitions being shipped to various European destinations (she was under strict orders not to discuss her work).  In smoky Pittsburgh of the 1940s this was a great place to be working, and the Grant Building was one of the city's premiere business addresses.

 

April 12 of that year was a Thursday and she and her friend/co-worker, Willa, left work and walked down to Joseph Horne department store where they got on the streetcar for the 20-30 minute trip to their neighborhood of Chartiers City.  Shortly after arriving at their stop they bumped into a neighbor, Mrs. Frankel, who told them the news that President Roosevelt had died a short time ago.  FDR died of a stroke in the middle of the afternoon while having his portrait painted in Warms Springs, Georgia.  The president was only 63 and just three months into his unprecedented fourth term.

 

 

Shortly after the news was reported on the radio paperboys were out on the streets selling an "extra" edition of the paper with the breaking news.  Mom said it was difficult to imagine life without him; after all, her formative years had been lived entirely under FDR's presidency.  And Harry Truman's countrified persona couldn't have been more different from that of the more worldly FDR with his trademark monocle, cigarette holder and patrician accent.

 

 

One month later the war ended in Europe and Mom was without a job.  However, she said it was all done in a very nice way and everyone who was let go was given a bonus.  With part of hers Mom bought a pair of earrings she had been admiring for some time at a jewelry store in the lobby of the Grant Building.  They had three small clusters, each with a different colored gemstone surrounded by rhinestones.  They cost $5 (about $65 in today's dollars).  And she still has them. 

 

 

 

 

(To further immerse yourself in FDR's legacy you may want to consider the book FDR or the PBS video American Experience: FDR).  

As told by Mary Frydlewicz

 

Martin Luther King Assassinated (April 4, 1968)

 

 

Ours was one of the first families in the neighborhood to own a color TV.  It was a Magnavox, delivered at the beginning of April 1968.  On Thursday, April 4, I had just come in from playing in the backyard, where I'd been having fun rolling around inside the TV's shipping box. (I was 10 years old at the time.)  When evening came, I went inside and lay on the living room floor eager to watch The Flying Nun in living color for the first time.  However, shortly after it came on a news bulletin interrupted to report that civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot and killed while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis.  He was just 39 years old. 

 

The next day, looking from our side porch, we could see smoke rising in the distance (about 10 miles away).  It was from fires set during rioting in a predominantly black neighborhood in Pittsburgh known as the Hill District.  The biggest fire came from a supermarket there that had been torched.  (Riots had broken out across the country as a result of MLK's assassination.)  Since we lived in a predominantly white community I didn't realize Pittsburgh had many black residents, at least not enough to have their own neighborhood.

 

 

Tuesday, April 9, was King's funeral in Atlanta and schools were closed because of concerns that there might be trouble.  I didn't watch the funeral but occasionally would catch a glimpse of the funeral procession on TV when I'd walk through the living room.  For the most part I spent the day outside playing because the weather was nice and warm.  This was my first exposure to the tumult of 1968 that was just getting underway.

 

 

(There are countless books and videos about the accomplishments of and controversies surrounding King, including an autobiography, the 1978 NBC mini-series King and the acclaimed PBS documentary from 2004 Citizen King.)   

Hale-Bopp Comet Puts On A Show (April 2, 1997)

Hale-Bopp was one of the brightest comets to streak across the skies in the 20th century.  And unlike Kohoutek, a much hyped comet that turned out to be a big dud in the winter of 1974, H-B lived up to its hype.  A survey conducted by Sky & Telescope Magazine reported that 69% of Americans saw it during the winter and spring months of 1997.  (The photo to the right was taken in the lower Hudson River Valley).  

 

 

 

I

I was thrilled to catch a glimpse of Hale-Bopp, especially since star gazing in Manhattan can be a frustrating experience due to the glare from the city's lights.  It was Wednesday evening on April 2 at around 7:30 and I was doing my thrice-weekly 5-mile jog along the Hudson River in lower Manhattan.  In the Battery Park City neighborhood I noticed a man pointing his telescope across the river in the direction of Jersey City.  I glanced over my shoulder and was stunned to see a slash of light not far above the horizon.  It seemed to be holding still in the sky and had the classic comet's tail.  I stopped running to gaze at it further and then detected a slight, jerky horizontal motion.  It was a very Zen moment.  (My sighting occurred one day after the comet's closest approach to the sun, aka "perihelion".) 

 

 

A week before my sighting the comet figured prominently in a mass suicide carried out by members of a religious cult known as Heaven's Gate.  39 members, mostly young adults, and the cult's elderly leader Do (pronounced "doe") committed the act in a rented mansion in an affluent suburb of San Diego.  A videotape made shortly before the suicides indicated that a spaceship following behind H-B would pick up their souls.  It was done in a very orderly manner and the victims were dressed in a similar fashion, which included wearing the identical Nike sneakers. 

 

This was also an interesting time in my life (perhaps the comet had something to do with it).  With my 40th birthday looming in May an ex-boyfriend from 10 years earlier reappeared.  "David the Israeli", as I referred to him, was now living in Chicago (not far from Wrigley Field) and suggested I consider moving there as well.  (I attached "the Israeli" to his name because there was a multitude of Davids in my life at the time, i.e. my roommate, boss and a number of co-workers, so to avoid confusion they each had their own descriptor.)  At the last minute he joined me and my friend Tom when we went to San Francisco on vacation in March.  (That's me with David on Lombard St.  I'm the tall one.)  Then at the end of April I visited him in Chicago (my first time there). 

 

It was a whirlwind six weeks but, alas, it didn't work out this time either as the same dispiriting patterns re-emerged (his, of course).  And no appearance from a comet was going to magically change him.  Speaking of comets, if you'd like to learn even more about them the book The Greatest Comets talks about famous ones through history. 

The Death of Anna Nicole Smith (February 8, 2007)

 

I had spent much of February 8, 2007 at a meeting discussing a joint Nielsen-Arbitron project I was consulting on.  The meeting concluded mid-afternoon and I walked to the gym (Crunch Fitness) to do a cardio workout on the elliptical.  Upon arriving I noticed most of those using the various cardio machines had their TVs tuned to CNN.  It turned out news had just been reported that tabloid mainstay Anna Nicole Smith had been found dead in her hotel room in Hollywood, Florida. 

I was disturbed that this news warranted non-stop coverage and that most around me were transfixed by it.  I couldn't care less and instead watched an uplifting episode of Oprah about The Secret, a new way of positive thinking that was sweeping the nation. 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

The Death of Walt Disney (December 15, 1966)

I heard the news of Walt Disney's death on the car radio as my family and I were driving home after doing grocery and Christmas shopping.  He was only 65 years old but since I was just 9 at the time that seemed pretty old to me.  You might think a young child would be disturbed by this news, especially coming so close to Christmas, but I don't recall being upset.  Perhaps it was because I was excited by the weather forecast for the next day predicting a snowstorm for the Pittsburgh area.  Alas, it didn't materialize but further east the Mid-Atlantic states got a good amount of snow.

 

Three days after Disney's death my attention shifted to Dr. Seuss whose animated holiday special How the Grinch Stole Christmas aired for the very first time on CBS.  Like A Charlie Brown Christmas (which had its first telecast the year before) The Grinch would also become a holiday classic for the ages. 

 

(The book Walt Disney: Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler is one of a number of in-depth biographies of Disney, but Gabler has the distinction of being the first writer to be given complete access to the Disney archives.)  

  

 

 

  

From the Zeitgeist Archive: Hooray for Hollywood! (Late July Edition)

Here's a baker's dozen of events from the world of entertainment that grabbed headlines in late July between 1928 and 2003.  (For the purposes of this post "Hollywood" encompasses movies as well as television.)

The MGM Lion "roared" for the first time on July 30, 1928.  The lion's name was Jackie, the 2nd of five lions and his "greeting" was used in the opening credits for the next 28 years.  The current lion has been "introducing" MGM's movies to audiences even longer - since 1957.  Another furry friend who made his film debut in late July was Bugs Bunny who on July 27, 1940 appeared with Elmer Fudd in the cartoon "A Wild Hare". 

Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney made 9 movies together and the last of them, "Girl Crazy", opened in theaters on July 30, 1943.  By then Garland was 21 and Rooney 23.  Musical numbers included ""I Got Rhthym", "Embraceable You" and "Fascinating Rhythm".  Judy died in 1969 but Mickey is still kicking at the age of 89.  He's been married 8 times but back in 1943 he was with "starter wife" #1, movie star Ava Gardner.

The gossip industry was thriving back in the glory days of the movies.  It tried to counter the publicity machine of the Hollywood studios that produced glowing stories for its stars while keeping their dirty laundry largely out of public view.  Perhaps the queen bee of the gossip columnists was Hedda Hopper, the cover subject of the July 28, 1947 issue of TIME Magazine (a feat neither Liz Smith or Perez Hilton ever achieved).  Hedda was known for her trademark outrageous hats (a role model for Lady Gaga perhaps?) as well as her fierce rivalry with fellow columnist Louella Parsons.

Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin performed together for the last time on July 26, 1955 at New York's Copacabana Club.  The comedy team had worked together for 10 years and as solo acts they both had their successes, Martin as part of Sinatra's Rat Pack while Lewis became wildly popular in France.  On this same date in 1990 another comic was in the headlines when Roseanne Barr, upon finishing the singing the national anthem before a San Diego Padres game (controversy enough), proceeded to grab her crotch & spit.

Jack Paar made his "Tonight Show" debut the night of July 29, 1957.  Most viewers referred to the program as "The Jack Paar Show" which Paar hosted for nearly 5 years.  Also on July 29 - but 26 years later (1983) - NBC premiered "Friday Night Videos" at 12:30AM in an attempt compete somewhat with cable's fledgling MTV (90 minutes a week vs. MTV's 24/7 schedule).  The first video aired was Michael Jackson's "Beat It".  FNV aired for 19 years.

Tormented actor (and 4-time Oscar nominee) Montgomery Clift died at the age of 45 in his New York apartment on July 23, 1966.  Some think it may have been a suicide.  If it was it would make him, with the exception of Marilyn Monroe who committed suicide 4 years earlier, the most famous actor to take his own life.  In fact, after a serious car accident in 1956 his career was referred to as the "longest suicide in Hollywood history".  Interestingly, he & Marlon Brando were both born in Omaha.   

Earlier in the summer of 1978 "Grease" opened and became a huge hit for Olivia Newton John & John Travolta.  The Bee Gees, riding high on their "Saturday Night Fever" fame, had the misfortune to star in the summer's other musical, and the year's biggest flop, "Sgt. Pepper". It opened the weekend of July 24, 1978.  Perhaps its only redeeming aspect was Earth Wind & Fire's remake of the Beatles' "Gotta Get You Into My Life". The following summer another musical act, The Village People, experienced a similar disaster when they starred in "Can't Stop the Music" - perhaps the worst movie of all time. 

38-year old Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman) was arrested on July 28, 1991 for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Florida.  Though never again as popular as he was pre-arrest he rehabilitated his career somewhat over the years and this fall will be appearing on Broadway in The Pee Wee Herman Show.

Britain's outrageous sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous" had its U.S. premiere on Comedy Central on July 24, 1994.  Like another BBC-TV sensation, "The Office", AbFab aired only a small number of episodes (relative to U.S. shows) yet the memory of Eddie & Patsy live on.

10 years have passed since Kathie Lee Gifford ended her 15-year co-hosting duites w/Regis Philbin on "Live w/Regis & Kathie Lee" on July 28, 2000.  It was a farewell that few seemed to care much about.  She returned to TV 5 years ago to become part of NBC's sprawling "Today Show", co-hosting the show's 4th hour with Hoda Kotb, a stint that has been parodied on SNL.

Finally, on July 28, 2003 Bob Hope died 2 months after celebrating his 100th birthday.  Hope never won an Oscar but he lived longer than any Oscar winner.  His death followed that of 96-year old Katharine Hepburn (a 4-time Oscar winner) one month earlier.  Hope has the distinction of being the high-profile Hollywood celeb to live the longest, outliving George Burns (who died in 1996) by 1 month. 

.

When News Events Compete for the Headlines

Another memory that will stay with me when I reminisce in the future about Michael Jackson's death is  the death of Farrah Fawcett, which occurred earlier the same day (she got about 12 hours of full attention before the news about MJ broke). And although it appeared her passing would be marginalized it may actually turn out that it will become even more memorable as it will be linked by many to MJ's death.

Farrah's death is just one instance of a high-profile event occurring during the same news cycle and competing for top-billing in the headlines. Here are three other examples I remember:

The Ayatollah Khomeini died the same day that the student rebellion was crushed at Tiananmen Square (June 4, 1989). It was Sunday afternoon and I was watching the tanks advance on the students when CBS' Dan Rather mentioned the Ayatollah's death almost in passing. (I'm sure it got more attention in Tehran.)

Mother Teresa died during the week of worldwide mourning for Princess Diana  in the first week of September 1997.  (However, being the humble servant that she was,  I'm sure she was happy not be be the center of attention.)

Frank Sinatra died the same day as the final episode of Seinfeld, on May 14, 1998 (which also happened to be my birthday).  Since his death was reported that evening Sinatra was able to get the benefit of the next day's news cycle (although there was  plenty of discussion about Seinfeld's unsatisfying conclusion for the next few days.)

(And as American history buffs know, former presidents and Declaration of Independence signees Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the very same day, July 4, 1826.)

Recalling the Deaths of Three Music Icons

We've just experienced one of those headline grabbing events that years from now people will ask each other "Where were you when ...?"  Of course I'm referring to Michael Jackson's death on June 25, 2009.  When I started my blog at the beginning of this month little did I know that such a major event would occur while I was mining memories of momentous events from years past. What made it memorable for me was the fact that it was the first "oh wow!" event to occur since I joined Facebook (10 days ago).  Immediately upon reading of his death online via a NYTimes News Alert, I checked my Facebook account to read reactions of my roster of "friends" and to contribute a few poignant comments of my own. 

 

As a small tribute to MJ's passing I thought it fitting to write about what I was doing when I heard about the deaths of two other music icons: Elvis Presley and John Lennon.  And although Jackson was taken too soon, he outlived Elvis and Lennon, who were 42 and 40, respectively, at the time of their deaths

 

Death of Elvis (Aug. 16, 1977): I was listening to an afternoon baseball game between the Pirates and Cubs at home ( Pittsburgh) during summer break between my sophomore and junior years at Penn State when the play-by-play announcer reported the news.  (Looking back I'm shocked at how young he was, but at the time I thought of him as a washed-up has-been.) 

 

John Lennon Shot (Dec.8,1980): I was living in Bayonne, NJ where I first lived when I started working at my first job in New York.  I was watching Monday Night Football on my little black & white set when Howard Cosell interrupted the play-by-play with the startling news of John Lennon’s shooting death.  (You can watch the following link to see the video clip of Cosell's announcement: John Lennon)

 

Some Other Notable Singers: I was home sick from school (2nd grade) and playing in the living room while my mother was ironing and watching the 12 o’clock news.  One of the stories was about Nat King Coles’ death on Feb. 15, 1965. (I believe it was the first time I heard the term “lung cancer”.)  I heard the news of Karen Carpenter’s death (Feb. 4, 1983) on the radio in my office (at ad agency Young & Rubicam) which was tuned to oldies station WCBS.  (I had some sentimental attachment to her as my first 45-rpm "single" was by the Carpenters.) News of Marvin Gaye’s shooting death (by his father on April 1, 1984) was heard on the evening news as my boyfriend and I were preparing dinner on Sunday evening. (After the news we watched the ABC mini-series The Last Days of Pompeii.)  I found out about Kurt Cobain’s death (April 5, 1994) from a  co-worker, but it wasn’t that big a deal to me since I didn’t follow his group Nirvana (I was only vaguely familiar with their song Smells Like Teen Spirit); however, my younger staff was more shaken.  Finally, I read of Ella Fitzgerald’s death (June 15, 1996) in the Sunday NY Times while out at Fire Island.  (Ella happens to be the only one of the eight singers discussed here whose life wasn't cut short, as she lived to be 79.)