Where were you when the lights went out?

[ramuhotep]

Just because I have to say it somewhere where I won't get "I wasn't even born yet,' today is the 39th anniversary of the great blackout (Nov. 9, 1965).

I recall I was watching television when the signal started acting wacky, then went into my room to read comic books. A few minutes later, *poof* it was dark.

-- Ray

PS - If you weren't born yet, keep it to yourself

[NanaBanana]

Hmmm... I take it this was exclusive to certain parts of the US?

I was 11 at that time living in Brighton, Colorado. I don't remember any blackouts but that doesn't mean anything. There are LOTS of things I don't remember.

[buckylarue]

I was living in Phoenix, and we were unaffected by it, except that the network TV feeds were screwed up until it got straightened out.

Here's a link to a short article on the blackout, with more links on it to some in-depth coverage.

[Keith]

I live in the Midwest, so it didn't effect us here, neither did the more recent and larger blackout that occurred a year or so ago when the whole NE corridor grid in the US and Canada went down.

I do recall it was a big deal back in 1965. They even based a movie on it, a romantic comedy I think it was by the title "Where were you when the lights went out?"

[ramuhotep]

Originally Posted by NanaBanana

Hmmm... I take it this was exclusive to certain parts of the US?

Yes, it effected some 6 states in the Northeast, which were totally without power for somewhere in excess of 13 hours.

Because of this disaster, procedures where supposedly put in place to ensure "it would never happen again". The 'great blackout of 2003' proved that there's no such thing as "never again".

-- Ray

[Keith]

Where man is involved, there is no such thing as infallibility.

[abana]

I just noticed this thread. I was told that the maternity wards in NY were overcrowded 9 months later.