April 19, 1995

[Great Rumbler]

At 9:02 am local time on Wednesday, April 19, 1995, in the street in front of the Murrah building, a rented Ryder truck containing about 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) of explosive material exploded. The car bomb was composed of ammonium nitrate, an agricultural fertilizer, and nitromethane, a highly volatile motor-racing fuel. Timothy McVeigh, a Gulf war veteran, was arrested by an Oklahoma Highway Patrolman within an hour of the explosion after coincidentally being pulled over for having no license plate. At his trial, the United States Government asserted that the motivation for the attack was to avenge the deaths of Branch Davidians at Waco, Texas, whom McVeigh believed had been murdered by agents of the federal government. McVeigh called the casualties in the bombing "collateral damage" and compared the action to actions he had taken during the Gulf War. The attack was staged on the second anniversary of the Waco incident. McVeigh is thought to have modeled the bombing on a similar event described in The Turner Diaries, a white supremacist novel that was found with McVeigh when he was arrested.

The effect of the bombing on the city was immense. Beyond the death toll of 168 (including 19 children and one rescue worker), the bomb injured over 800 people and destroyed or seriously damaged more than 300 buildings in the surrounding area, leaving several hundred people homeless and shutting down offices in Downtown Oklahoma City. Over 12,000 people participated in relief and rescue operations in the days following the blast, many of whom developed post traumatic stress disorder as a result. The national and worldwide humanitarian response was immediate and overwhelming, as was the media response. The area was flooded with rescue workers from around the nation and aid agencies coming to assist the survivors, as well as hundreds of news trucks coming to cover the story.

Even though I was only 8 years old when this happened, this is a something that I'll never forget. It's hard to believe it's really been that long.

[Weltall]

I remember too. I was in the seventh grade, and it happened during Spring Break.

[Great Rumbler]

I was in either second or third [wow that's been a long time]. I'm pretty sure that we were in school at the time, so I probably didn't find out about this until I got home. I remember that I watched the news a lot during that time.

[The Former DMiller]

I remember watching the news before I went to school that day. It's one of those events that you will always remember where you were when you first heard about it.

[EdenMaster]

:confused2

I don't know about that, Derek. I don't see people 20, 30, 40 years from now recalling the Oklahoma City bombing. Sure, it's a tragedy, and our generation will remember it, but I don't think it'll make any textbooks. September 11th is the monumental, where-were-you-when-it-happened event of our generation. Not to undermine the tragedy of it, but it's just what it seems will happen.

Boy, it has been a while, though...hard to believe. Every time something like this happens, you're amazed how quickly the anniversary arrives. That's so strange.

[A Black Falcon]

I don't really remember it (the day in specific)... probably heard about it in the paper, though.

There are only a few major events which I can tie to a time/place where I heard them, really... that wasn't one of them. Though it was definitely big news for quite some time, and I know I read about it.

[Dark Jaguar]

Yes, it was pretty big news, and the sort of thing that reminds people that terrorists can come from our own country and not just from the outside, however GR is right. This isn't something I remember much of when it happened. I do think I heard about it that day, but I was a kid in school at the time, and it really didn't hit me that much, if at all. I was too busy worrying about getting through the rest of the school day without incident, as I always did. You know, "school always seems so much smaller when you get out".

[A Black Falcon]

Offhand, the only ones I can think of that I definitely remember are the day Princess Diana died (because that was the one and only time our family went to this restaurant in town... (not that we never returned because of this news. I saw it on a paper on a table and didn't say anything. :))), the OJ Simpson thing (I was in elementary school... I just remember that someone had snuck a radio in and was listening to it in the bathroom or something and then we heard... :)), and 9/11 (I was here, and heard from a thread Smoke created.)...

[The Former DMiller]

Well, Oklahoma City is one of the two big events I remember. The other obviously being 9/11. I guess we've really only had one big event in our generations that people will definitely remember where they were when they heard about it.

[Great Rumbler]

I think maybe Columbine is probably something that most people will remember where they were when they heard about it. I still do.

[Smoke]

The only thing I remember is the OJ Simpson car chase and that's because I was on vacation at the time. Everything else is a blur.

[EdenMaster]

When OJ happened, I was channel surfing and happened to land on a news station covering the Bronco chase.

When they (ridiculously) found him not guilty, I was watching in school, and I said something like "that's bull", and I remember all the black people in my class getting offended, thinking I was racist :D

[Smoke]

As well they should. How dare you think OJ is guilty. I mean, even if he did it it's only because he loved her.

Racist.



Wait, there's black people in Canada?

[Dark Jaguar]

People who haven't seen all the evidence themselves have no right to an opinion on that stupid court case, scientifically. A "never forget" thing? I WANT to forget the YEARS that thing kept appearing in the news. I didn't hear about it the DAY the chase or whatever happened mind you, glad I didn't. That whole fiasco is something the news networks should be ashamed of. No, it is not worthy of remembrance. If you ask me, that whole thing should have been left to the courts.

Columbine... I didn't hear about it the DAY it happened. I heard about it a few days later. I do specifically recall that I thought it wasn't a new thing, but it was a different scale than any previous sort of attack. I do think America responded pretty badly after that. Kids started getting kicked out of school for no reason. Oh sure, "protect them", but think about the life of the kid you just ruined without any real justification.

[Geno]

I remember this tragic event happening five days before my ninth birthday. In January of 2004, I visited the memorial. 'Twas a dark day for humanity, April 19th, 1995.

[Great Rumbler]

People who haven't seen all the evidence themselves have no right to an opinion on that stupid court case, scientifically.

Yeah well, science is dumb anyway. OJ was like 150% guilty. The reason the glove didn't fit very good was because he didn't want to use his good gloves to kill people!!

In January of 2004, I visited the memorial.

I still haven't been to the memorial, don't know why really. Of course, I haven't been in OKC in quite a while.

[A Black Falcon]

OJ was obviously guilty. Robert Blake, more recently, looked pretty darn guilty too...

[Great Rumbler]

I don't think they had as much evidence against Robert Blake though.

[A Black Falcon]

That was why he got off... but he looked very guilty.

[Great Rumbler]

I'm a bit inclined to think he did it too, but I think it wasn't quite as clear for him as it was for OJ. They both got off though.

[Geno]

I think they were both guilty. Hell, we all know OJ was guilty. Some people still deny it, but it's pretty damn clear.

[Dark Jaguar]

I don't find it wise to invest an opinion on court cases when I don't have all the relevant data, and the news did not exactly do a job of providing relevance. In fact, they shouldn't have focused on it at all. It almost wasn't even worth mentioning. Relevance is just one of those things the news has lost... A shame really...

Science is STUPID! Let's burn down the museum of science so this never happens again! *is crushed by burning debris* MY SPINE! I sure hope science can cure me!

Wholistic idiot: I can use natural vitamins to make you super strong!

DJ: I am saved! *moves and dies due to back trauma* It works perfectly!

Scientist: No don't listen to that man! I'm telling you- *is burned at the stake*

People: Enough of your ivory tower preaching OLD MAN!

Scientist: I'm 27!

People: Yeah right! You and your... "evidence" and "scientific method" can shove it! That's just like, an opinion!

Scientist: I'm just trying to help and... I'm on fire! Aaarrrggg! Whyyyy!!!

[Great Rumbler]

Scientist: I invented the laser!

Storm Trooper: *shoots scientist with a laser*

Scientist: Argh! I have been undone by my own invention!!

[Geno]

The sky is blue because God made it that way. And because when light moves through the atmosphere, most of the longer wavelengths pass straight through, very little of the red, yellow, and orange light being affected by the air, while the much shorter wavelength is absorbed by the gas molecules, at which time the absorbed blue light is radiated in different directions, scattering itself all over the sky above you. But God made all that so.

Science and religion working together!

[Great Rumbler]

God created Man

Man created Computer Viruses

Computer Viruses created Tasty, Processed Meats