I was in a high-school typing class when I heard that John F. Kennedy had been shot.

I was in the Macalester College student union when I heard that Lyndon Johnson had announced that he wasn't going to run again.

I was in a small office adjoining the green room of the Macalester theater department when I heard that Martin Luther King had been shot.

I was at home in St. Louis when I heard that Robert F. Kennedy had been shot.

I was on a lake fishing when the first moon landing occurred.

I was home washing dishes when Nixon resigned.

I was at work when the Challenger blew up.

I was having lunch in a bar when I heard about the fire in Waco.

I was at work when they announced the not-guilty verdict in the O. J. Simpson trial.

I was eating supper at a fast-food restaurant when I heard that the bombing had begun at the beginning of the first Iraq War.

I had just finished eating breakfast at a local café when I heard about the World Trade Center plane crashes. Then I decided to go home and watch TV. To hell with being late for work.

Looking back over this list, it's surprising how often I was away from home when important stuff happened.

Crackpot theory of the month: If you're in very familiar surroundings (e.g. you're at home) when you receive important news, you're less likely to remember where you were.

I can't remember where I was when I heard John Lennon had been shot, so I figure I must have been at home.