Today, December 7, 1941, was marked as a "Day of Infamy" by then President of the United States of America Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And although the event took place 80 years ago, there are some that can remember exactly where there were when they heard the news.

More recently, 911 was another national tragedy that almost everyone can recall where they were at what they were doing the moment they heard about the devastation.  I remember getting ready to head out to work and for some reason that day I had the television on when it all happened. At the time I worked for a news talk radio station and it was one of the most mind-numbing days, weeks, months of my life.

We all experience life. The good and the bad and right here in Western New York we have had our share of happiness and heartache. From natural events like floods, snowstorms, and tornadoes, to true times of chaos and carnage like fires, explosions, and crashes.

Some of these events I remember vividly, others were made aware by co-workers because it definitely had a profound effect on them. So, where were you when?

The Blizzard of 1977: I was seven years old at the time so for me, it was more about playing in the snow, not really understanding the severity of the snow.

The Cheektowaga Tornado of 1987: I lived in Cheektowaga, about 2-3 miles from where it touched down, and was playing outside when my brother noticed it on the horizon. My mother came out and quickly escorted us to the basement.

The Buffalo Propane Explosion of 1983: Seven people including five firefighters perished when a propane take was dropped.

The Colgan Air Flight 3407 2009: This was unbelievable for me. I was at a friend’s house and my dad was scheduled to fly back from Atlanta that day. I was watching the news when the story broke and I freaked out.

For more tragedies that happened in Upstate New York click NYUP.com 

Life happens fast and you never know when an earth-shattering event will take place at any given time, changing people forever. Make the most of every day. Tell your loved ones that you do love them and do your best to make the people around you smile.

LOOK: What are the odds that these 50 totally random events will happen to you?

Stacker took the guesswork out of 50 random events to determine just how likely they are to actually happen. They sourced their information from government statistics, scientific articles, and other primary documents. Keep reading to find out why expectant parents shouldn't count on due dates -- and why you should be more worried about dying on your birthday than living to 100 years old.

Snowvember - November 2014

See 20 Ways America Has Changed Since 9/11

For those of us who lived through 9/11, the day’s events will forever be emblazoned on our consciousnesses, a terrible tragedy we can’t, and won’t, forget. Now, two decades on, Stacker reflects back on the events of 9/11 and many of the ways the world has changed since then. Using information from news reports, government sources, and research centers, this is a list of 20 aspects of American life that were forever altered by the events of that day. From language to air travel to our handling of immigration and foreign policy, read on to see just how much life in the United States was affected by 9/11.

 

 

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