Where were you on September 2nd 1985?

[Richard A. Krebes]

I'm curious if anyone here remembers what it was like, on the day of her discovery, to have heard that the Titanic had found.
So, I'm asking: where were you on September 2nd, 1985?
I myself was quite unaware of the discovery, for it was my first day of school.
Ironically enough, my elementary school was in Deephaven, Minnesota, where Walter and Malhala Douglas came from. (In fact, their house is just up the road from the school!)
I vaguely recall learning something of the discovery sometime after September 2nd, but the one solid memory I have of the early days of T. exploration is from 1986. When, after standing at the back door of our house (which is in the basement) looking out at something in the back yard, I turned to the basement TV, which had the news on, and-lo and behold!-there was footage of Jason Jr. on the Titanic's Forecastle with Channel 11 anchorman Paul Magers commenting on Dr. Ballard's exploration of the ship. I do believe Magers' lead-off talk before the footage came on is what alerted me to it, IIRC.
Anyhoo, I'm looking forward to what everyone has to share on this!

Richard K.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

I was at home...then in New Stanton Pa...on transfer leave between the USS Ranger and the Recruit Training Center San Diego. I heard about it on the news. Beyond that, I don't remember much at all.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Adrianne Lapar]

I was not quite 9 months old! I wish I had been able to hear the breaking news the day it had happened!

ADRIANNE

 

[Bonnie-Lynn Nadzeika]

Have to admit that I don't remember. I do know that we read "A Night to Remember" that year in school. I was the geeky kid who brought in her "National Geographic" to show off the pictures. Somewhere about I still have my journal entry about watching Clive Cussler's "Raise the Titanic" in class. At 11 I wasn't sure if it was neat to see Titanic floating or disturbing that the site had been disturbed.

Of course this is the same child who asked a family friend at a dinner party what they thought of the Iran Hostage situation. I was five. Did I mention that I didn't relate well to other kids? LOL!

Cheers!
Bonnie

 

[Maureen Zottoli]

My mother, who had worked for theNational Georgraphic and had shared with each of us how there was research going on with the Titanic site died on August 28, 1985. By September 2, 1985, I had identified my mom, made the arrnagement and cleaned out her things for my Dad so he would not have to and had returned to work. I was in my dad's carpool and he returned to work that same day as I did and when we arrived at his home, I went inside and flipped on the TV. There it was in all it splendor, The titanic. I remembered what peace it was to me in all the turmoil that I felt and my dad and I watched. My father took my mothers ashes out to sea scattered the ashes. He felt that the sea provided a peace that land did not. Interesting.

Maureen.

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

I turned 17 in 1985. I don't recall where I was when I first heard about the discovery but I know I didn't believe it for a while. I'd followed the Grimm expeditions and that was a lot of baloney so when I was hearing of the discovery by Ballard I really actually ignored it.

I don't remember thinking there was much special about it till the next summer when I was in NY at school at FIT and the news came through that they'd successfully photographed the wreck. I was actually sitting in the library's special collections dept sifting through the school's Lucile scrapbooks and taking notes when the librarian who'd been helping me and was very knowledgable about history came over and asked me in a whisper if I'd seen the pictures on TV of the Titanic. I was stunned. He said, "Yes, they've taken all these videos." I couldn't believe it. When I got back to the dorm that night I stopped in at a friend's room to see it on the evening news. I was awe-struck and when my friend asked, "Hey wasn't that Lady Lucile person you like so much on the Titanic?" I just teared up. It was suddenly so terribly REAL. A little later I remember seeing a video clip on the news showing one of Boat 1's davits. It was so creepy and surreal to see that. I thought, "That rusted old thing saved her life that night and it's still there!"

Randy

 

[Pat Cook]

Just a brief note here - Wasn't The wreck found on September 1st, not 2nd?

Curious Cook

 

[Andrew Rogers]

Yep, about 1am on the 1st of Sept, I think!

I was on holiday in the Sth Isle of NZ. Skiing that day, if I remember correctly.
Pretty happy with myself for being away from newspapers, radio and TV for a couple of weeks.
Found out a few weeks later!

Andrew

 

[Dan Cherry]

I was just starting my 7th grade year, and remember hearing on the news that the Titanic was found. I remember clearly the haunting blue images of the forecastle deck, the davit, the crows nest, but much beyond that, I don't remember a whole lot about it. I do recall clipping every news article I could (they are gone now, but I do still have the magazines from 1985 and all the expedition clippings from Ballard's 1986 expedition). I had had an interest in the ship since the very early 1980s, and this piqued my quest for learning about all things Titanic. It hasn't waned since.

 

[Maureen Zottoli]

Whoa, all these years and I thought that they had just found it on I believe it was a Monday 9/2...but I was not in tuned with the TV or radio for a few days, so that makes sense that it was discussed as if it were commonplace...that explains a lot to me. Thanks Andrew!
Maureen.

 

[Paul Rogers]

I watched it on the BBC 9.00pm news when I got home from work. All I can remember was a feeling of great excitement and, (for my sins), wondering if anyone would be able to raise her...

I was 22 at the time. And, may I say that Richard, Adrianne and Bonnie-Lynn - you have made me feel very old tonight!

Regards,
Paul.

 

[Jennifer Mueller]

i was in middle school when the titanic was discovered and i dont know what i did when it was found but i do know that it was discovered on september 1st and i think its wonderful that it was found after all those years of people trying to find it and failed i just think that it was good that ballard found it because if someone else found it who know what would happen to the wrekage jennifer mueller

 

[Jason D. Tiller]

I was just about to start grade 3 then and at the time I didn't know much about the Titanic except I sang the song When the Great Ship Went Down at camp along with the other kids in my group. I didn't even see it on the news when Robert Ballard found her. Not until two years later when I got hooked by getting a book and then doing a speech on her did I become much more interested.

Andrew is correct, it was found on September.1 approximately at 1 a.m.

Best regards,

Jason

 

[Inger Sheil]

I remember that in the pre-discovery years I'd gathered up a few bits and pieces (stories I know recognise as distorted versions of the Duff Gordons, Guggenheim etc) and spun them into an anecdote that generally concluded with the words 'And they've never found her...' (lingering, wistful voice there is indicated by trailing off).

We moved to a posting in Singapore on 23 August, 1985, so at the time of the discovery I was staying in a hotel and exploring a new country (ah, the heady days of cheap Michael Jackson watches, rip-off tapes and everything else to appeal to an 11 year old). I didn't catch any of the news broadcasts, and only learned through my father that the ship had been found as I was still out of the news loop and had other things to preoccupy myself. The first real information I had about the discovery was through the National Geographic article, which made me so interested in your personal story above Maureen That coverage was the first to which I really had access, given that at the time I was coping with a certain cultural and geographic isolation.

Inger

 

[Pat Cook]

To Paul,

Don't feel so old, O M. I was 36 when the wreck was discovered. I remember thinking it was probably another mistaken wreck (we'd been through all that business with Grimm and his adventures, remember.)

Best regards,
Cook