And the most memorable TV event is...
The September 11 terrorist attack is the most memorable moment shared by television viewers during the past 50 years, according to a study that was released on Wednesday (July 11).
Right after the first airplane struck the World Trade Center in New York, television networks immediately covered the tragedy and it seemed as if 9/11 replayed over and over again on television days after it happened.
Sony Electronics and the Nielsen television research company worked together on the survey to find which TV events were most memorable by audiences. They ranked TV moments for their impact and asked people if they remembered watching them, if they recalled where they watched it, who they were with and whether they talked to other people about what they had seen, according to reports.
Until this day people still talk about 9/11 and recall where they were when first hearing about the news.
According to reports, Brian Siegel, vice president of television business for Sony, said "television is really the grandmother of all the social devices."
The second-ranked TV moment was the coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Other big events were the 1995 verdict in O.J. Simpson's murder trial at number three (I was only ten when that happened, but I do remember watching that white Bronco moving down the freeway). Coming in fourth is the Challenger space shuttle explosion in 1986 and then the death of Osama bin Laden last year, according to the survey.
Television News Rule: TV News Events Dominate the Survey
Entertainment events and Super Bowl events also ranked on the list but television coverage of news events made the biggest difference in viewers' lives and were all ranked in the top 20.
Janet Jackson's Super Bowl Halftime Show wardrobe malfunction also made the list at No. 26.
The study was based on an online questionnaire of 1,077 adults selected as a scientific sample from among Nielsen's panel of people measured for television ratings, according to reports. It was conducted between Feb. 15-17 this year.
Right after the first airplane struck the World Trade Center in New York, television networks immediately covered the tragedy and it seemed as if 9/11 replayed over and over again on television days after it happened.
*** Read the top 20 list below ***
Sony Electronics and the Nielsen television research company worked together on the survey to find which TV events were most memorable by audiences. They ranked TV moments for their impact and asked people if they remembered watching them, if they recalled where they watched it, who they were with and whether they talked to other people about what they had seen, according to reports.
Until this day people still talk about 9/11 and recall where they were when first hearing about the news.
According to reports, Brian Siegel, vice president of television business for Sony, said "television is really the grandmother of all the social devices."
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| The infamous white Ford Bronco |
Other big events were the 1995 verdict in O.J. Simpson's murder trial at number three (I was only ten when that happened, but I do remember watching that white Bronco moving down the freeway). Coming in fourth is the Challenger space shuttle explosion in 1986 and then the death of Osama bin Laden last year, according to the survey.
Television News Rule: TV News Events Dominate the Survey
| Janet's nip slip during Super Bowl Halftime Show |
Janet Jackson's Super Bowl Halftime Show wardrobe malfunction also made the list at No. 26.
The study was based on an online questionnaire of 1,077 adults selected as a scientific sample from among Nielsen's panel of people measured for television ratings, according to reports. It was conducted between Feb. 15-17 this year.
Age made a huge difference in the survey as many older people may agree that events like the JFK assassination, President Nixon's resignation and the moon landing were significant to watch but viewers 18 to 34 won't remember watching it on TV at that time.
What was the most memorable event on TV for you?
The following is a list of the top 20 most impactful TV moments of the past 50 years, according to the study:
1. September 11 attacks, 2001
2. Hurricane Katrina—the levees break, 2005
3. OJ Simpson murder verdict, 1995
4. Challenger space shuttle disaster, 1986
5. Death of Osama bin Laden, 2011
6. OJ Simpson high-speed car chase, 1994
7. Earthquake/tsunami in Japan, 2011
8. Columbine school shooting, 1999
9. BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, 2010
9. BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, 2010
10. Funeral of Princess Diana, 1997
11. Death of Whitney Houston, 2012
12. Capture and execution of Saddam Hussein, 2006
13. Barack Obama acceptance speech, 2008
14. Prince William, Kate Middleton wedding, 2011
15. Assassination of John F. Kennedy, 1963
16. Oklahoma City bombing, 1995
17. Bush/Gore election results, 2000
18. Los Angeles riots/Rodney King beating, 1992
19. Casey Anthony murder trial verdict, 2011
20. Funeral of John F. Kennedy, 1963
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