Newseum Opens in DC April 11-What's the Most Significant News Event of Your Lifetime?

by Annilow [courtesy of Blog for America]

C-SPAN's Washington Journal did a segment on the new Newseum in Washington this morning. They have moved their headquarters to what looks like palatial digs right in the heart of Washington. Admission for adults is $20. They have newspapers from most American cities outside with the front page. They have an exhibit dedicated to the Berlin Wall with more 'wall' than exists anywhere today outside of Berlin. I cried when they showed the exhibit dedicated to journalists and photojournalists who died or were injured in the line of duty. They have Dan Pearl's computer and his last US Passport. They have a pillowcase on which a dying journalist scribbled "Tell my family I love them," just before he died.

The Newseum is located at Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street, N.W., Washington, DC (from their website) and the map shows it just a few blocks from the Capitol building.

http://www.newseum.org/plan_visit/about.aspx?item=plan_directions&style=d

I recall from the broadcast the building cost something like 400 million dollars and I'm not clear on where they got the money, but they did say from multiple sources. I think it will be a great place for us to put on our agendas when we visit DC for our DemFest in August.

A question they asked on Washington Journal for Open Phones gave me pause. The question was "What was the most significant news event of your life and why?" They divided the phones between under 40 and over 40. I'm well over 40 and will give you my answer: The end of WWII - surrender of Hitler and the Japanese would be one. A second would be the moon landing (if it happened). And the third would of course be 9/11. If I got a fourth, it would probably be the Supremes' choosing a President in 2000. It may have been the end of America as we know it.

SOOOOO -- what's the most significant news event of your lifetime? Answer here, and I hope to see you in August at the Newseum and at Demfest!