9/11 Attacks Tops List of Impactful TV Moments

NEW YORK: The September 11 terrorist attacks was listed as the most impactful TV moment of the last 50 years, followed by Hurricane Katrina and the O.J. Simpson verdict, according to a survey conducted by Nielsen and Sony Electronics.

To measure impact, Nielsen and Sony created a score for each event derived by the number of people who viewed the event live, the number who could recall details about where they were during the occurrence and the number who could remember discussing what happened with others. According to the survey of 1,077 American adults, 9/11 was the most "universally impactful" televised moment of the last 50 years, followed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, then the O.J. Simpson verdict in 1995. The Challenger space shuttle disaster of 1986 and the death of Osama bin Laden last May round out the top 5. 

Other notable events include the O.J. Simpson white Bronco chase (1994), the Japanese earthquake and tsunami (2011), the Columbine school shooting (1999), the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (2010) and Princess Diana’s funeral (1997).

Of the top 20 most impactful events, 19 were news-related.