"Knowing What Was Coming Was Horrifying" — Here Are 12 Live TV Moments That People Will Never, Ever Forget

"It sent chills down my spine."

Recently, u/obsessed_with_dogs asked "what is the scariest/weirdest/most mysterious thing to ever happen on live television?" and I knew I had to round up some of the best answers...

1. When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986

Historical / Corbis via Getty Images

— u/halfcow

"Yep, I vividly remember it still. It took a while before anyone actually knew what was even happening."

— u/DontBuyAHorse  

2. Randy Johnson hitting a bird at 100mph during a baseball game

Rob Tringali / Getty Images

— u/jj175

"I forgot about that! That poor dove never stood a chance."  

— u/Suspicious_Victory_1

3. When it started to rain during Prince's Super Bowl performance

Bob Rosato / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

"It sent chills down my spine."

— u/KetoKurun

4. Opening Al Capone's vault and finding nothing but a few empty bottles

IMDB

— u/colagirl52

"Oh man, there was so much build up to it, too."

— u/fhrblig 

Geraldo Rivera hosted a two-hour long live special to open up Al Capone's vault to see what the Chicago gangster had left behind. Unfortunately, after all of the excitement all that could be found was some dirt, rubble, and a couple of empty bottles that people assumed to be from moonshine.

5. When Christine Chubbuck shot herself live on air

Channel 40

— u/pinkflower200
"The way she went about it and her 'farewell' speech is absolutely chilling."

— u/colour_me_crimson

Christine Chubbuck was a presenter at a Florida TV station and had requested a change in the running order. While the pre-recorded VT failed to roll she made this speech: "In keeping with Channel 40’s policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts and in living colour, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide."

She then reached into her bag, and held a gun behind her right ear, with thousands of viewers witnessing her death.

6. Watching the tsunami hit Japan in 2011

Yoshinori Kuwahara / Getty Images

"They had live footage from a helicopter and you could see the water destroying everything in its path."

— u/FearTheKeflex

"Yeah, it was almost like watching lava from a volcano." 

— u/Electricfox5  

7. The second plane hitting the World Trade Center

Getty Images

— u/mileeyxoxo
"We just came into school, all the teachers were not even teaching. They had the TVs on, and we watched as the second plane flew into the tower. I had no idea what the Trade Centers were, and the scope and scale of the thing until I got home."

— u/Sabre_One  

8. The Station Nightclub fire

Boston Globe / Boston Globe via Getty Images

"It's the reason why I case every single room/building I walk into and make sure there are multiple exits, and that I know where they are. That video was horrifying and terrifying in equal measure."

— u/revanhart

The fire happened in 2003, killing 100 people and injuring 200 more. The blaze started when the tour manager of the band Jack Russell's Great White set off four large fireworks inside the venue. 

9. The Max Headroom signal hijacking

WTTW-TV

— u/Wolfrattle
"I was watching that night when it happened. I love that it's still a mystery who did it, but that list is getting pretty small."

— u/Shoegazer75

In 1987, two Chicago TV stations had their broadcast hijacked by someone wearing a Max Headroom mask (a fictional character who is the first computer-generated TV presenter). The hacker's first broadcast on WGN-TV only lasted 30 seconds before getting cut off, but two hours later they appeared on WTTW-TV and spent 90 seconds on-air. The hijacker wasn't making any sense with what they were saying, with random phrases such as "catch the wave, your love is fading." Just before the station got their signal back, the hijacker turned around, flashed the audience, and a woman walked in and hit them on their *ahem* behind with a fly swatter. The perpetrators were never caught, and it was pretty iconic.

10. Jack Ruby killing Lee Harvey Oswald

Donaldson Collection / Getty Images

— u/revtim

In 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald (the alleged assassin of John F. Kennedy) shot a police officer who questioned him about the murder of Kennedy, he was then arrested and taken to the basement of Dallas police station. With live television cameras waiting there to capture his departure, as he was making his way to a more secure jail, nightclub owner Jack Ruby appeared from the crowd and shot Oswald. He claimed that his motive was anger over the President's death. There were some theories that Jack Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald to cover up a larger conspiracy, as Jack did have some connections to organised crime. However, this has not been confirmed.

11. The "Malice at the Palace" fight between NBA players and fans

Allen Einstein/NBAE / Getty Images

— u/elmatador12

"My mom was there. She won tickets and was sitting close to the front row. I was watching it at a party and everyone started cheering. I was like 'wait, nooo my mom!'"

— u/Comfortable_yet  

In 2004, Indiana Pacers player Metta Sandiford-Artest jumped into the crowd to confront a Detroit Pistons fan who had thrown a drink at him. This then broke out into a fight between the players and fans, with the last 46 seconds of the basketball game never being played. 

12. The tanks rolling in on Tiananmen Square

Sapphire / Getty Images

"The bravery of those people protesting for democracy was astounding. But knowing what was coming was horrifying."

— u/doublestitch 

In 1989, Chinese tanks rolled into the square to brutally crush student protestors who were peacefully calling for political reforms, specifically fighting for freedom of speech and press. The day after, an unidentified man was seen standing in front of tanks leaving the square. He was holding two shopping bags in his hands and raised one to get the tanks to stop before him. It is said that he did this to block the tanks from moving past him after the events of the previous night. 

H/T to u/obsessed_with_dogs and AskReddit for having this discussion!

Note: All submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Do you have any live television moments that you'll never forget? Let me know in the comments below.