The most impactful TV moments of the past half-century? The awful “Seinfeld” finale and terrific “Cheers” one have to be up there, right? Same for the “M*A*S*H” finish and so many Olympic golden achievements?
A Nielsen study commissioned by Sony found that no entertainment or sports content made the top 20. Major news events filled the whole list and only one could be considered fully uplifting: Barack Obama’s acceptance speech after the 2008 election (ranked 13th) and the 2011 royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton (14th).
Two others could be considered positive, but negative events engendered them: the 2011 death of Osama Bin Laden (5th) and Saddam Hussein’s capture and death (12th).
The research found the Sept. 11 attacks to be the most impactful, followed in second place by Hurricane Katrina. The 1995 O.J. Simpson verdict came in third, followed by the 1986 Challenger tragedy. Bin Laden’s death completed the top five. Simpson’s white Bronco chase finished sixth, followed by the 2011 Japanese earthquake, Columbine school shooting, 2010 Gulf oil spill and Princess Diana’s funeral.
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