This should be an easy one, right? But how can you be sure? And what is 'political' anyway?
Ok, no more questions but I was way too young to remember the coup attempt in Spain in 1981. Instead, I have heard several stories of how some members of my family feared arrest and had to burn incriminating documents.
However, the first memory that I am aware of is connected with a thin and austere man, always dressed in dark colors, a black turban and a white beard that then seemed very long. He was Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Iranian Islamic revolution that in 1979 overthrew the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Khomeini remained in power until his death in 1989 and was a regular presence in newspapers and television news.
My clearest memory is of seeing thousands of people in the streets with huge portraits of Khomeini. How was this possible? He was a terrifying presence for a child, and if he was as bad as they said why were so many people in the streets screaming his name?
This confused me enormously and it took many years before I was able to understand it.
What is your first political memory?
My first significant political memory was reading about the Troubles when I was in Australia and trying to understand what was driving the violence between two religious groups which seemed to have more in common than not
Interesting read! My first political memories are vague... I remember hearing about ETA on the TV news, not really knowing why they were bombing the country. I also vaguely remember seeing posters around Madrid ahead of the 1993 general elections with the faces of Felipe González and Aznar (possibly because I used to live near the headquarters of the Partido Popular).
My first political memory would’ve been from the mid-1980s and the miners strikes in the UK. Of course, I was not old enough to understand the significance of what was going on but the image on TV screens of loads of men wearing donkey jackets gathered together and protesting on what always seem to be grey and rainy days is one that will stick with me.
Andrew Healy (on Facebook)
JFK elected. Big moment for Catholic families across the world
Robert Speakman (on Facebook)
I remember the last days of Vietnam. On TV and the radio - Vaguely