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History's most heartbreaking moments unfolded before our eyes... Join us as we count down the live television broadcasts that left the world in tears. From news anchors breaking down on air to devastating natural disasters and tragic accidents, these raw moments of collective grief transcended borders and connected humanity through shared sorrow.
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00:00At 11.40 a.m. this morning, space program experienced a national tragedy.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for heartbreaking instances when the world paused, watched, and grieved together.
00:15The priests left the emergency operating room at Parkland Hospital and walked out of the hospital.
00:22Number 20, Lindsay Littman mourns Chris Radcliffe.
00:25There are moments when the professional facade of live television crumbles, revealing the raw humanity beneath.
00:31Chris sat in the chair right beside me, and he was the best. He was simply the best.
00:37On April 20, 2021, news anchor Lindsay Littman experienced such a moment while on air for KCEN-TV in Temple, Texas.
00:45Littman's voice, initially light, cracked visibly as she shared a brief, emotional tribute to Radcliffe, calling him one of the best and struggling to maintain her composure.
00:54My thoughts and sincere prayers are with Chris's wife, daughters, and especially his grandchildren, who idolized their papa.
01:04Her eyes welled with tears as she struggled to continue, eventually yielding the segment to a commercial break.
01:10This unfiltered display of immediate grief resonated deeply with viewers, who witnessed a very real and immediate experience of mourning,
01:18highlighting the personal toll of unexpected loss, even amidst the demands of live broadcasting.
01:23Words can't express how much Chris meant to the KCEN team and the Central Texas community.
01:30He will forever be in our hearts.
01:33Number 19, Jim Valvano at the ESPYs.
01:36In a moment that transcended sports, former NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano delivered one of the most unforgettable and profoundly moving speeches in live television history.
01:45Uh, I can't tell you what an honor it is to even be mentioned the same breath with an Arthur Ashe.
01:53Um, this is something I certainly will treasure forever.
01:57On March 4th, 1993, at the inaugural ESPY awards ceremony held at Madison Square Garden in New York City,
02:05Valvano, battling terminal metastatic adenocarcinoma, accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award.
02:11And I always have to think about what's important in life is to think to me of three things.
02:16Where you started, where you are, and where you're going to be.
02:17Valvano used the platform to announce the creation of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, pleading for support.
02:24And its motto is, don't give up, don't ever give up.
02:29And that's what I'm going to try to do every minute that I have left.
02:32The standing ovation and tears from the audience, knowing his time was tragically short,
02:37made this an incredibly poignant and inspiring farewell.
02:40Valvano would pass away just 55 days later, on April 28th, 1993.
02:44I thank you, and God bless y'all.
02:51Number 18. SpaceX Starship Test Failure.
02:54The ambitious quest to push the boundaries of space exploration often comes with dramatic setbacks,
02:59and the world watched one such moment unfold live during SpaceX's Starship SN8 test flight on December 9th, 2020.
03:14The prototype, a crucial step in Elon Musk's vision for Mars colonization,
03:19soared majestically from SpaceX's Boca Chica, Texas facility after liftoff,
03:23performing complex maneuvers and reaching its target altitude of 12.5 kilometers, 41,000 feet.
03:30However, the final landing sequence, a critical element for reusability, proved to be its undoing.
03:35As SN8 approached the landing pad, it struggled to upright itself,
03:40eventually impacting the ground at high speed,
03:42and a fiery explosion at the target landing zone.
03:53Number 17. Death of Dale Earnhardt.
03:56The Daytona 500, NASCAR's most prestigious race,
04:00turned into a day of national mourning on February 18th, 2001,
04:03when racing legend Dale Earnhardt tragically lost his life.
04:07Dale Earnhardt bidding for a second Daytona 500 checkered flag,
04:10and what he hoped would start a season to win a record eight points championship.
04:14Known affectionately as the Intimidator,
04:16Earnhardt was in the final lap of the race at Daytona International Speedway,
04:20battling for position in third place,
04:22when his iconic number three Chevrolet crashed into the wall in turn four,
04:26just moments before his teammate, Michael Waltrip, took the checkered flag.
04:30Hours later, the heartbreaking news was announced by a visibly emotional NASCAR president,
04:35Mike Helton, confirming that the seven-time Winston Cup champion
04:38had succumbed to a basilar skull fracture.
04:41This is undoubtedly one of the toughest announcements that I've ever personally had to make.
04:45Number 16.
04:47Gossam Reporter finds out Colleague was killed live on air.
04:50Conflict zones are inherently dangerous for journalists,
04:53but rarely is the personal cost displayed so starkly and painfully as it was in November 2023.
05:03During a live Al Jazeera Arabic broadcast from Gaza,
05:07veteran correspondent Will Eldardou received word that an Israeli airstrike had killed his wife,
05:12son, daughter, and grandson in the Nusarit refugee camp.
05:16His voice breaking with anguish,
05:21Eldardou struggled to comprehend the news being relayed to him.
05:24On air, Eldardou's composure faltered as he struggled to process the loss,
05:29his anguish visible to viewers around the world.
05:32The raw, unfiltered grief of a reporter learning of a close friend and colleague's death while on air
05:37was utterly gut-wrenching.
05:39The hollow grounds of Wimbledon witnessed a moment of pure heartbreak in 2021,
05:53not from a losing match,
05:54but from an injury that abruptly ended Serena Williams' quest
05:57for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title.
06:00Did you see her slide or use her footing?
06:04She slid, yeah, I, I, well, there was a, she slid, I think we're going to show it now.
06:09Okay.
06:10On June 29th, 2021,
06:12in her first round match against Aleksandra Saznovich of Belarus on center court,
06:16with a score tied at 3-3 in the first set,
06:19Williams slipped during a rally and immediately clutched her right hamstring.
06:22The sight of the legendary champion in such obvious pain
06:25sent a wave of concern through the crowd.
06:27Oh! No, no, no, no!
06:36Serena had to retire from the match,
06:38tears welling in her eyes as she slowly limped off center court
06:41to a standing ovation,
06:43blowing kisses to the sympathetic crowd.
06:45Number 14, Indian Ocean Tsunami.
06:48On December 26, 2004,
06:50a massive 9.1 to 9.3 magnitude underwater earthquake
06:54triggered a series of colossal waves
06:56that mercilessly slammed into coastal communities across 14 countries,
07:00leaving behind unimaginable destruction.
07:02Now the death toll is still rising.
07:04The number of missing is also still rising.
07:07The footage that emerged and was quickly aired live
07:09or in immediate news cycles was utterly terrifying.
07:13Towering walls of water in some areas such as Aceh province, Indonesia,
07:17reaching over 30 meters, 100 feet high,
07:20engulfing entire towns,
07:22sweeping away homes,
07:23vehicles,
07:24and people with terrifying speed and force.
07:27Indonesia being next to the epicenter was the worst hit.
07:31The violent, indiscriminate nature of the waves,
07:33the impossible speed of the devastation,
07:35and the horrific death toll of over 230,000 lives
07:39across Southeast Asia and East Africa
07:41prompted an unprecedented global humanitarian response.
07:45Number 13, Notre Dame Cathedral Fire.
07:48The world watched in stunned disbelief
07:50on April 15, 2019,
07:53as flames engulfed Notre Dame Cathedral,
07:55one of Paris' most iconic and revered landmarks.
07:58Flames brought down the spire
08:00and much of the roof at Notre Dame Cathedral yesterday.
08:03And think about this, it's the start of Holy Week.
08:06Live aerial footage broadcast globally
08:08showed the medieval masterpiece,
08:10a symbol of French history and Catholic faith
08:12that had stood for over 850 years,
08:15consumed by a raging inferno.
08:17Like, I saw a lot of people crying on the streets,
08:20and it's all because it's the symbol.
08:22It's the symbol of France.
08:23It's the symbol of generations.
08:25Millions were gripped by the terrifying spectacle
08:27as the cathedral's intricate spire,
08:29already leaning precariously,
08:31finally succumbed to the heat
08:32and dramatically collapsed at 7.50 p.m. CEST,
08:36sending a shower of sparks and smoke into the sky.
08:39The collective gasp felt around the world was palpable
08:42as viewers feared the complete loss
08:44of this irreplaceable architectural and cultural treasure.
08:47The French president was defiant.
08:49The worst has been avoided, he said,
08:52adding, we will rebuild.
08:55Number 12, an outpouring of grief following John Lennon's death.
08:59The assassination of John Lennon on December 8th, 1980
09:02sent shockwaves across the globe,
09:05bringing an abrupt and tragic end
09:06to the life of one of music's most influential figures.
09:09While not broadcast live as it happened,
09:15the news of Lennon's killing broke during live television broadcasts,
09:18with ABC's Monday Night Football delivering the first major announcement.
09:22The former Beatle had been shot by Mark Chapman
09:29outside his home at the Dakota apartment building on Central Park West.
09:33The immediate, visceral reaction from fans and the public was immense,
09:38leading to impromptu vigils and gatherings across major cities,
09:42all extensively covered by live news.
09:45Number 11, Munich Massacre.
09:48The 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany
09:51descended into a harrowing nightmare on September 5th, 1972.
09:55The peace of what has been called the Serene Olympics
09:58was shattered just before dawn this morning, about five o'clock.
10:01The world watched in horror as the festive atmosphere was shattered
10:05by the Black September Palestinian terrorist group,
10:08which took 11 Israeli Olympic team members hostage at the Olympic Village.
10:11For nearly 24 hours, viewers were glued to their screens,
10:15witnessing the chilling sight of masked figures on balconies
10:18and the agonizing negotiations led by West German authorities.
10:22The tragic conclusion, which saw all 11 Israeli hostages,
10:25nine of whom were executed during a botched rescue attempt
10:28at Foshten-Fellbrook Air Base,
10:30along with one West German police officer and five terrorists killed,
10:33was a devastating blow.
10:35When I was a kid, my father used to say,
10:36our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized.
10:39Our worst fears have been realized tonight.
10:41Number 10, Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster.
10:44Millions across Texas and the United States watched in bewildered horror
10:48as streaks of light and debris appeared in the morning sky
10:51when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry on February 1st, 2003.
10:57Columbia was on a science mission.
10:59Seven astronauts, 16 days, 70 experiments.
11:03A more courageous group of people you could not have hoped to know.
11:07News channels cut to live coverage, filled with speculation and dawning dread
11:12as NASA lost contact with the shuttle at approximately 9 a.m. EST.
11:16In Columbia, Houston, we see your tire pressure messages and we did not copy your last.
11:20The agonizing uncertainty was soon replaced by the heartbreaking confirmation
11:24that all seven astronauts aboard,
11:26Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool,
11:29Payload Commander Michael Anderson,
11:31Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla,
11:33David Brown, Laurel Clark,
11:35and Payload Specialist Elon Ramon,
11:37the first Israeli astronaut, had perished.
11:40The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth.
11:45Yet we can pray that all are safely home.
11:49Number nine, Oklahoma City attack.
11:52The heartland of America was ripped apart on April 19, 1995,
11:55by the Oklahoma City bombing,
11:57a domestic terrorist attack that resulted in the deadliest act of terrorism
12:01on American soil before 9-11.
12:03A massive car bomb exploded outside of a large federal building
12:07in downtown Oklahoma City, shattering that building.
12:10At 9.02 a.m. CDT, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
12:13was largely destroyed by a massive truck bomb,
12:16killing 168 people.
12:18Live news coverage immediately flooded the airwaves,
12:21showing the horrifying images of the collapsed building,
12:24plumes of smoke,
12:25and the frantic rescue efforts amidst the twisted wreckage.
12:28It's unreal.
12:29It's really like nothing I've ever seen or been prepared for,
12:32and, you know, I would have never, ever expected anything of this magnitude.
12:36America was left to grapple with an unprecedented act of domestic terror,
12:40perpetrated by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.
12:43Their crimes are unspeakable.
12:45They're against humanity.
12:47They're unforgivable.
12:48Number eight, Boston Marathon attack.
12:51The finish line of the Boston Marathon became a scene of terror and carnage
12:54on April 15, 2013,
12:56when two pressure cooker bombs detonated seconds apart.
12:59Boston's is one of the world's six major marathons,
13:02runners from more than 90 countries.
13:05The winner crosses the finish line at 1210.
13:07News crews were already live,
13:09capturing the festive atmosphere,
13:11as runners completed their race near the finish line on Boylston Street,
13:14when the explosions ripped through the crowd at 2.49pm EDT.
13:18The immediate aftermath,
13:20broadcast live and through amateur footage quickly disseminated,
13:22was chaotic and horrifying.
13:24Smoke billowing,
13:26screams of pain,
13:27and severely injured spectators lying on the ground,
13:30some with traumatic amputations.
13:32Requires a lot of,
13:33a lot of strength,
13:35a lot of muscles that you never use.
13:37This act of domestic terrorism,
13:39perpetrated by Jokar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev,
13:42killed three people and injured hundreds more,
13:44transforming a beloved annual event into a vivid reminder of vulnerability.
13:49Number seven, Lee Harvey Oswald assassination.
13:52Just two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,
13:56the world watched in stunned disbelief,
13:58as another unprecedented act of violence unfolded live on national television.
14:02On November 24th, 1963,
14:05Lee Harvey Oswald,
14:06the man accused of killing JFK,
14:08was being transferred from Dallas Police Headquarters to the county jail.
14:12As reporters and cameramen swarmed in the basement,
14:15and millions watched in real time,
14:17Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby,
14:19suddenly emerged from the crowd,
14:21stepped forward,
14:22and shot Oswald at point-blank range in the abdomen.
14:25The chaotic, unscripted moment of a presidential assassin,
14:28being murdered live on air,
14:30captured notably by NBC,
14:31added another layer of surreal horror
14:33to an already traumatic national experience,
14:36permanently preventing Americans from achieving total closure.
14:39I could see Ruby's fingers working on the trigger,
14:42trying to get off another shot.
14:45But the way Graves hold a pistol, he couldn't do it.
14:48Number six, Toho-Q earthquake and tsunami.
14:51On March 11th, 2001,
14:53Japan was struck by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded,
14:57a 9.1 magnitude tremor
14:58that sent shockwaves across the Pacific.
15:00It all started at the epicenter near Sendai,
15:03230 miles northeast of Tokyo.
15:06Television cameras captured immense walls of water in some places,
15:10particularly in Miyako City,
15:11reaching over 40 meters, 130 feet high,
15:15mercilessly sweeping inland,
15:16engulfing entire towns like Minami Sanriku,
15:19dragging ships, cars, and buildings into a churning vortex of debris.
15:23I was amazed how long this thing was going.
15:27It just did not want to stop.
15:29This cataclysmic event,
15:31which led to nearly 16,000 deaths,
15:33and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster,
15:36create a profound sense of helplessness and collective grief,
15:39as the world watched,
15:41unable to avert the immense destruction and human suffering unfolding live on their screens.
15:45Number five,
15:47Walter Cronkite announces JFK assassination.
15:50The day America lost its innocence
15:52was marked by the somber face and cracking voice of Walter Cronkite,
15:56the nation's most trusted news anchor.
15:58As we said,
15:59there has been no word at all on the official word
16:03from the doctors at Parkland Hospital
16:05or the White House staff
16:06on the extent of the president's wounds.
16:10On November 22, 1963,
16:12as reports swirled about President John F. Kennedy being shot in Dallas,
16:16Cronkite remained on air,
16:17delivering updates with a gravity
16:19that conveyed the immense stakes.
16:21A Secret Service man was also killed
16:23in the fusillade of shots
16:25that came apparently from a second-story window.
16:29At 2.38 p.m. EST,
16:31with a visible struggle for composure
16:32and a tear welling in his eye,
16:34Cronkite removed his glasses,
16:36paused,
16:37and uttered the devastating words.
16:39President Kennedy died
16:41at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time,
16:452 o'clock Eastern Standard Time,
16:48some 38 minutes ago.
16:50He then looked at the clock,
16:51briefly overcome with emotion
16:53before resuming his report.
16:55His raw, unvarnished emotion,
16:57a rare sight from the usually stoic newsman,
16:59captured the national shock and grief perfectly.
17:03Number four,
17:03Michael Jackson's sudden death.
17:05The King of Pop,
17:06Michael Jackson's unexpected death
17:08on June 25th, 2009,
17:10sent a jolt of disbelief
17:11and profound sadness around the world.
17:14It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest
17:17in his home.
17:18Though his passing wasn't captured live,
17:20the news broke during live broadcasts
17:22and immediately dominated all channels,
17:25igniting an unprecedented global outpouring of grief.
17:27From the moment reports began to circulate
17:30about Jackson's hospitalization
17:31at UCLA Medical Center due to cardiac arrest,
17:34live news channels scrambled,
17:36providing minute-by-minute updates
17:37that culminated in the somber announcement
17:39of his death at 5.26 p.m. PDT.
17:42My sister Janet calls me
17:44and she goes,
17:46and she says,
17:47she asked me,
17:50was I driving?
17:52And I said,
17:53no,
17:54I said,
17:54I'm not.
17:55I said,
17:55I'm getting ready,
17:56get on the freeway soon,
17:57though.
17:57She said,
17:57no,
17:58pull over,
18:00don't get on the freeway.
18:01Fans worldwide
18:02immediately gathered
18:02in impromptu memorials
18:04outside the hospital,
18:05his Neverland Ranch,
18:06and public squares like Times Square,
18:08their raw emotion amplified
18:10by continuous live coverage.
18:12Number three,
18:13Princess Diana's death and funeral.
18:16The world collectively held its breath
18:17and then wept
18:18following the tragic death
18:20of Diana,
18:20Princess of Wales,
18:22on August 31st, 1997.
18:24She was the most loved member
18:25of the royal family,
18:26if she still is even a member
18:28of the royal family.
18:29She's the one that I think
18:30we all connected with.
18:32Millions watched the somber progression
18:33of her coffin
18:34from France to London,
18:36then the public outpouring of grief
18:38at Kensington Palace,
18:39where mountains of flowers
18:40and heartfelt tributes accumulated.
18:43Her funeral on September 6th, 1997
18:45at Westminster Abbey
18:46was a televised event
18:47of monumental scale,
18:49watched by an estimated
18:502.5 billion people worldwide.
18:52It was the queen who said,
18:54yesterday,
18:55I want to pay tribute
18:56to Diana myself,
18:58first of all.
18:58She was an exceptional
18:59and gifted human being.
19:01In good times and bad,
19:03she never lost her capacity
19:04to smile and laugh.
19:06The heart-wrenching sight
19:07of her young sons,
19:0815-year-old Prince William
19:09and 12-year-old Prince Harry,
19:11walking behind
19:12their mother's coffin,
19:13accompanied by Elton John's
19:14poignant performance
19:15of Candle in the Wind,
19:16created a moment
19:17of collective sadness
19:18that transcended cultural
19:20and national boundaries,
19:22solidifying her legacy
19:23as the people's princess.
19:25And it seems to me
19:27you've lived your life
19:29like a candle up the road.
19:32Number 2.
19:33The Challenger Shuttle Disaster.
19:34On January 28th, 1986,
19:37America watched
19:38in hopeful anticipation
19:39as the Space Shuttle Challenger
19:41launched from Launch Complex 39B
19:43at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
19:46All the communications
19:46between the shuttle
19:47and mission control
19:48indicated everything
19:49was going fine.
19:50Millions,
19:51including countless schoolchildren
19:52across the country,
19:54were tuned in,
19:55eager to witness
19:55the flight of Mission STS-51L,
19:58especially because
19:59Krista McAuliffe,
20:00a civilian teacher
20:01from New Hampshire,
20:02was aboard
20:03as the first teacher in space.
20:05I don't know what put me
20:06over the top
20:06and I'm delighted to be here.
20:08Just 73 seconds
20:09after liftoff,
20:10at 11.38 AM EST,
20:12the shuttle exploded
20:13into a fiery plume,
20:15disintegrating before
20:15the eyes of a shocked nation.
20:17The live broadcast
20:18captured the initial ascent,
20:20the sudden, violent burst,
20:22and then the haunting trails
20:23of smoke against the blue sky,
20:25leaving commentators speechless
20:26and viewers in a state
20:28of disbelief and horror.
20:30And when I saw the fireball
20:31in the sky,
20:32I knew no one
20:33could have survived that.
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20:50Number 1.
20:529-11 attacks.
20:53On the morning
20:54of September 11th, 2001,
20:56at 8.46 AM
20:57EST,
20:58millions awoke
20:59to news
21:00of American Airlines
21:01Flight 11
21:01striking the North Tower
21:03of the World Trade Center
21:04in New York City.
21:05We want to go live right now
21:06and show you a picture
21:07of the World Trade Center.
21:09Initially assumed
21:10to be a horrific accident,
21:11the world watched
21:12in real time
21:13through live news feeds
21:14as a second plane,
21:16United Airlines Flight 175,
21:18deliberately slammed
21:19into the South Tower
21:20at 9.03 AM.
21:21In New York City,
21:22Mayor Rudy Giuliani
21:23says the toll
21:24could be more
21:24than any of us can bear.
21:26The chaos,
21:27the fear,
21:28the realization
21:28that thousands of lives
21:30were being lost,
21:31along with the attack
21:31on the Pentagon
21:32at 9.37 AM
21:33and the downing
21:34of United Airlines
21:35Flight 93
21:36in Shanksville, Pennsylvania
21:37at 10.03 AM
21:38created a moment
21:39of profound,
21:40shared trauma
21:41that redefined an era.
21:43These acts
21:44shatter steel,
21:45but they cannot dent
21:46the steel
21:47of American resolve.
21:49Do we miss a moment
21:49that brought tears
21:50to your eyes?
21:51Be sure to let us know
21:52in the comments below.
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