Children Protest at an historic Gen-X landmark, Love Canal, 1978
Back in 2008, I was blogging daily about Generation X, and I came up with the idea of taking a whistle-stop tour of Gen-X landmarks across the world. All along the way I would meet up with Jennifers at coffee shops and interview them for the blog.
Gen-X Landmarks
Eleven years later, I’m still thinking about this project, and now, I need your help. I may not be able to travel around the world and visit all the Gen-X hot spots, but I can make a very cool map of these historic locations. So, what places come to mind? They can be real or fictional. Leave a comment or join the conversation on Facebook. Help me come up with the 50 Most Important Gen-X Landmarks. These are the places, real or fictional, that helped shape our generation.
Here are a few obvious drop pins on the map to get your brain percolating:
- The Berlin Wall
- Love Canal
- The Moon
Get Creative
Remember, the drop pins can be for real or fictional places. They can come from pop culture or politics. Think hard and get creative! Should the Chicago Arts Institute from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off make the list? What about the Falkland Islands? Perhaps Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, which was made famous by the Dream Academy’s Life In A Northern Town.
Anti Gen-X Thing
By the way, I’ve started doing the most anti-Gen-X thing ever and that’s make a bucket list. Some of the things on my list are downright elderly sounding including “see bright rainbows.” Never saw this coming, folks.
Finally, once I have the list of Gen-X landmarks compiled I’ll put together a map. I’m not sure if it will be a printable or if I’ll get my GIS friends to help me out with something really cool! Stay tuned and please join the conversation on Facebook or leave a comment.
I have to add a couple of iconic Australian landmarks here! How about Uluru (Ayers Rock) where a dingo snatched baby Azaria Chamberlain in 1980; and the world famous Sydney Opera House, which opened in 1973.
Thank you for contributing to the list! I’m putting it all together now and hope to have the first illustration completed in the next few months.
I would add the locations of Waco, Texas for the Branch Davidian Ranch, Oklahoma City federal building, and Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. There could also be a tour of Jeffrey Dahmer’s apartment building in Milwaukee for the macabre member of Generation X. Of course, Fargo is still my favourite movie from the period of time in the 1990’s, and I resided in Minnesota for two years after my graduation from a liberal arts college in Wisconsin during May of 1996. Come to think it, the ValueJet airplane crashed into the Everglades of Florida on the same day!
Thank you, Paul. I live in OKC and will definitely include the Federal bombing. I had totally forgotten about that ValueJet crash. Why was it so memorable do you think?
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d3728839-Reviews-GhostBusters_Firestation-New_York_City_New_York.html
who ya gonna call?
I love it, Bryon! A great, and not so obvious choice.
The REM church in Athens, GA. It was torn down (only the steeple is left) to make apartments.
Another outstanding Gen-X landmark. Thank you for the superb contribution, Stacey. That will look great in the planned illustration.
Hi Jennifer,
These were ones that came to mind:
The Watergate
Three Mile Island
ET’s house
Lockerbie, Scotland
Aberdeen, Washington
Sherman Oaks Galleria
Thanks for doing this. I enjoy your blog!
Hello Laura. Thank you for the list. Someone else said Sherman Oaks on FB. Also, Three-Mile Island. That’s the first vote for Watergate. A definite drop pin. I love ET’s house. I had not thought of that. And, of course, Lockerbie, which I’ve written about a few times and thought about so often over the years. That tragedy had a big impact on me and my travels or the lack thereof. Thanks for stopping by and contributing to the list.