Taking off the news on September 11th, 2001, I had that day off and was sleeping in that morning when my sleep was interrupted by my (landline) phone ringing, I groggily answered and it was my best friend frantically telling me to put on the news. I fumbled, still half-asleep, for the TV remote while mumbling “what channel?” and she said “any channel!” just as I turned the TV on and, sure enough, whatever channel it was on was showing what was happening.

It’s a funny trope in film and TV to have characters generically tell each other to “turn on the TV/radio/etc.” without specifying which channel or whatever, and the required plot-fueling info just happens to be broadcasting live on whatever station is already tuned in. That’s the only day I remember that actually happening to me in real life.