There is no one alive that remembers life before your day could be interrupted by a newsflash. The first event America experienced this way occurred in the Utah desert on May 10th, 1869. The entire nation was waiting for the moment a silver hammer (wired to the telegraph) struck a golden spike (also wired up to the telegraph), creating the first massive breaking news story.
The Birth of Breaking News
On May 10th, 1869, the entire nation was waiting for the moment a silver hammer struck a golden spike, creating the first massive breaking news story.