Though 50 years have passed since the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy, SFU History Professor Joseph Taylor's memories of the day are as clear as ever. “Even as a kindergarten student, those memories are really strong,” Taylor told News 1130.

• He was home recovering from the measles when a news bulletin interrupted the program he was watching on TV. He then broke the news to his mom. “She was instantly in tears,” he says, pointing out his parents weren’t exactly Kennedy fans.
  
  When he looks back, he now better understands the reactions he witnessed. “[It was the] only time ever we saw US news anchor Walter Cronkite take off his glasses and wipe his eyes twice. One was when JFK was shot, and the other was the landing on the moon.”
  
  Kids were immediately sent home from school. Taylor says he knew people who were despondent for months afterwards.
  
  “It was really a mass mourning. It was heightened by the rapid execution of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.”

Read the full story on the News 1130 website.