This is the scientific reason why you remember where you were when Princess Diana died
WHEREVER you go, whoever you speak to, everyone seems to remember what they were doing on August 31 1997 - the day Princess Diana died.
And now, scientists think they've found the answer why.
It might have been over two decades since the tragic car accident in Paris, but most people still remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news.
Psychologists believe that when something so public (and so devastating) happens, it triggers a "flashbulb" memory.
According to the , flashbulb memories were first proposed in 1977 by Roger Brown and James Kulik.
Apparently, they occur because the incident is so significant, it creates a memory "as vividly, completely and accurately as a photograph".
Cognitive psychologist William Hurst said: "Every time there's a public trauma, psychologists run out in the street and capture people's memories of what happened.
"They did it with the Challenger explosion. They did it with the death of Princess Diana...And we did it with 9/11.
"What makes these events so memorable is the unusual intersection of the personal and the public, so that what becomes salient for you is actually learning about the event, in addition to the facts of it."
Celebrities have recalled their own whereabouts when they heard the news on the morning of August 31.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair revealed: "I was woken by the policeman…he was standing at the foot of the bed because I hadn’t heard the phone ring.
"It was an extraordinary shock because I knew her, I liked her a lot."
Actress Gemma Jones explained what she was doing on August 31 1997.
"I was at home and switched the television on and heard the news," she said.
"My elderly father was living with me so I went into his room to tell him and we sat and watched the TV for most of the morning. I had a small child at the time so I was very affected."
Last year, on the 20th anniversary of her death, social media users took to Twitter to recall exactly what they were doing on the tragic day.
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