eInside - Special Edition: May 4 Commemoration
Seventeen acres on the Kent State University campus denote the location of the historic events of May 4, 1970, where protesting students, observers and soldiers gathered on that fateful day when the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four students and wounded nine others.
Few have seen the history of our world unfold like Dan Rather. The renowned journalist and former lead anchor of the CBS Evening News is coming to Kent State University to reflect on his experiences as a journalist, news anchor and multimedia producer.
Survivors remember as if it happened yesterday – the sounds, the confusion, the fear as protests and unrest escalated to a deadly level on campus. The scenario may sound similar to the events of May 4, 1970, at Kent State University, but this incident happened two years prior.
On May 4, 1970, Kent State University was placed in an international spotlight after a student protest against the Vietnam War and the presence of the Ohio National Guard on campus ended in tragedy. Each year, as part of the May 4 Commemoration, Kent State’s May 4 Visitors Center presents events and opportunities to inquire, learn and reflect.
Nearly five decades have passed since Ohio National Guardsmen fired into a gathering of protesting students on the campus of Kent State University, killing four, wounding nine and impacting generations.