Historian or Historical?

Monday was my birthday and the arithmetic indicates that I am quite old, much older than I am willing to admit. But I realize that my memories tend to give me away.
I spent the summer of 1962 touring Europe with a friend from Cadillac. Part of our trip included a trip to Berlin to visit a high school classmate married to an US Army officer. The East Germans began construction on the Berlin Wall in August of 1961. As a result, the wall was still a work in progress. Above is my favorite picture of the Brandenburg Gate. It was here in 1987 that President Reagan gave his famous speech including "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!"

A spot known to all American travelers wanting to visit East Berlin was Checkpoint Charlie. A very serious place and frankly it was quite scary to go experience. The wall was removed in 1989 by citizens of Berlin, both east and west. While we were there we saw the pain of families split by the wall. As a result, I could fully appreicate the joy of the citizens as they tore down the wall.