In 1994, a post-earthquake power grid blackout in LA caused all the light sources in an area to stop functioning. Allegedly, an observatory received calls about

In 1994, a post-earthquake power grid blackout in LA caused all the light sources in an area to stop functioning. Allegedly, an observatory received calls about strange shapes and lights in the sky; what people were seeing was the Milky Way for the first time. [1] [1]: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/04/local/la-me-light-pollution-20110104/2 http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/04/local/la-me-light-po... (there's some doubt as to the legitimacy of the story, but it's still a funny tale)