Couric on 'Freaky' Memory Loss: I Thought Biden Was President

Katie Couric says a recent outing in Colorado ended with her knowing who she was, but not much else. The 69-year-old journalist revealed on her Substack that she experienced transient global amnesia, an uncommon condition in which a patient's memory abruptly vanishes, even though they may remain alert and aware of their own identity, reports NBC News. Couric wrote that on June 27, after a visit to a farmers market in Aspen, she was suddenly unable to correctly state the month, the year, or the current president of the United States, insisting it was 2024 and Joe Biden was still in the White House.

Couric noted that the episode began as her husband drove her to the Aspen Ideas Festival, when she just "went blank." She wrote that she also couldn't remember the names of her grandchildren, including her new granddaughter, reports USA Today. At least seven hours' worth of memories from that day have been relegated to a "big, black hole," she lamented.

According to the National Institutes of Health, transient global amnesia affects only a handful of people per 100,000 each year, though rates are higher among those 50 and older. Patients can usually speak, recognize objects, and cooperate with doctors, but they can't form or retrieve recent memories. Symptoms tend to resolve within 24 hours and rarely come back. "While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious," Couric wrote, per USA Today. "So ultimately, I'm relieved—even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me."