This Day in History: Challenger Disaster

It was today, January 28, 1986, that the world changed for me.  I was 6 years old, starting my day at school.  They rolled in the A/V cart, which meant we got to take a break from lessons and watch something on television!  It was the day a teacher was going to be sent into space.  I remember my teacher being particularly excited to watch this historic launch.  That sense of wonder quickly turned to terror as millions gathered around televisions across America only to witness something completely traumatic.

Seventy-three seconds after its 11:38 a.m. launch, NASA’s space shuttle exploded, killing all seven crew members. Among the crew was Christa McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire. McAuliffe had won a competition that earned her a place on the Challenger. Millions witnessed the tragedy on live television. In the aftermath, President Ronald Reagan appointed a special commission to determine what went wrong with Challenger. The investigation determined the disaster was caused by the failure of an “O-ring” seal due to cold weather.

It would be two years before NASA sent astronauts into space again.  I’ll never forget that tragic day.  Rest in peace to those seven souls.  You made a profound impact on my and millions of others.