40 years ago today the Challenger space shuttle exploded.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/artic...w-theyre-being-remembered-220831002.html

Was in high school was a snow day we were scheduled to watch in science class, watched on regular TV. Kristie McCullough the teacher was on boars so it was big PR event

Was home with the flu that day.

Was celebrating my brother's birthday.

Learned of the incident in class. I remember everyone present viewing being in shock over it.

Senior year in college was picking up a gal I rode with to go home when we heard it

Eighth grade shop class. Teacher brought in a TV so we could watch it.

Same--except 6th grade science class. Teacher wheeled in the TV and we watched it happen live.

The thing that stuck with me was how shocked the news folks were seconds after it happened. It’s like everybody forgot how dangerous it was.

Freshman in high school

Our high school probably had 2 TVs and I was not one watching it live

Had just got in from running traps, was going to eat a bite and head out to set more out. Had no idea the shuttle was going up that day, didn't keep up with anything back then, hardly ever noticed a tv. Coon hunted at night with hounds then ran traps the next day 7 days a week so didn't have much leisure time, lol. Turned on the tv right before it went up then sat there shocked at what id saw.

Big deal around here....she was from Concord NH.

Heard it on the radio at the shop... unbelievable

I remember what I was doing when JFK got shot and when the twin towers went down, but not when the Challenger tragedy happened.

I was in elementary school and the whole grade was in my class room to watch it on a TV we went and got from the library.

All us school kids were watching b/c there was a school teacher on board the shuttle and they promoted it as the first teacher in space.

It was a big promotion and all the young school kids were tuned in and watching across the US.

In about 1998 one of the NASA Engineers came to my college to speak. He was there to promote whistleblower protection.

His story was fascinating about how Engineers tried to convince managers that it was a bad day to launch due to the temperature / cold / ice...

The launch had already been delayed once or more and this was the day it was rescheduled. Managers didn't want another delay.

Managers pushed for the launch anyway and failure was an o-ring that got icey and allowed fuel to blow by it which caused the chain reaction.

3rd grade watching it on the TV in the school library , they kept us in from recess to watch it because there was a teacher on the shuttle , then boom

I was drilling a water well in a new development in east Fishkill, NY when a co worker told me.
I could see the east Fishkill ibm plant below.
In the '60's IBM put 250 chemicals in the ground to dispose of them.
Our company drilled more than a hundred test and recovery wells there.
I remember thinking there's no way in heck I would drink that water