On Jan. 28, 1986, America witnessed a tragedy: the explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger in the blue skies over Florida. The doomed shuttle touched us like we have never been touched before because along with the tragic loss of astronauts, a teacher was on board.

A nation watched in horror as the space shutter Challenger exploded on Jan. 28, 1986, during a live television broadcast. Reality: No it didn’t, and no it didn’t. Challenger was the second shuttle to go into space,

Prelude: It was bitterly cold in Washington for Reagan’s scheduled State of the Union address. But it wasn't the weather that intervened. Instead, the annual event was postponed by a tragedy that unfolded on national television and left adults explaining to children why a beloved public school teacher would never set foot in a classroom again.