Challenger Explodes: Seven Astronauts Die in Space
The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after liftoff when a failing O-ring allowed burning gas to breach the solid rocket booster and external tank. This tragedy killed all seven crew members and forced a 32-month suspension of the shuttle program while exposing how NASA managers ignored known engineering flaws due to launch pressure.
January 28, 1986
40 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on January 28
He wasn't even in Rome when power landed in his lap. Trajan, a Spanish-born military commander, was literally at the edges of the empire when word came that he'…
The most powerful man in Europe died wearing a white linen shirt and surrounded by chanting monks. Charlemagne - who'd unified most of Western Europe, created a…
He rode into Durham like he owned the place — which, technically, he did. Robert de Comines, freshly minted Earl of Northumbria by William the Conqueror, couldn…
He walked barefoot through snow, wearing a hair shirt, begging forgiveness. The most powerful monarch in Europe reduced to a supplicant, waiting three days outs…
Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV knelt in the snow outside Canossa Castle for three days, begging Pope Gregory VII to rescind his excommunication. By granting absolu…
Six dancers burned alive. The king barely escaped. What started as a lavish masquerade at the Hôtel Saint-Pol turned into a horrific spectacle when one performe…
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