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Events on Thursday 2 September 1948 1
1948 – 1986Christa McAuliffe (1948-1986)Died 28 January 1986, aged 37American teacher selected for NASA's Teacher in Space Project, killed when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart shortly after launch. Her presence on the mission had drawn intense public and school interest ahead of the flight. Her death became one of the defining images of the US space program's risks.