The explosion of NASA's Challenger space shuttle on this day 30 years ago was a very big deal in the 80's. Of course, it took little time for the kids in my school to start making jokes about it, which was very inappropriate. But that's what kids do best, right? Inappropriate?

I recall watching the launch live on my small CRT TV in my bedroom. When it exploded, I simply thought it was part of the launch. Like something was breaking off of the shuttle as planned (a booster rocket maybe?). It didn't take long to learn the truth from the news announcers. It had exploded. It was pretty clear that the search for survivors among the crew was going to be fruitless. A sad day for our country.

I wasn't around for challenger. When I was a kid it was the Columbia disaster that shook the country. I remember turning on the TV on Saturday morning hoping to see cartoons but instead was puzzled at the fact that they had a news report showing a something brightly lit in the sky.

I was mad because the news cut off the Woody Woodpecker cartoons I was watching. I was 2 at the time so I don't remember much.