Everyone was watching because it included the first ‘normal’ person to go into space, Christa McAuliffe, a teacher, and so everyone remembers what they were doing when they heard the horrible news.
Via Daily Mail:
On January 28, 1986, Americans across the country took a break from their work, or from class, and found their way to a television to watch the space shuttle Challenger take off from Cape Canaveral.
Seventy-three seconds later, the nation gave a united gasp as the shuttle exploded like a firework across the bright blue sky – killing all seven crew members on board.
Today, on the 30th anniversary of the disaster, the son of teacher Christa McAuliffe, who won her place onboard the shuttle and died alongside her fellow astronauts, led family tributes.
Scott McAuliffe, who along with his sister Caroline has become a teacher like their mother, was just eight when the tragedy happened. Today he stood clutching a white rose in a rare appearance to honor her. His sister, who was six, and their father Steven chose not to attend.
Along with Mr McAuliffe was Alison Smith Balch, daughter of Challenger pilot Michael Smith and Kathie Scobee Fulgham, daughter of Challenger commander Francis Scobee and her brother Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Scobee.
They gathered at he Kennedy Space Center in Florida to pay an emotional tribute to their lost loved ones.
Meanwhile, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden also commemorated the fallen astronauts by placing a wreath at their memorial in Arlington National Cemetery.
Teacher Christa McAuliffe’s family at the moment of the explosion:
Reagan’s speech, considered one of his finest, expressing the feeling of loss. Reagan was to deliver his State of the Union. But unlike Obama who didn’t speak about the taking of our sailors by Iran, Reagan actually put aside his own prepared speech and interests, to address the need to comfort the nation: