Sharon Christa Corrigan was born in 1948. Her father was a
college sophomore when she was born, and her mother became a substitute
teacher. They planned to call her Sherrie, but decided her middle name suited
her better. In fact, she didn’t know Christa wasn’t her first name until she
was practically an adult. Christa married her high school sweetheart in 1970,
and they had two children together. Christa taught American history, civics,
and English in high school and middle school. In 1984, President Reagan
announced the Teacher in Space program, and Christa applied. On her application,
she wrote, “I watched the Space Age being born, and I’d like to participate.”
The following year, Christa was selected from more than 11,000 applicants to
become the first teacher in space. January 28, 1986, Christa McAuliffe was one
of seven crew members lost when the Challenger broke apart. In 2004, she was posthumously
awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
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