Dan recounts the events of January 28, 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, 73 seconds after takeoff. Listen to learn how President Reagan came to give one of the most memorable speeches of the 20th century.
While the Challenger disaster will always be a tragedy for the crew members and their families, President Reagan's tribute has ensured that the nation will never forget them. With the help of a relatively unknown speechwriter at the time, Peggy Noonan, Reagan delivered one of the most memorable speeches of the 20th century.
His 643-word speech equally paid tribute to seven heroes, while inspiring the nation to carry on. He reminded us that "the future doesn't belong to faint-hearted, it belongs to the brave. It was the Challenger crew pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them."
