I actually watched it happen. My family was living in Florida at the time. Cape Canaveral was far to the north, but launches were so bright that on clear days they were perfectly visible to us in Broward County. It was the end of a high-school semester, we had just completed some mid-terms, and classes let out early. I was walking home, watching the launch, and probably thinking about how I could avoid studying for the next day’s mid-terms. When I saw the explosion, I thought something bad had happened but wasn’t sure. At home, I turned on the TV and learned the news. My parents were working, so I was alone. I tried to call my dad and one of my brothers–I desperately wanted to tell somebody the news–but couldn’t reach anyone.

People older than me sometimes say they’ll never forget where they were when they heard JFK was shot. There are a handful of news events that rate the same way for me, and the Challenger disaster is one of them.

I do not remember listening to Reagan’s speech on the disaster–it is sometimes said to have been one of his finer performances–though I’m sure I did listen to it.