I remember it like it was yesterday. I was working as a teller in a bitty little branch, running the drive-through. We were running back and forth in between customers to watch the launch on the little TV in the break room. I could hear something had happened, and I raced back to see...they were in the moments after the explosion, trying to make sense of what we were seeing. Two trails of smoke...I remember hearing the announcer saying, "The trailer has exploded," and thinking oh good, then they're OK.
After it became apparent something was horribly wrong, I had to go wait on a customer. I was crying, and she asked if I was OK. I told her, and she began to cry, too. A guy in the lobby actually laughed and said, "Oh darn! I won't get my lesson from space now." What a jerk.
What were you doing?

By Conni on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 01:31 pm:

I was in 7th or 8th grade. Cant remember. And they brought a TV into my Math class I think (you know back when they didnt have a TV in every classroom and we certainly didnt have cable TV in the classroom!)... We sat and watched it in disbelief. I remember feeling very sad and wanting to go home and see my Mom.

By Melanie on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 01:35 pm:

I was home sick from school in seventh grade. I remember just watching the reports all day. Wow, I can't believe it's been twenty years.

By Ilovetom on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 01:56 pm:

I was in the doctor's office with my oldest child- who was 18 months old at the time.

Time has flown.

By Cat on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 02:02 pm:

I was a freshman in high school in choir class. Our pianist walked in crying and told us. She'd been watching it in the office. What really made it close to home for us was my 7th grade science teacher was almost picked to go on it.

By Reds9298 on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 02:08 pm:

I was in fifth grade music class. They brought a TV in and we watched it for a long time. I remember feeling very sad and wanting to come home to my Daddy!

By Kernkate on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 02:15 pm:

I remember it very well. I was expecting my first child. He will be 20 on February 1st.

By Deek on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 02:22 pm:

I was home with my two little girls..they are both grown and married now! And I am a grandma! It was so sad...I remember getting the teacher magazine with the lessons from space in it..it was so sad to read knowing what had happened.. cant believe it has been 20 years!

By Dawnk777 on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 03:14 pm:

I was 25, still single, had worked the night before and had only recently gotten up. It was the night to go out with my "little sister" and I was at her house to pick her up for our activities. (We were matched together in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.)

While I waited for her to get ready, they were showing the familiar scene on the 5pm news. I asked what happened, since I hadn't heard yet, because of being asleep. Tiffany tells me that the shuttle blew up! I was so shocked.

By Colette on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 03:15 pm:

I was at my grandmother's house. It was the day of my grandfather's funeral.

By Tunnia on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 04:09 pm:

I was in 8th grade and sitting in science class when the librarian ran in and told our teacher that the space shuttle had exploded. She was crying. We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the library watching the coverage on tv. My friend Candy and I were sitting next to each other and we kept writing notes back and forth saying how we couldn't believe it had happened and discussing how sad it was. I'll never forget that day.

By Trina~moderator on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 04:18 pm:

I also vividly remember it. I was still in New Hampshire and had just finished college that Dec. '85. I was working FT in management at a women's clothing store while looking for a teaching job. That day was a cold, slow morning in the store. I was putting out new suits when I heard the announcement on the radio. The customers and my co-workers all stopped and listened. We were in shock. It hit hard because all my college and teacher friends were cheering on Christa McAuliffe, who was a school teacher from Concord, NH. There is a planetarium in Concord named after her.

Christa McAuliffe

By Kaye on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 04:42 pm:

I was in either science or math (same teacher..lol). She let us turn the tv on, because she almost made the cut to go. She was at her computer writing a test (an old mac!) and we were stunned. We said, you've got to see this, the shuttle blew up. She got mad and said, that is nothing to joke about. Then she saw we weren't joking. She got very quiet and teared up. It was just surreal.

I live near Nasa now, they had a touching service yesterday in memory.

By Annie2 on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 08:47 pm:

I was managing a small clothing store in Hanover, MA. at the time. They had tv's for our teen customers. Since it was morning we had the news on.

By Bellajoe on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 02:55 pm:

I was in third grade. I remember that our teacher had the t.v. in our room and we were going to watch a Teacher go up in space!

Then it blew up.

I remember we all just stood there with our mouths open, wide eyed and wondering what just happened. I remember the teacher just crying and crying. It was so sad and scary. I remember that she had some kids who were just as young as i was, and how sad i felt for them.

Got teary eyed, writing that.

By Happynerdmom on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 03:10 pm:

This always bothers me...I have a false memory of the event! As I remember it, I was in my high school english class, and we were watching it on the tv. But the thing is, I graduated in 1985...I was a college freshman when this happened!! I guess I just have the setting wrong...I was probably in a college class, but this REALLY bothers me! How can you mis-remember something so dramatic??

By Mom2three1968 on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 04:51 pm:

I was a senior in high school, and my son was just two weeks old. I remember it well, I believe I was holding him at the time when i was watching it on t.v....

By Imamommyx4 on Saturday, January 28, 2006 - 07:27 pm:

I was taking my pharmacy board exams. Came out at lunch and walked into the cafeteria and there was a huge screen tv playing the explosion over and over again. Blew me away. I had to study for the law part that night and a few other things. Just couldn't get into studying.

By Sunny on Sunday, January 29, 2006 - 12:00 am:

I was also a senior in high school, but was home sick that day. I remember watching TV and the newscaster broke into the show to announce it.

By Insaneusmcwife on Sunday, January 29, 2006 - 09:36 am:

I was 7 so I'm guessing I was in the 2nd grade? I don't remember much.

By Karen~moderator on Sunday, January 29, 2006 - 10:18 am:

I vividly remember exactly where we were/what we were doing when that happened. Jeff was almost 2-1/2 y/o. I had *tried* to cut his hair myself and made a horrible mess of it. I called my X-MIL to come over and straighten it out before my X got home and chewed me out for it (yes, he would have done that) and we were all in my den with the TV on when it happened.

By Marg on Sunday, January 29, 2006 - 07:40 pm:

Ditto on remembering.

I was working in a very small nursing home and the ladies had just settled in the living room and turned on the tv. I came in and said 'what are you watching.'

One of the ladies told me it was 'live.'

Standing in shock I couldn't believe my eyes.

It was just like 9/11 when I went down to mom's and said 'what are you watching?'

She looked at me and said 'this is happening right now!'

I really don't watch much tv.

By Missmudd on Sunday, January 29, 2006 - 07:46 pm:

I was a senior in highschool and was on a break between classes and had gone to the cafeteria to get a snack. Up until 9/11 I had never remembered a event on TV so clearly. We went to our classes but as soon as we reported in so that we wouldnt be unexcused for that period we were allowed to go back to the cafeteria to watch. (In retrospect that is pretty weird...)

By Janet on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 11:53 am:

Michelle, I know what you mean. I've had false memories, too, and it really bugs me! I've read that this is actually a common thing, especially when it comes to major events like the Challenger explosion. I have one that I think is false, involving where I was when Reagan was shot. I remember sitting on the lawn at college, in January, when it was unseasonably warm and we were enjoying the sun. My roomie and I were listening to the radio, and we heard he'd been shot. Fine, except that Reagan was shot in March! At least I have the year right, but it's very strange!

By Tink on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 12:20 pm:

I was reluctant to say anything but I have a "false" memory of the Challenger exploding. I remember watching it on TV in my sixth grade class and all of us crying because of Christa McAuliffe. The problem for me is that I was in third grade when it happened and my mom says that my teacher chose not to show it to us. I think my memory may have been watching the footage in sixth grade on the anniversary of the explosion.

By Happynerdmom on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 04:43 pm:

Thanks Janet and Tink! I'm glad I'm not the only one!

By Rayanne on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 09:27 pm:

I was 7 years old. I remember it happening, but that is it really.