In 1986 US space shuttle challenger exploded shortly after take off killing all seven astronauts on board. This was the worst space disaster in the world, doubling the death toll from 25 years of space exploration. The cause of the explosion was caused by a defective seal on one of the fuel tanks, which allowed hot gas to escape and cause structural damage. Forces from take off caused the rocket/shuttle to break up, 73 seconds into flight. Casualties of the disaster were Commander Francis Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, mission specialists Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, payload specialist Greg Jarvis and high School teacher Christa McAuliffe who was selected from 11,000 applicants to be part of the ‘NASA Teacher in Space Project’.
In 1973 the cease fire came into effect in Vietnam as of 8am local time (midnight on the 27th GMT). This comes after peace talks between Dr Henry Kissinger, United States President Nixon’s assistant for National Security, and Vietnamese representative which took place first on the 15th and then on the 23rd of this month in 1973.
In 1968 Radiation alert at Thule Airbase in Greenland. This came a week after an American B-52 bomber carrying four hydrogen bombs (H-Bombs) crashed into the sea ice in North Star Bay. Fire broke out on the plane as it was due to land at the airbase causing six crew members to eject (one crew member had no ejector seat and consequently died trying to bail out. The crash happened on the 21st of January 1968 but the United States didn’t inform the Danish government for 18hours due to fears of political embarrassment. Although America maintained that the area was safe it took 700 men over nine months to clear the radioactive debris including 500 million gallons of snow. It was claimed that all four H-Bombs were recovered however in 2008 declassified documents obtained by the BBC under the US Freedom of Information Act, revealed that one of the bombs is still missing.
In 1964 the Soviet Union shot down a United States Jet over East German airspace. The American jet strayed off course after pilots became disorientated during a violent storm; almost 100 miles off course, Russia believed it to be a deliberate flight plan and opened fire, killing the three US officers on board.
In 1547 King Henry VIII of England died in London. He was buried in Saint George’s Chapel, Windsor in the same tomb as his third wife Jane Seymour, who died 12 days after the birth of their son Edward (Henry’s only male heir). He became King Edward VI of England on this day aged nine.
