McAuliffe, << muh KAW lihf, >> Christa (1948-1986), was chosen to become the first schoolteacher to travel in space. McAuliffe was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from more than 11,000 teachers who had applied for the post. She planned to document her flight in three parts–a diary beginning at the time of her selection, a journal of the actual flight, and her thoughts following the flight. On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger, which carried McAuliffe, was destroyed in an accident shortly after take-off. The accident killed McAuliffe and the six other crew members.
Sharon Christa Corrigan was born on Sept. 2, 1948, in Boston, Massachusetts. She married Steven McAuliffe in 1970. They had two children. McAuliffe earned a bachelor’s degree from Framingham State College in 1970. She received a master’s degree in education from Bowie State College in 1978. From 1982 until her death, McAuliffe taught social studies at Concord High School in Concord, New Hampshire.
