This Day in World History [3]
January 28th, 1521
The Diet of Worms was convened in Worms, Germany, to discuss Martin Luther and the effects of the Protestant Reformation upon the Holy Roman Empire. Emperor Charles V presided over the ceremonies. Luther was summoned by the Emperor to appear before the Imperial Diet. Prince Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, obtained an agreement that if Luther appeared he would be promised safe passage to and from the meeting.
January 28th, 1921
A symbolic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was installed beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, to honor those who had died during World War 1 and were never identified or given a proper burial. All unknown soldiers who gave their lives in wars following World War 1 were also honored by this tomb.
In modern wars, however, "unknown soldiers" will virtually never occur. This is due to the advances made in genetic science and DNA tracking. Now, even the slightest shred of tissue or bone can be used to identify the deceased, so his family may be notified of his sacrifice.
January 28th, 1986
NASA's Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its tenth mission, killing all seven astronauts aboard. Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, after Columbia. Its maiden voyage was on April 4, 1983, and it made eight further round trips to low earth orbit before the launch of its tenth mission, on January 28, 1986. It would later be replaced by the space shuttle Endeavor, which would be launched six years after the disaster.
Challenger was constructed using a body frame (STA-099) that had initially been built as a test article. STA-099 had not been meant for spaceflight, but NASA discovered that recycling it would be cheaper than refitting the test shuttle, Enterprise (OV-101), to be spaceworthy, as originally planned.
In the days after the accident, millions participated in candlelight vigils across the United States. Then president Ronald Reagan addressed the nation and honored the seven astronauts killed as "heroes." Perhaps the most notable astronaut was Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire school teacher. The other astronauts were Francis R. Scobee (shuttle commander), Gregory B. Jarvis, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, and Michael J. Smith.
It was later discovered by NASA engineers and a separate panel of scientists commissioned by President Reagan that the vehicle actually broke up during the launch due to the failure of rubber seals in the booster engines called "O rings" that failed to seal properly due to sub-freezing temperatures on the morning of the launch. Subsequently, NASA adopted much stricter safety standards for shuttle missions. Shuttle missions resumed in September, 1988.
The Diet of Worms was convened in Worms, Germany, to discuss Martin Luther and the effects of the Protestant Reformation upon the Holy Roman Empire. Emperor Charles V presided over the ceremonies. Luther was summoned by the Emperor to appear before the Imperial Diet. Prince Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, obtained an agreement that if Luther appeared he would be promised safe passage to and from the meeting.
January 28th, 1921
A symbolic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was installed beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, to honor those who had died during World War 1 and were never identified or given a proper burial. All unknown soldiers who gave their lives in wars following World War 1 were also honored by this tomb.
In modern wars, however, "unknown soldiers" will virtually never occur. This is due to the advances made in genetic science and DNA tracking. Now, even the slightest shred of tissue or bone can be used to identify the deceased, so his family may be notified of his sacrifice.
January 28th, 1986
NASA's Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its tenth mission, killing all seven astronauts aboard. Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, after Columbia. Its maiden voyage was on April 4, 1983, and it made eight further round trips to low earth orbit before the launch of its tenth mission, on January 28, 1986. It would later be replaced by the space shuttle Endeavor, which would be launched six years after the disaster.
Challenger was constructed using a body frame (STA-099) that had initially been built as a test article. STA-099 had not been meant for spaceflight, but NASA discovered that recycling it would be cheaper than refitting the test shuttle, Enterprise (OV-101), to be spaceworthy, as originally planned.
In the days after the accident, millions participated in candlelight vigils across the United States. Then president Ronald Reagan addressed the nation and honored the seven astronauts killed as "heroes." Perhaps the most notable astronaut was Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire school teacher. The other astronauts were Francis R. Scobee (shuttle commander), Gregory B. Jarvis, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, and Michael J. Smith.
It was later discovered by NASA engineers and a separate panel of scientists commissioned by President Reagan that the vehicle actually broke up during the launch due to the failure of rubber seals in the booster engines called "O rings" that failed to seal properly due to sub-freezing temperatures on the morning of the launch. Subsequently, NASA adopted much stricter safety standards for shuttle missions. Shuttle missions resumed in September, 1988.