On this day in 1986, the space shuttle Challenger burst into flames just 73 seconds after takeoff, claiming the lives of all seven astronauts aboard, including Christa McAuliffe, who would have been the first teacher in space.

A Moment Frozen In Time

I wasn't in the U.S. on the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, so have no frozen-in-time memories of that day, but I remember vividly January 28, 1986. I had just dropped my two-year-old off at his babysitter's house when I heard the news of the explosion on my car radio.

By the time I arrived at my Santa Monica, CA, school, ten minutes later, for the opening meeting of the new semester, we all knew that the crew of the Challenger was dead. Our usually lively, outspoken faculty was silent. We sat in a circle and stared. The meeting didn't last long.

A Nation In Shock

Later that day, in what was believed to be an unprecedented gesture, President Reagan postponed the State of the Union address. Flags were lowered to half mast. The Olympic torch in Los Angeles was relit. On Wall Street, the stock exchange went silent for a solemn minute of respect.

So many hopes and dreams were pinned on Ms. McAuliffe, an awesome mother and teacher. How could things go so wrong?

Honoring Christa McAuliffe's Memory 25 Years Later

Now, 25 years later, schools, universities, and space-focused education organizations will commemorate Ms. McAuliffe and her fellow astronauts with events and tributes.

From Education Week, here are just a few of them:

* A ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, site of the Challenger launch

* A Day of Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery

* A reunion of teachers from the 1986 staff at Concord High School in New Hampshire, where Ms. McAuliffe taught

* Completion of space-research projects at McAuliffe Regional Charter Public Middle School, in Framingham, Massachusetts

Ms. McAuliffe's Legacy Lives On

McAuliffe's legacy lives on too in the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. From Education Week, the words of Dan Barstow, president of the Center:

"There’s a generation of teachers who were around and teaching at the time of the Challenger accident. For us, clearly, she was such an exceptional teacher, such an inspiring astronaut and educator. We still remember her and feel that,” said Mr. Barstow. “It was such a deep-searing moment in the nation’s soul, and we have an obligation to carry on that mission, that legacy, to inspire kids.”

Check out the video below to see the new McAuliffe-Shepherd Discovery Center: