Christa McAuliffe Biography | Teacher and Astronaut

Sharon Christa McAuliffe

Born: September 2, 1948
Died: January 28, 1986
Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts

Major Notes:

Christa McAuliffe was chosen to be the first school teacher to go into outer space.
Born in Boston, she moved with her family to Framingham, Massachusetts, soon after being born.
Her father was working on a degree program at Boston College and had just taken a new job in a Boston department store.
As a youngster, Christa McAuliffe grew up excitedly watching the growth of space exploration.
She met her future husband, Steve McAuliffe, while attending high school.
Following high school, she enrolled in Framingham State College earning a degree in History.
Soon after, she and Steve were married and moved to Maryland so he could attend law school in Washington, D.C.
Over the next period of time, the couple had two children, and Christa earned a Master's degree in School Administration.
She worked as a teacher at the Bow Memorial School and then Concord High School.
Christa was a very respected teacher and community member and was encouraged to apply to become the first "Teacher in Space."
She competed against doctors, authors, and scholars and was chosen as she seemed best to represent an ordinary teacher.
Throughout her astronaut and NASA training period, Christa McAuliffe became an inspiration in the eyes of the public and the teaching profession.
Unfortunately, the Space Shuttle she and her fellow crew members were in exploded after only 73 seconds in flight.
Christa was to have given two teaching lessons while in flight dealing with the shuttle and outer space exploration.
Christa McAuliffe still inspires teachers and students such that a number of schools have been named after her.

For detailed research and more information, check out any of the following: Christa McAuliffe Planetarium NASA Sea and Sky New York Times About Boston Globe Wikipedia Educational Horizons Harcourt School Publishers

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Christa McAuliffe was chosen to be the first school teacher to go into outer space.

Born in Boston, she moved with her family to Framingham, Massachusetts, soon after being born.

Her father was working on a degree program at Boston College and had just taken a new job in a Boston department store.

As a youngster, Christa McAuliffe grew up excitedly watching the growth of space exploration.

She met her future husband, Steve McAuliffe, while attending high school.

Following high school, she enrolled in Framingham State College earning a degree in History.

Soon after, she and Steve were married and moved to Maryland so he could attend law school in Washington, D.C.

Over the next period of time, the couple had two children, and Christa earned a Master's degree in School Administration.

She worked as a teacher at the Bow Memorial School and then Concord High School.

Christa was a very respected teacher and community member and was encouraged to apply to become the first "Teacher in Space."

She competed against doctors, authors, and scholars and was chosen as she seemed best to represent an ordinary teacher.

Throughout her astronaut and NASA training period, Christa McAuliffe became an inspiration in the eyes of the public and the teaching profession.

Unfortunately, the Space Shuttle she and her fellow crew members were in exploded after only 73 seconds in flight.

Christa was to have given two teaching lessons while in flight dealing with the shuttle and outer space exploration.

Christa McAuliffe still inspires teachers and students such that a number of schools have been named after her.