For millions, it was an event that would be seared into their memories for the rest of their lives – on par with the Kennedy assassination and 9/11.

The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger 39 years ago today will forever be part of UB history, as will the story behind the white flag with gold fringe and blue UB seal tucked away inside ...

(AP photo/Steve Helber) The American flag in the press site at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., flies at half-mast, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 1986, following the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.

Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this story misstated the date of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. It occurred Feb. 1, 2003. For millions of Americans, it was an event that ...