Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger Address to the Nation, January 28, 1986

1. Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger Address to the Nation, January 28, 1986 Hannah Foust K. Saunders

2. Background • Born February 6, 1911 • From Tampico, Illinois • Graduated from Eureka College in 1932 • Went to California to cover a sports event, was then asked to be a radio announcer • Appeared in over 50 films • Married Jane Wyman in January 1940, had two children • Drafted into WWII in December of 1941 • Married Nancy Davis on March 4, 1952

3. Jane Wyman Nancy Davis

4. Switched to the Republican party in 1962 • Successfully ran for governor of California for two consecutive terms • Became president in 1981all the way to 1989 • Two months after taking office, Reagan was shot on March 30thby John Hinckley, Jr. The bullet barely missed Reagan’s heart • Reagan died on November 5, 1994 due to Alzheimer’s

5. Speaker • Ronald Reagan

6. Occasion • After the explosion of The Challenger on January 28, 1986 killing seven passengers aboard

7. Audience • The nation • The seven families • “We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.”

8. Purpose • Reagan wanted to commemorate the brave men and women who lost their lives. • “…the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly.”

9. Subject • Explosion of the Challenger • Reagan discusses further exploration of outer space • “We’ve grown used to the idea of space and perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers.”

10. Tone • Sorrow • Mourning • Tragedy • “We mourn their loss as a nation together.”

11. Ethos • “For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy.” • He admits he cannot comprehend what the families must be going through. • Reagan appears trustworthy and sincere

12. Pathos • “Your loved ones were daring and brave and they had that special grace, that special spirit that say, “Give me a challenge and I’ll meet it with joy.” • He talks about the men and women as if he knows them on a personal level.

13. Logos • “…Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans and an historian later said, “He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried on it.” Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: their dedication was like Drake’s, complete.” • Reagan says the seven who died in the explosion died doing what they loved and what they had trained to do for years.