TIM MAGUIRE

The United States became the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it dropped an atomic bomb on
the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people
were killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000
were injured. At least another 60,000 would be dead by the end
of the year from the effects of the fallout.

The United States became the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it dropped an atomic bomb on
the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people
were killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000
were injured. At least another 60,000 would be dead by the end
of the year from the effects of the fallout.

TIM MAGUIRE

On February 7, 1964, Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 from London
Heathrow landed at New York’s Kennedy Airport—and “Beatlemania”
arrives. It was the first visit to the United States by the Beatles, a
British rock-and-roll quartet that had just scored its first No. 1 U.S.
hit six days before with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” At Kennedy,
the “Fab Four”—dressed in mod suits and sporting their trademark
pudding bowl haircuts—were greeted by 3,000 screaming fans who
caused a near riot when the boys stepped off their plane and onto
American soil.

Country/Pop singer Troyal Garth Brooks is 58 years old today.

 
ED DONAHUE
    
    
    

Space Shuttle Columbia’s last Launch.     
     
 

The Columbia’s 28th space mission, designated STS-107, was originally
scheduled to launch on January 11, 2001, but was delayed numerous
times for a variety of reasons over nearly two years. Columbia finally
launched on January 16, 2003, with a crew of seven.

Eighty seconds into the launch, a piece of foam insulation broke off
from the shuttle’s propellant tank and hit the edge of the shuttle’s
left wing.

When Columbia re-entered the earth’s atmosphere on the morning of
February 1, 2003, the damage allowed hot atmospheric gases to
penetrate the heat shield and destroy the internal wing structure,
which caused the spacecraft to become unstable and break apart.

The first debris began falling to the ground in West Texas near Lubbock
at 8:58 a.m. One minute later, the last communication from the crew of
five men and two women was heard, and at 9 a.m. the space shuttle
disintegrated over northeast Texas, near Dallas.  
     
     
    

      
        
                      
     
    
   
       
 
Crewmember helmet found in a field after the space shuttle Columbia 
disaster.