SANDY KOZEL

NASA announced the selection of America’s first seven astronauts
on this day in 1959.

The United States Postal Service announced that it is issuing a new commemorative stamp honoring the late President George H. W. Bush.

The stamp, which is now available for pre-order, will be available for
delivery following a first-day-of-issue ceremony, which will be held on
Bush’s birthday, June 12, at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library
and Museum (shown below). Bush died November 30, 2018 at the age
of 94.

 
Dennis Michael Richardson (July 30, 1949 – February 26, 2019)

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson has passed away
after a battle with cancer.

Oregon state officials say Richardson died at around 9 p.m. Tuesday at his
home surrounded by family and friends.

Richardson announced in June 2018 that he was receiving treatment for
brain cancer. He said he was diagnosed in May.

Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holley) (September 7, 1936-February 3, 1959)

CARLATA BRADLEY

On this day in 2003, NASA’s space shuttle Columbia exploded while
re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. All seven astronauts on board
were killed.

Helmet found in a field after the space shuttle Columbia disaster.

Memorial at the Columbia Debris Site.

During the Vietnam War on this day in 1968, South Vietnamese
National Police Chief Brig. Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan executed a
Viet Cong officer with a pistol shot to the head. The scene was
captured in a news photograph shown above.

Vietcong officer Nguyen Van Lem minutes prior to his execution.