The Mysteries of History (January 28 Edition)
We Are The World, Space Shuttle Explosion
1985 — We Are The World Recorded
public domain image from wikimedia commons
Forty years ago today (in 1985), prominent and popular artists from across the musical spectrum came together to record the song We Are the World (written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie) in support of those suffering from famine in Africa. The idea was Harry Belafonte’s. He enlisted the help of Quincy Jones, who then orchestrated (no pun intended) the collaboration, instructing the big names invited to “check their ego at the door.”
The single We Are the World raised $60 million. In alphabetical order by surname, just some of those who participated included, in addition to those already mentioned: Kim Carnes, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Sheila E., Daryl Hall, James Ingram, Al Jarreau, Billy Joel, bassist extraordinaire Louis Johnson, Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis, Kenny Loggins, Willie Nelson, Steve Perry, The Pointer Sisters, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick and, last but not least, Stevie Wonder.
The musicians started recording at 10 pm, right after the American Music Awards ceremony nearby.
Questions: Whose was the first voice heard on the recording? When was the last time you heard the song (if ever)? How many people had died from the famine in Africa at the time the decision was made to record the song, and how many ultimately? How many lives were estimated to have been saved by the money donated as a result of sales from the song?1986 — Challenger Explodes
public domain image from wikimedia commons
On this date in 1986, barely more than a minute after liftoff, the Space Shuttle Challenger suddenly exploded, immediately killing all of those aboard. One of these was Christa McAuliffe (second from the left in the back row in the photo above), a schoolteacher who was the first non-astronaut to be part of such a mission.
Questions: What caused the Challenger to explode? Have there been any other Space Shuttle disasters? What has been done to prevent similar disasters from occurring in the future? How much money is spent on sending people into Space? What is the reason behind these extraterrestrial forays? How has mankind benefited from them? How many people (worldwide) have died in space exploration tragedies? Who was the first, and who was the most recent?
