ASTRONAUT
Christa McAuliffe
1948 - 1986

Christa McAuliffe
Sharon Christa McAuliffe (née Corrigan; September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher and astronaut from Concord, New Hampshire, who died on the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, where she was serving as a payload specialist. McAuliffe received her bachelor's degree in education and history from Framingham State College in 1970 and her master's degree in education, supervision and administration from Bowie State University in 1978. McAuliffe took a teaching position as a social studies teacher at Concord High School in New Hampshire in 1983. In 1985, McAuliffe was selected from more than 11,000 applicants to NASA's Teacher in Space Project and was scheduled to become the first teacher to fly in space. Read more on Wikipedia
Her biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Christa McAuliffe is the 62nd most popular astronaut (up from 63rd in 2019), the 2,996th most popular biography from United States (down from 2,937th in 2019) and the 41st most popular American Astronaut.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Christa McAuliffe by language
Among ASTRONAUTS
Among astronauts, Christa McAuliffe ranks 62 out of 556. Before her are Gordon Cooper, Ellison Onizuka, Wally Schirra, Fred Haise, Viktor Patsayev, and Michael P. Anderson. After her are Jean-Loup Chrétien, Sunita Williams, Bruce McCandless II, Claude Nicollier, Toyohiro Akiyama, and Barry E. Wilmore.
Most Popular Astronauts in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsGordon Cooper
1927 - 2004
HPI: 63.55
Rank: 56
Ellison Onizuka
1946 - 1986
HPI: 63.53
Rank: 57
Wally Schirra
1923 - 2007
HPI: 63.42
Rank: 58
Fred Haise
1933 - Present
HPI: 63.41
Rank: 59
Viktor Patsayev
1933 - 1971
HPI: 63.39
Rank: 60
Michael P. Anderson
1959 - 2003
HPI: 63.18
Rank: 61
Christa McAuliffe
1948 - 1986
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 62
Jean-Loup Chrétien
1938 - Present
HPI: 63.04
Rank: 63
Sunita Williams
1965 - Present
HPI: 63.01
Rank: 64
Bruce McCandless II
1937 - 2017
HPI: 62.88
Rank: 65
Claude Nicollier
1944 - Present
HPI: 62.88
Rank: 66
Toyohiro Akiyama
1942 - Present
HPI: 62.85
Rank: 67
Barry E. Wilmore
1962 - Present
HPI: 62.74
Rank: 68
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1948, Christa McAuliffe ranks 181. Before her are Jürgen Sparwasser, Kemal Monteno, Oliver Hart, John Noble, Jan Hammer, and Marcia Barrett. After her are T Bone Burnett, Kate Jackson, Ruud Geels, Shaul Mofaz, Friedrich Koncilia, and Dušan Bajević. Among people deceased in 1986, Christa McAuliffe ranks 86. Before her are André Leroi-Gourhan, Pierre Fournier, Elsa Lanchester, Arthur Grumiaux, Robert Stevenson, and Henri Toivonen. After her are Bernard Malamud, Christopher Isherwood, Alexandre Tansman, Ernst Neufert, Mart Stam, and Princess Yolanda of Savoy.
Others Born in 1948
Go to all RankingsJürgen Sparwasser
SOCCER PLAYER
1948 - Present
HPI: 63.25
Rank: 175
Kemal Monteno
SINGER
1948 - 2015
HPI: 63.24
Rank: 176
Oliver Hart
ECONOMIST
1948 - Present
HPI: 63.14
Rank: 177
John Noble
ACTOR
1948 - Present
HPI: 63.12
Rank: 178
Jan Hammer
MUSICIAN
1948 - Present
HPI: 63.10
Rank: 179
Marcia Barrett
SINGER
1948 - Present
HPI: 63.09
Rank: 180
Christa McAuliffe
ASTRONAUT
1948 - 1986
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 181
T Bone Burnett
MUSICIAN
1948 - Present
HPI: 63.01
Rank: 182
Kate Jackson
ACTOR
1948 - Present
HPI: 62.94
Rank: 183
Ruud Geels
SOCCER PLAYER
1948 - 2023
HPI: 62.93
Rank: 184
Shaul Mofaz
POLITICIAN
1948 - Present
HPI: 62.87
Rank: 185
Friedrich Koncilia
SOCCER PLAYER
1948 - Present
HPI: 62.83
Rank: 186
Dušan Bajević
COACH
1948 - Present
HPI: 62.80
Rank: 187
Others Deceased in 1986
Go to all RankingsAndré Leroi-Gourhan
ARCHAEOLOGIST
1911 - 1986
HPI: 63.45
Rank: 80
Pierre Fournier
POLITICIAN
1906 - 1986
HPI: 63.42
Rank: 81
Elsa Lanchester
ACTOR
1902 - 1986
HPI: 63.30
Rank: 82
Arthur Grumiaux
MUSICIAN
1921 - 1986
HPI: 63.19
Rank: 83
Robert Stevenson
FILM DIRECTOR
1905 - 1986
HPI: 63.15
Rank: 84
Henri Toivonen
RACING DRIVER
1956 - 1986
HPI: 63.13
Rank: 85
Christa McAuliffe
ASTRONAUT
1948 - 1986
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 86
Bernard Malamud
WRITER
1914 - 1986
HPI: 63.03
Rank: 87
Christopher Isherwood
WRITER
1904 - 1986
HPI: 62.99
Rank: 88
Alexandre Tansman
COMPOSER
1897 - 1986
HPI: 62.98
Rank: 89
Ernst Neufert
ARCHITECT
1900 - 1986
HPI: 62.93
Rank: 90
Mart Stam
ARCHITECT
1899 - 1986
HPI: 62.93
Rank: 91
Princess Yolanda of Savoy
POLITICIAN
1901 - 1986
HPI: 62.72
Rank: 92
In United States
Among people born in United States, Christa McAuliffe ranks 2,996 out of 20,380. Before her are James Baker (1930), Michael C. Hall (1971), David Patterson (1947), Leon Ames (1902), Lew Wallace (1827), and Thomas F. Wilson (1959). After her are Anne Heche (1969), Michelle Trachtenberg (1985), Phillip Allen Sharp (1944), Henry Calvin (1918), Thomas E. Kurtz (1928), and Matt LeBlanc (1967).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsJames Baker
POLITICIAN
1930 - Present
HPI: 63.07
Rank: 2,990
Michael C. Hall
ACTOR
1971 - Present
HPI: 63.07
Rank: 2,991
David Patterson
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1947 - Present
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 2,992
Leon Ames
ACTOR
1902 - 1993
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 2,993
Lew Wallace
POLITICIAN
1827 - 1905
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 2,994
Thomas F. Wilson
ACTOR
1959 - Present
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 2,995
Christa McAuliffe
ASTRONAUT
1948 - 1986
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 2,996
Anne Heche
ACTOR
1969 - 2022
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 2,997
Michelle Trachtenberg
ACTOR
1985 - 2025
HPI: 63.05
Rank: 2,998
Phillip Allen Sharp
BIOLOGIST
1944 - Present
HPI: 63.05
Rank: 2,999
Henry Calvin
ACTOR
1918 - 1975
HPI: 63.05
Rank: 3,000
Thomas E. Kurtz
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1928 - 2024
HPI: 63.05
Rank: 3,001
Matt LeBlanc
ACTOR
1967 - Present
HPI: 63.05
Rank: 3,002
Among ASTRONAUTS In United States
Among astronauts born in United States, Christa McAuliffe ranks 41. Before her are Frank Borman (1928), Gordon Cooper (1927), Ellison Onizuka (1946), Wally Schirra (1923), Fred Haise (1933), and Michael P. Anderson (1959). After her are Sunita Williams (1965), Bruce McCandless II (1937), Barry E. Wilmore (1962), Judith Resnik (1949), Sally Ride (1951), and Ken Mattingly (1936).
Frank Borman
1928 - 2023
HPI: 64.03
Rank: 35
Gordon Cooper
1927 - 2004
HPI: 63.55
Rank: 36
Ellison Onizuka
1946 - 1986
HPI: 63.53
Rank: 37
Wally Schirra
1923 - 2007
HPI: 63.42
Rank: 38
Fred Haise
1933 - Present
HPI: 63.41
Rank: 39
Michael P. Anderson
1959 - 2003
HPI: 63.18
Rank: 40
Christa McAuliffe
1948 - 1986
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 41
Sunita Williams
1965 - Present
HPI: 63.01
Rank: 42
Bruce McCandless II
1937 - 2017
HPI: 62.88
Rank: 43
Barry E. Wilmore
1962 - Present
HPI: 62.74
Rank: 44
Judith Resnik
1949 - 1986
HPI: 62.59
Rank: 45
Sally Ride
1951 - 2012
HPI: 62.52
Rank: 46
Ken Mattingly
1936 - 2023
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 47