Roger Boisjoly, American aerodynamicist and engineer (b. 1938)
Roger Mark Boisjoly ( BOH-zhə-LAY,; April 25, 1938 – January 6, 2012) was an American mechanical engineer, fluid dynamicist, and an aerodynamicist. He is best known for having raised strenuous objections to the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger months before the loss of the spacecraft and its crew in January 1986. Boisjoly correctly predicted, based on earlier flight data, that the O-rings on the rocket boosters would fail if the shuttle launched in cold weather. Morton Thiokol's managers decided to launch the shuttle despite his warnings. He was considered a high-profile whistleblower.
2012Jan, 6
Roger Boisjoly
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Events on 2012
- 13Jan
Costa Concordia disaster
The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks off the coast of Italy due to the captain's negligence and irresponsibility. There are 32 confirmed deaths. - 2Jun
2011 Egyptian revolution
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. - 19Jun
Julian Assange
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requested asylum in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army. - 11Sep
2012 Benghazi attack
The U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya is attacked, resulting in four deaths. - 23Oct
Digital switchover
After 38 years, the world's first teletext service (BBC's Ceefax) ceases broadcast due to Northern Ireland completing the digital switchover.