Today’s Jewish Birthday: Ilan Ramon

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Ilan Ramon, 2001 (Photo: Wikipedia)

Ilan Ramon (June 20, 1954 – February 1, 2003) was an Israeli fighter pilot and later the first Israeli astronaut. He served as a Space Shuttle payload specialist on STS-107, the fatal mission of Columbia, in which he and the six other crew members were killed when the spacecraft disintegrated during re-entry. At 48, Ramon was the oldest member of the crew. He is the only foreign recipient of the United States Congressional Space Medal of Honor, which was awarded posthumously.

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Tomorrow, June 21: Judy Holliday