About William C. McCool
William Cameron "Willie" McCool (né Graham; September 23, 1961 – February 1, 2003) was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut, who was the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. He and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed when Columbia disintegrated during reentry into the atmosphere. McCool was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. == Early life and education == McCool was born on September 23, 1961, in San Diego, California. His parents divorced when McCool was young, and in 1969, his mother married Barent McCool, a Naval aviator. McCool was active in the Boy Scouts of America, where he became an Eagle Scout. McCool attended John F. Kennedy High School in Tamuning, Guam from 1967 to 1977. His family relocated to Lubbock, Texas, where he graduated from Coronado High School in 1979. McCool then enrolled at the United States Naval Academy, where he served as team captain of the U.S. Naval Academy Cross Country team his senior year. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Science in 1983, graduating second of 1,083 in his class.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.