Finally, tonight, we've been marking a milestone this week, the 50th anniversary of the PBS News Hour.

Before we go, we have a look back at our beginnings and at how the News Hour has evolved over five decades,

while remaining true to the principles that define this program from the start.

So I will say good night for now and hand things over to Stephanie Sy, who brings us the highlights

from the past 50 years.

Challenger, go at throttle up.

At 1139 a.m. Eastern Time, disaster struck America's manned space program.

A minute after launch, the space shuttle Challenger blew up.

Another day of infamy for the United States of America.

In covering the biggest stories of the last five decades,

PBS NewsHour has sought to bring depth, insight, and fairness.

Judy, there are protesters.

Protesters have now broken into the U.S. Capitol.

This continues to be a dangerous situation. Almost everyone is either evacuated or lost a home in this fire.

And around the world.

This is the impact site for one of those Iranian ballistic missiles.

And if you see the size of this crater, that's about 30 feet deep and maybe 50 feet wide.

Russia right now has you outmanned, outgunned, and they believe they can outlast you and Western attention.

Is it time to think about negotiating a settlement?

The news hours origins date back to 1973. when Robert McNeil and Jim Lair were paired to cover

more than 250 hours of the Watergate hearings for public television.

How high do the scandals reach and was President Nixon himself involved?

...