Astronauts James A. Lovell, John L. Swigert, and Fred W. Haise took off from Cape Canaveral on this day.

Three days into the mission, however, an oxygen tank exploded and the mission had to be aborted.

The crew moved into the Landing Module and reorganised their mission in an attempt to make it back home.

After a very tense period they successfully returned, parachuting into the Pacific Ocean on April 17.

[Spoof movie review of Apollo 13]