Four thousand applied, one was chosen. Among the exceptional finalists was an ambitious 35-year-old naval officer and electrical engineer from Quebec, named Marc Garneau. Garneau topped the list of would-be astronauts, chosen today after a lengthy and rigorous selection process. This day marks the beginning of his life as a national celebrity, a space hero, and most importantly, the first Canadian to participate in a NASA mission. In ten months, Garneau will climb aboard the Challenger Shuttle and blast-off into space.

• Marc Garneau was born on Feb 23, 1949, in Quebec City, where he spent most of his childhood. He has one older brother and two younger brothers.
• He received a PhD in electrical engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London and then went to the Canadian navy, where he served ten years as a combat systems engineer.

Medium: Television
Program: The Journal
Broadcast Date: March 14, 1984
Hosts: Barbara Frum, Keith Morrison
Guest(s): Marc Garneau
Duration: 5:52