Katherine Johnson, born August 26, 1918, was an American mathematician whose work at NASA was critical to the many United States spaceflights. Katherine mastered complex calculations to help find the perfect trajectories to have NASA astronauts enter space and return safely. Katherine verified the calculations that would send John Glenn into space to orbit around Earth in 1962. Along with a number of women of color, she maneuvered a work environment that was still segregated and left a lasting legacy that influenced the calculations of space programs for years to come. In 2016 after the publication of the novel by Margot Lee Shetterly, ‘Hidden Figures’ was adapted to the screen with Taraji P. Henson playing Katherine. The film went on to earn three Oscar nominations, including Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Katherine sadly passed away on Feb. 24, 2020. To see more pictures of Katherine Johnson, click through the gallery!
