Katherine Johnson: The Mathematician Who Reached for the Stars
Katherine Johnson was more than a mathematician ? she was a trailblazer who aided America in reaching space. Born in 1918 in West Virginia, her love for numbers shone early. She entered high school at 13 and graduated from West Virginia State College with top honors in mathematics at 18.
In 1953, she joined NASA’s predecessor, NACA, as one of the few Black women mathematicians. Her precise calculations guided the first U.S. human spaceflight and, later, astronaut John Glenn’s historic orbital mission in 1962. Glenn trusted her so much that he famously said, “If she says they’re good, then I’m ready to go.”
Johnson went on to contribute to the Apollo missions and the Space Shuttle program. Her curiosity and assertiveness broke racial and gender barriers, inspiring generations of scientists.
In 2015, then-President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Johnson passed away in 2020 at age 101, leaving behind a legacy written in both numbers and history.
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1. Who trusted Katherine's calculations before his spaceflight?
2. What year did John Glenn’s mission take place?
3. What major U.S. space programs did Johnson contribute to?
4. What award did President Obama give her in 2015?
1. Would you like to work at NASA like Katherine Johnson did?
2. How would you feel if your math helped send astronauts to space?
3. What do you admire most about Katherine Johnson’s life and work?
4. Have you ever felt inspired by someone who broke barriers like she did?
Katherine Johnson was more than a mathematician ? she was a trailblazer who aided America in reaching space. Born in 1918 in West Virginia, her love for numbers shone early. She entered high school at 13 and graduated from West Virginia State College with top honors in mathematics at 18.
