Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson was a brilliant American mathematician. She was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, in 1918. She worked at NASA and calculated flight paths for space missions. Her math helped put the first Americans in space and on the Moon.

Early Life

Johnson loved counting from a very young age. She counted everything, from steps to dishes. She was so smart she skipped several grades. She started college at just 15 years old.

NASA math whiz Katherine Johnson at her desk in 1966.
NASA math whiz Katherine Johnson at her desk in 1966. (Adam Cuerden / Wikimedia Commons)

Big Achievements

Johnson worked at NASA as a human computer, solving math problems. She calculated the path for Alan Shepard's first trip to space. Astronaut John Glenn refused to fly until Johnson checked the computer's math. Her story was told in the movie Hidden Figures.

Fun Facts

  • Johnson was one of three Black students chosen to integrate West Virginia's graduate schools.
  • Astronaut John Glenn personally asked for her to check the numbers before his mission.
  • She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.

Did You Know?

NASA named a building after Katherine Johnson in 2017. She was 99 years old when she attended the naming ceremony. She lived to be 101 years old.