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Katherine Johnson

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Katherine Johnson, a brilliant NASA mathematician, smiling proudly in 1966.

Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson was a very smart mathematician who helped America explore space. She loved numbers and solved hard math problems that helped astronauts fly safely.

She was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia in 1918. Even as a young girl, she loved math so much that she finished high school when she was only 14 years old! She went to college and learned even more about math and science.

Katherine worked at NASA for many years. She figured out the best paths for spacecraft to travel. Her math helped astronauts like John Glenn orbit the Earth and even go to the Moon. Her work made space travel possible and safer.

Katherine received many awards for her amazing work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. A movie called Hidden Figures told her story, showing how she inspired many people, especially girls, to love science and math.

Even though she passed away in 2020, Katherine Johnson is remembered as a hero who helped America reach the stars.

Images

Historical NASA document naming mathematician Katherine Johnson as a co-author.
Portrait of Katherine Johnson, the brilliant NASA mathematician who helped send astronauts into space.
Katherine Johnson, a pioneering NASA mathematician, receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her vital contributions to space exploration.
Katherine Johnson, a celebrated NASA mathematician, sitting in front of the research facility named in her honor.
A sign for Katherine Johnson Global Academy in Baltimore, Maryland.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden presents an award to Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who helped calculate trajectories for early space missions, at a special event celebrating her contributions to science.

Related articles

Mathematician
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
NASA
John Glenn
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Barack Obama

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Katherine Johnson, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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