Katherine Johnson | NASA James died of an inoperable brain tumor in 1956[34] and, three years later, Katherine married James A. In honor of her incredible life, we're looking back at her astounding achievements with these ten extraordinary facts about Katherine Johnson. It follows Johnson and other female African-American mathematicians (Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan) who worked at NASA. You should make a good attempt to perform well in this test. In 1970, she worked on the Apollo 13 moon mission. [1] Johnson retired from NASA in 1986. [62], The film Hidden Figures, released in December 2016, was based on the non-fiction book of the same title by Margot Lee Shetterly, which was published earlier that year. The Hardworking and Fearless Katherine Johnson | MY HERO Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Johnson was a prodigy, to say the least. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. [40][6] Following her death, Jim Bridenstine, NASA's administrator, described her as "an American hero" and stated that "her pioneering legacy will never be forgotten. He also stated that he wouldnt fly until Johnson verified the math. 1. I knew it was there, but I didn't feel it."[24]. One of her mentors, famed Black mathematician Dr. William W. Schiefflin Claytor, even designed a course on the geometry of space especially for her. She later enrolled herself in West Virginia University and decided to pursue mathematics. [54] In August 2018, West Virginia State University established a STEM scholarship in honor of Johnson and erected a life-size statue of her on campus. IQ is an abbreviation for Intelligence Quotient. A Lesson in the Life and Death of NASA's Katherine Johnson | Time However, when Skopinski left for Houston while writing the report, Pearson had no choice but to accept Johnson as co-author. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Johnson, who attended the event, was conferred with the Silvery Snoopy Award (also known as the astronauts award) for her contributions towards NASAs success. (Mathematician and One of the First African-American Women to Work as a NASA Scientist) Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson is an American mathematician who is known for her contributions to the U.S. space program. Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) was well-known for her aeronautics work at NASA, where she developed calculations that helped the US launch its first astronaut into space in 1961 and safely land Apollo 11 on the moon in 1969, among other pioneering crewed space missions. (They eventually had three daughters.). 'Hidden Figures' Mathematician Katherine Johnson Dies : NPR She started high school when she was just 10 years old (most kids are in fourth or fifth grade when theyre 10!) Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. She also overcame racial and gender hurdles that helped make giant leaps for humankind. [59], On November 2, 2020, Fairfax County Public Schoolsthe largest school division in the Commonwealth of Virginia and 12th largest school division in the United States, and the City of Fairfax, Virginia, announced that the latter's school board had voted to rename its middle school, previously named after Confederate soldier, poet, and musician Sidney Lanier to Katherine Johnson Middle School (KJMS), after 85 percent of its residents voiced their support in favor. "[1], Science writer Maia Weinstock developed a prototype Lego for Women of NASA in 2016 and included Johnson; she declined to have her likeness printed on the final product. NACA disbanded the colored computing pool in 1958 when the agency was superseded by NASA, which adopted digital computers. She then went on to get her masters degree in math from Howard University. [56] In 2019, Johnson was announced as one of the members of the inaugural class of Government Executive's Government Hall of Fame. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. In particular, MA represents childrens performance in tasks that are typically solved by older children. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Answer: From the descriptions of Katherine Johnson in the movie Hidden Figures and in the book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly, she appears to be a gifted, professional mathematician willing to put in hard work, but not a genius. Without the contributions of Johnson and her fellow human computers, without their exceptional minds and willingness to fight for equal treatment, without their ability to swallow the small daily humiliations that came with being Black women in the 1950s, 60s, and beyond in order to work for the greater good of our country, our nation might look very different. The formal dedication took place on the 55th anniversary of Alan Shepards rocket launch, which Johnson of course helped to achieve. Former NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson is seen after President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. She was a member of Carver Memorial Presbyterian Church for 50 years, where she sang as part of the choir. Everybody was concerned about them getting there; we were concerned about them getting back, said Johnson. She worked with NASA and was responsible for calculating the trajectory for the space flight of Alan Shepard, the first American in space. You had a mission and you worked on it, and it was important to you to do your job and play bridge at lunch." [23] In keeping with the State of Virginia's racial segregation laws, and federal workplace segregation introduced under President Woodrow Wilson in the early 20thcentury, Johnson and the other African-American women in the computing pool were required to work, eat, and use restrooms that were separate from those of their white peers. She also worked on the development of the space shuttle program. Katherine Johnson: "La calculadora humana" - Mujeres con ciencia This award honored not only Johnson herself, but also all African American women who have overcome adversity and discrimination to make significant advancements in STEM fields.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'iqtestprep_com-leader-1','ezslot_7',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-iqtestprep_com-leader-1-0'); Overall, Katherine Johnsons high IQ score is a testament to her incredible intelligence and determination. There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on a persons definition of genius. [53] On May12, 2018, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the College of William & Mary. Katherine Johnson, a legendary NASA Mathematician: Biography and Key Facts Did Katherine Johnson Have Kids? Meet The Mathematician's Daughters Her passion for science hasnt waned and she continues to encourage her grandchildren and ex-students to pursue careers in science. While the racial and gender barriers were always there, Katherine ignored them. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Johnson, a pioneering mathematician who, along with a group of other brilliant black women, made US space travel possible, died this week. Not only that, but while she was at Langley Research Centers Flight Dynamics Branch she actually co-authored one of the very first academic texts about space. Katherine was further mentored by Professor William Claytor who created a special course for her in analytic geometrysomething that would serve her well in her future occupation. Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who was one of NASA's human "computers" and an unsung hero of the space agency's early days, died Monday.