Katherine Johnson

✶August 26, 1918

†February 24, 2020

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About their life

Creola Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician and human computer whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights. During her 33-year career at NASA and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computers to perform tasks previously requiring humans. The space agency noted her "historical role as one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist".

African-American mathematician

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Biography from the article Katherine Johnson on the English Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.