Mathematician. Leader. Heroine. Remembering Hidden Figure Katherine Johnson
Tonight, count the stars and remember a trailblazer.Ā
Weāre saddened by the passing of celebrated #HiddenFigures mathematician Katherine Johnson. She passed away at 101 years old.Ā
An America hero, Johnsonās legacy of excellence broke down racial and social barriers while helping get our space agency off the ground.
Once a āhuman computerā, she famously calculated the flight trajectory for Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
And when we began to use electronic computers for calculations, astronaut John Glenn said that heād trust the computers only after Johnson personally checked the math.
As a girl, Katherine Johnson counted everything. As a mathematician, her calculations proved critical to our early successes in space travel.
With slide rules and pencils, Katherine Johnsonās brilliant mind helped launch our nation into space. No longer a Hidden Figure, her bravery and commitment to excellence leaves an eternal legacy for us all.
āWe will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and will go away, but there will always be science, engineering and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics.ā - Katherine Johnson 1918 -2020Ā
May she rest in peace, and may her powerful legacy inspire generations to come!Ā What does Katherine Johnsonās legacy mean to you? Share in the comments.Ā
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