Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson was a brilliant mathematician. She was born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. She was very smart and loved math.

Katherine went to college at a very young age. She studied mathematics. She worked very hard and got excellent grades. After college, she worked for NASA, the agency that sends people to space.

At NASA, Katherine did important calculations. She helped send astronauts to space. Her math made sure they were safe. She was known as a "human computer" because she was very good at solving difficult problems.

Katherine Johnson is famous for working on the Apollo Moon missions. She also helped with the Space Shuttle program. In 2015, she got the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is a big honor.

Katherine Johnson lived to be 101 years old. Her work changed space travel forever. She is remembered as a pioneer for women and African Americans in science.