Katherine Johnson

Every entry, with its source

At 0

1. Aug 26, 1918

   Born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia

   Youngest of four. She counted everything as a child: steps, dishes, stars.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 9

1. c. 1928

   Started high school at 10

   Her county offered no schooling for Black children past eighth grade, so the family moved for the school year.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 18

1. c. 1937

   Graduated summa cum laude in maths and French at 18

   A professor had created advanced courses just for her.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 20

1. c. 1939

   Among the first Black students at West Virginia University

   She left the graduate programme after a term when she became pregnant, and taught school instead.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 34

1. Jun 1953

   Hired as a human computer at NACA's Langley lab, at 34

   She joined the segregated West Area Computing unit, then was moved to the flight research division within weeks.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 38

1. Dec 1956

   Widowed at 38 with three daughters

   Her husband James Goble died of a brain tumour. She remarried in 1959.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 42

1. Sep 1960

   First woman in her division credited as a report author

   A paper on placing a satellite over a chosen spot on Earth.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org
2. May 5, 1961

   Calculated the path of America's first human spaceflight

   Alan Shepard's 15-minute Freedom 7 hop.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 43

1. Feb 20, 1962

   John Glenn asked her to check the computer's numbers by hand

   He would not fly the first US orbital mission until she confirmed them. She was 43.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 50

1. Jul 1969

   Helped calculate the path for the Apollo 11 Moon landing

   She was 50. She later worked on the Apollo 13 return and the Space Shuttle.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 67

1. c. 1986

   Retired from NASA after 33 years

   She spent the following decades encouraging students to study maths and science.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 97

1. Nov 24, 2015

   Presidential Medal of Freedom at 97

   Presented by Barack Obama.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 98

1. Dec 2016

   Portrayed in the film Hidden Figures at 98

   She appeared on stage at the Oscars the following February to a standing ovation.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 101

1. Feb 24, 2020

   Died in Newport News, Virginia, at 101

   Source: en.wikipedia.org