1918 – 2020
Katherine Johnson
A NASA mathematician whose numbers helped astronauts fly safely to the Moon.
The Story
Little Katherine counted everything — steps, plates, stars.
She was so good at math she started high school at ten years old.
At NASA she worked out the paths rockets take through space.
Before John Glenn flew around Earth, he said, 'Get the girl to check the numbers.'
Her math also helped Apollo 11 land safely on the Moon.
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