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Katherine Johnson, famed African-American human computer who broke social and racial barriers and was highlighted in the book and movie, Hidden Figures, on Sunday marked her 100th birthday anniversary.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Katherine, born in 1918, was the youngest of four children and showed a talent for mathematics and calculations at an early age.
She did trajectory analysis for Alan Shepard’s May 1961 mission Freedom 7, America’s first human spaceflight.
At a time when digital computers were relatively new and untested, she famously checked the computer’s math for John Glenn’s historic first orbital spaceflight by an American in February of 1962.
Those are just some bullet points in a brilliant career of Katherine that stretched from 1953 to 1986.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) joined in the 100th birthday celebrations of African-American human computer.
“Wishing a #happybirthday to Katherine G Johnson on her 100th birthday today,” NASA’s official history office wrote in a tweet.
“She worked at @NASA_Langley as a human computer starting in 1953. Her calculations were critical to our early human spaceflight programme (you’ve probably seen that in the movies),” NASA further stated.
On Saturday, a day before her 100th birthday, Katherine attended a ceremony at West Virginia State University, where a new statue of her was unveiled and a scholarship in her name announced.
Ahead of her birthday, she attributed her longevity to good luck, and keeping share by playing bridge and board games.
“I’m just lucky – the Lord likes me. And I like him,” she told the Daily Press newspaper.