Table of ContentsKatherine Johnson as a Young ChildAchievementsConclusionIn early 2017, a new blockbuster movie hit theaters across the country. Surpassing high-production films such as "Star Trek Beyond," "X-Men Apocalypse" and "La La Land," the film "Hidden Figures" follows the brilliant minds of three African-American women working at NASA. One of these women was Katherine Johnson. She was a viable asset to the country and an indispensable figure to America's success in the space race. Not only was she a prominent woman in the field of mathematics, but she was also one of the few successful African-Americans in the field at the time. Not only did she break all the barriers placed on her, but she also inspired and paved the way for future minorities who aspire to be part of STEM. Johnson's ability to shine as a star in a heavily male-dominated field earns her the title of greatest of all time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay As the youngest of four children, Katherine Johnson was born in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, on August 26, 1918. L he intelligent child excelled at everything she did and was undoubtedly destined for greatness. Ever since Johnson was young, she was fascinated by mathematics. She tried to count everything: the steps on the stairs, the dishes in the sink and the stars in the sky. She even followed her brother to primary school before being able to attend and listen to his lessons. Johnson started second grade when she was just four years old and finished eighth grade when she was ten. As a young child, Katherine Johnson's thirst for education only intensified as she grew, and her family fully supported her passions. Due to the climate of discrimination at the time, there were no public high schools for African Americans in his hometown. Each fall, Johnson's father would travel 120 miles to the town of Institute, West Virginia, allowing him to continue his education, only returning to White Sulfur Springs during the summer. The unwavering support of Johnson's family served as fuel for Johnson's mathematical career to take off. After graduating from high school, she attended West Virginia University, a historically black university. She eagerly sought out every math course offered to her and was mentored by teachers including Angie Turner King and WW Schieffelin Claytor (two major influences in the African American community). Top of her class, she graduated at the impressive age of eighteen with degrees in mathematics and French. She left her first teaching job when she married her first husband, James Francis Goble. Johnson then enrolled in a graduate program in mathematics, making her one of the first African Americans to attend graduate school. However, her participation in the program was short-lived, as she decided to quit after giving birth to her three children: Constance, Joylette and Katherine. Nevertheless, her ambition pushed her to write her name in the history books. In 1956, an inoperable brain tumor prematurely deprived Johnson of her beloved husband. A few years later, she remarried James A. Johnson, a United States army officer. However, grief did not stop her from reaching for the stars and fulfilling her destiny. It was in 1952 that Johnson first heard that NACA, the precursor to NASA, was researchingof brilliant minds capable of doing mathematics and calculating paths for space travel. Little did she know that this was the start of something extraordinary. Accomplishments Many of Johnson's accomplishments in space exploration contribute to our current knowledge of our universe. His dedication and perseverance in his career had the auspicious effect of contributing to America's growing presence in the technological age. At the Maneuver Loads Branch of NASA's Flight Research Division, Johnson analyzed flight test data and investigated the aircraft's crash due to wake turbulence. Her work and that of her team was greatly needed during the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957. She was part of the space task force as she had worked with many engineers within it. Before his most famous accomplishment, Johnson had performed trajectory analysis for the May 1961 mission, Freedom 7, America's first human spaceflight. Later, she was also credited for a report on the equations specifying the landing position of a spacecraft. This made her the first woman to be credited with a research report in the Flight Research Division. John Glenn's Friendship 7 mission, which would become the turning point in the space race, shows the true impact of Johnson's calculations. Because the mission was a very complicated test, the Friendship 7 mission operated computers. Its role was to control the trajectory of the capsule using orbital equations. However, computers were known to have power outages and make errors. So the astronauts didn't trust them. Before the flight, John Glenn himself specifically asked Johnson to calculate the numbers by hand to make sure the computer was not wrong. Only after confirming the computer's calculations was John Glenn "good to go." The fact that the astronauts trusted the calculations of Johnson – a mere human – rather than those of the machines only shows the brilliance of his mind. Ultimately, the mission ended in great success for the United States. The trust between Johnson and the spaceship group was rare and reflected not only the advancement of women in society, but also the fight for racial equality. During her time at NASA, Katherine Johnson received numerous awards and recognitions. She received the NASA Lunar Orbital Award and three NASA Special Achievement Awards. Johnson was also named Mathematician of the Year by the National Technician Association in 1997. Awards are not the only thing that represents his impact on our society. His speech at the graduation ceremony in New York was a powerful source of inspiration for budding mathematicians and aspiring scientists around the world. Johnson has also gained some recognition in recent years. In 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and in 2016, a NASA building was constructed in her honor. Additionally, Katherine Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Many biographies of her have been written and the film Hidden Figures, which includes her story and contributions to the study of space, was made in 2017. This film was a huge success and grossed $236 million in the United States. the ticket office. Johnson's dedication to his research and calculations gave him great expertise in space travel and advancements in the U.S. space program. Her achievements still inspire many today as a woman who pursued a career in a fielddominated by men. Looking back on her childhood, it's easy to see why Johnson was destined for success. She grew up in a loving home with a hard-working father, a caring mother, and supportive siblings. She most idolized her father, Joshua Coleman; she considered him the most handsome, tallest and most intelligent man on Earth. Although he only graduated from sixth grade, he had a natural gift and interest in mathematics. They would review long math problems in his one difficult textbook and his father would answer them. She thought the problems were so long and difficult, but her father was able to answer them quickly. She wanted to be like her father. Word problems showed her how math related to almost everything she saw. She wanted to “know what was happening and why…”. She also wanted to be as hardworking and determined as him. School was very important to his father and he did everything to ensure that his four children went to college. He went so far as to travel 120 miles from home to college each year with only a 120 mile payment each year. Although some considered him crazy, he was able to allow every child to go to college. Workplace segregation because everyone had a duty to perform. No one had time to discriminate against another race because they were trying to send a man into space and back to Earth, and yet she was still a woman in a male-dominated workplace. When she asked to attend the men-only meetings, they wouldn't allow her, but she said, "Well, is there a law?" They finally relented and she was able to listen to the discussions about what she was specifically looking for calculations for, including John Glenn's orbit around the Earth. When presented with computer calculations detailing his route, he asked, “What did the girl get?” If she agrees with the computer, then I will trust the computer. It was at this time that they began using computers for their calculations, so they were still dependent on “human computers”. She was even able to calculate a few more decimal places than the computer. She always tried her best to solve math problems because then she would have to do it twice and she never had to. It became clear that she was superior at complex mathematical calculations, as John Glenn insisted that she double-check the digital computer's results. calculations before takeoff. Johnson was an excellent employee because she always did her job diligently and without question. However, what truly makes Johnson the greatest of all time is not her raw intelligence and intellect, but her fight to receive the credit she truly deserves. Although quietly known for their exceptional mathematical prowess, her colleagues were far from eager to give her any credit for her work. In fact, no female NASA employee had ever had her name included in a report before 1960. Even while working in this hostile work environment in which she was almost constantly told she was not good enough, Johnson always understood her value to the country and insisted on being involved in issues that many considered simply none of her business. While working for NASA, Johnson and engineer Ted Skopinski laid the mathematical foundations for almost the entire first American space flight in 1961 and the orbital mission in 1962, finding the equations that determined how to launch , follow and maneuver.