The late Katherine Johnson is a great name that has continued to be remembered for her great contributions to early and subsequent US spaceflights. The mathematician mastered complex manual calculations that helped pioneer the use of computers to perform tasks.
Johnson had a career that spanned 33 years as an employee at NASA which shaped the success of spaceflights. Despite the early segregation which undermined black Americans, Johnson’s parents worked hard to ensure that she was educated.
Katherine Johnson was first married to James Francis Goble in 1939. The duo welcomed three daughters and Goble died in 1956. Goble became famous because of his relationship with Katherine Johnson.
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Who Was James Francis Goble?
James Francis Goble was born on March 29, 1913, in Virginia, USA. James grew up in Virginia where he met his future wife, Katherine Johnson. Both were students at the West Virginia State College, but it remains unknown when they started dating.
James Goble and Katherine exchanged vows in 1939. They went on to welcome three daughters Constance, Katherine, and Joylette. The family relocated to Newport News, Virginia in 1952. Sadly, Jimmy died in 1956 due to a brain tumor that he had been fighting. He died at the age of 43 years.
Who Was Katherine Johnson?
Katherine Johnson was a famous African American mathematician who brought great changes to NASA. Katherine was born in 1918 in West Virginia, where she grew up. She began her education in her home city, until eighth grade. Considering that colored people’s schooling ended at eighth grade, her family transferred her to West Virginia State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in French and Mathematics.
Katherine began a career as a teacher in West Virginia. After she married and had children, she changed to a research mathematician at NACA which was later NASA. Johnson’s skills enabled her to find solutions to America’s spaceflight navigation problems.
Johnson’s mathematics calculation skills enabled her to handle complex calculations, which facilitated the landing of Alan Shepherd as the first American in space. Additionally, after the computers began doing calculations, Johnson was tasked with verifying the related calculations for John Glenn to Orbit the Earth in 1962.
Johnson’s career at NASA was not easy but her skills and dedication enabled NASA to achieve great things. Her calculations enabled the workings of computers, which is why she received numerous awards and honors for her efforts.
The mathematician was awarded by President Barrack Obama the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was also given the Silver Snoopy Award by NASA astronaut Leland Melvin in 2016. In 2021, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Personal Life and Death of Katherine Johnson
Katherine was first married to James Francis Goble. After Goble died in 1956, Katherine married James A. Johnson, a United States Army officer. The pair remained married until Johnson died in March 2019 at the age of 93. Katherine died in her Newport News home on February 24, 2020. She died at the age of 101.
