Creola Katherine Johnson, (White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, August 26, 1918-Newport News, Virginia, February 24, 2020).
She was an American physicist, rocket scientist, and mathematician who contributed to the United States aeronautics and space programs.
Her calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were fundamental to the success of the first and subsequent manned space flights in her country. During his 35-year career at NASA and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), he earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and contributed to the pioneering use of computers to perform tasks.
The space agency highlighted her "histor...