Katherine Johnson: Quick Facts

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Also Known As	Katherine Goble • Katherine Coleman
Born	August 26, 1918 • White Sulphur Springs • West Virginia
Died	February 24, 2020 (aged 101) • Newport News • Virginia
Awards And Honors	Presidential Medal of Freedom (2015)
Role In	Apollo 11

Johnson was initially trained by NASA to analyze plane crashes, collecting data from black boxes (flight recorders).
Johnson was academically precocious, beginning high school at the age of 10.
Johnson's knowledge of mathematics was instrumental in the return of the Apollo astronauts from the Moon to Earth.
Johnson was a member of a group of NASA employees called "computers," made up of African American women who excelled in mathematics and problem-solving.