Katherine Johnson (2nd ed.)

If mathematics is the backbone of science, Katherine Johnson's spine is among the strongest. An African-American woman born in 1918 in West Virginia, Johnson overcame many obstacles and setbacks before procuring a job at an organization that would later be renamed NASA. Her skills as a mathematician made it possible for America's astronauts to soar to the heavens, orbit the Earth, and fly to the moon and back. Read about the life, struggles, and accomplishments of one of astronautics'