NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose calculations guided early American spaceflight, dies at age 101.
At a Glance
- Date
- 24 February 2020
- Location
- Newport News, Virginia
- Key people
- Katherine Johnson
- Category
- Science, Medicine & Invention
- Source
- NASA records (2020) · NASA
What It Meant Then
Her work was essential to the Mercury and Apollo missions in a segregated era.
What It Means Now
Johnson's story, told in 'Hidden Figures,' reshaped public memory of Black women in science.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Katherine Johnson Dies.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/katherine-johnson-dies/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Katherine Johnson Dies. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/katherine-johnson-dies/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Katherine Johnson Dies.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/katherine-johnson-dies/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.