Origins & Early Life

Mae Carol Jemison (born October 17, 1956) is an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut. She became the first African-American woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992. Jemison joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1987 and was selected for the STS-47 mission, during which the Endeavour orbited the Earth for nearly eight days on September 12–20, 1992. Born in Alabama and raised in Chicago, Jemison graduated from Stanford University with degrees in chemical engineering and African and African-American studies.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

She then earned her medical degree from Cornell University. Jemison served as a doctor for the Peace Corps in Liberia and Sierra Leone from 1983 until 1985 and worked as a general practitioner. In pursuit of becoming an astronaut, she applied to NASA. Jemison left NASA in 1993 and founded a technology research company. She later formed a non-profit educational foundation and, through the foundation, is the principal of the 100 Year Starship project funded by DARPA.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Jemison has also written several books for children and appeared on television, including in a 1993 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. A. Milne — Contemporary (Died in 1956) (1956): Celebrated English author, famed for Winnie-the-Pooh and children's literature.
• Alan Davis — Contemporary (Born in 1956) (1956): English comic book writer and artist known for Captain Britain and X-Men work.
• Alan Eustace — Contemporary (Born in 1956) (1956): Pioneering computer scientist known for his work at Google and record-breaking space dive.
• Adam Michnik — Shared historical date (10-17 · Born) (1946): Prominent Polish intellectual, dissident, and journalist advocating for democracy.
• Al-Suyuti — Shared historical date (10-17 · Died) (1505): Egyptian Sunni polymath, renowned for authorship across nearly all Islamic sciences.
• Alfred Kinsey — Historical peer (Died in 1956) (1956): Pioneering sexologist whose research fundamentally shaped modern understanding of human sexuality.
• B. R. Ambedkar — Historical peer (Died in 1956) (1956): Pioneering jurist, economist, and social reformer who shaped modern India.
• 21 Savage — Historical peer (Born in 1992) (1992): Atlanta-based rapper known for his distinctive style and career evolution.
• 6lack — Historical peer (Born in 1992) (1992): American R&B singer, songwriter, and rapper known professionally as 6lack.
• Aaron Carter — Historical peer (Born in 1987) (1987): American singer and rapper known for teen pop stardom and enduring musical career.
• 1956 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1956
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