Annie Easley

Hello! My name is Annie Easley, and I was a scientist who loved numbers and solving puzzles. I was born in a city called Birmingham, in Alabama, on April 23rd, 1933. I had a wonderful mother who taught me something very important. She said that I could be anything I wanted to be if I worked hard. She helped me learn how to read, and she also taught me how to vote. Back then, it was a very brave and important thing for people like us to do, and my mom made sure I knew how.

When I grew up, I moved to a new city called Cleveland, in Ohio. One day in 1955, I was reading the newspaper and saw a story about a place called NACA. The story said they were looking for people who were really good at math. I thought, 'I'm good at math!' So, I applied for the job, and I got it! My first job title was a 'human computer.' Doesn't that sound funny? Before we had the machine computers we have today, people like me had to solve all the difficult math problems for the engineers. We did all the work with our brains, pencils, and paper. It was like being a math detective, finding the answers to tricky questions every single day.

After a few years, my workplace, NACA, changed its name and became NASA. That's the place that sends astronauts into space! It was a very exciting time. Soon, big electronic computers started to arrive, and I couldn't wait to learn how to use them. I studied and learned new computer languages so I could tell the computers what to do. I became a computer programmer. One of my most important jobs was helping to write the computer code for a super-powerful rocket called the Centaur. This rocket was special because it helped send satellites and probes far into space to explore other planets. Even while I was working my busy job, I also went to college. In 1977, I earned my degree in mathematics.

I worked at NASA for over 30 years, and I was proud to help with so many amazing projects that explored our universe. I lived to be 78 years old. I hope my story shows you that it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from. If you are curious, ask questions, and work hard, you can solve any problem you put your mind to. You can reach for the stars, too!