The film, set at NASA Langley Research Center in 1961, depicts segregated facilities such as the West Area Computing unit, where an all-Black group of female mathematicians were originally required to use separate dining and bathroom facilities
What decade did the events of Hidden Figures take place?
Revealing the inspirational untold story of female African-American mathematicians working at NASA during the 1960s, the film Hidden Figures is based on a book by Margot Lee Shetterly
When and where does Hidden Figures take place?
Approximately one year (early 1961 to early 1962) – what is the height of the American-Soviet space race – in the life of three female friends who worked in the female African-American computing section of NASA at Langley, is presented
What is the setting of Hidden Figures?
Hidden Figures tells the story of Black women who work at Langley Aeronautical Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia, starting in the early 1940s These women play an integral role in the development of American aviation and space technology
Are Hidden Figures historically accurate?
The screenplay takes some artistic liberties Although the overall arc of the space-race plot of “Hidden Figures” is pretty accurate, several liberties were taken
How many years were Katherine and Jim married?
Personal life and death James died of an inoperable brain tumor in 1956 and, three years later, Katherine married James A “Jim” Johnson, a United States Army officer and veteran of the Korean War; the pair were married for 60 years until his death in March 2019 at the age of 93
Is Paul Stafford a real person?
Paul Stafford, portrayed by Jim Parsons Paul Stafford is a fictional character representing a number of white engineers at NASA for whom Katherine Johnson worked A statistician and theorist, Stafford has no interest in giving up his white male privileges
When did John Glenn take off?
If the Americans wanted to dispel this notion, they needed a multi-orbital flight before another Soviet space advance arrived It was with this responsibility in mind that John Glenn lifted off from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral at 9:47 am on February 20, 1962
Did John Glenn ask for Katherine Goble?
Did John Glenn really ask for Katherine Goble? Unlike the movie, Glenn didn’t expound on the request by adding Katherine’s name — whether because he didn’t know it, didn’t remember it, or didn’t need to — but it was obvious to everyone who he meant Writes Margot Lee Shetterly, Katherine Goble Johnson
When did NASA desegregate?
Integration came to the nation’s space agency in the mid-1960s On May 13, 1961, in its first issue after Alan Shepard’s historic Mercury mission, the nation’s leading black newspaper, the New York Amsterdam News, ran a front-page column that asked a question on the minds of millions of Americans
Is Katherine a Russian spy?
Katherine is a Russian spy
What is Mary Jackson’s full name?
Mary Jackson, née Mary Winston, (born April 9, 1921, Hampton, Virginia, US—died February 11, 2005, Hampton), American mathematician and aerospace engineer who in 1958 became the first African American female engineer to work at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
What happened to Katherine’s husband in hidden figures?
At the end of the first session, however, she decided to leave school to start a family with her first husband, James Goble As she was wrapping up this work her husband died of cancer in December 1956 The 1957 launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik changed history—and Johnson’s life
What race is Katherine Johnson?
Johnson, of course, was only one of a host of great mathematical minds who made NASA’s early history such a success, but it was both her race and gender—she was an African-American woman, working in a white, male field—that helped make her tale both compelling and best-selling
Was Mary Jackson really NASA’s first African American female engineer?
Never one to flinch in the face of a challenge, Mary completed the courses, earned the promotion, and in 1958 became NASA’s first black female engineer That same year, she co-authored her first report, Effects of Nose Angle and Mach Number on Transition on Cones at Supersonic Speeds
Did John Glenn ever meet Katherine Johnson?
In an interview with WHROTV, Katherine Johnson said, “the computers” met the astronauts, but she further stated, “They weren’t excited as we were” Glenn, obviously, knew her or at least what she could do, because he asked for “the girl” to confirm his trajectory to make sure it aligned with the automated calculations
How many children does Mary have hidden?
Jackson was married on November 18, 1944 to Levi Jackson, Sr, a sailor in the US Navy, and had two children, Levi Jackson, Jr and Carolyn Marie Lewis She died on February 11, 2005, age 83
Was John Glenn’s orbit of the Earth successful?
Glenn successfully reentered the Earth’s atmosphere and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean His successful recovery took place 800 miles (1,300 km) southeast of Bermuda Glenn returned to space at age 77 aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1998, making him the oldest person to fly in space
What does IBM stand for in hidden figures?
What does IBM stand for in hidden figures? 7090 Data Processing System
Did NASA really desegregate bathrooms?
“Desegregation of bathroom and dining facilities happened gradually and quietly over the 1950s at Langley lab,” explains Barry Langley lab was a federal facility but was located in Virginia, which had state-mandated segregation
Who does Mary have to convince to let her enroll?
The all-‐white high school (at night only) Who does she have to convince to let her enroll? The judge 5
What did computers do at NASA?
In 1958, when the NACA made the transition to NASA, segregated facilities, including the West Computing office, were abolished The work of human computers at Langley varied However, most of the work involved reading, analyzing, and plotting data The human computers did this work by hand
How old was John Glenn when he went to the moon?
At 42, Glenn was the oldest member of the astronaut corps and would likely be close to 50 by the time the lunar landings took place During Glenn’s training, NASA psychologists determined that he was the astronaut best suited for public life Attorney General Robert F
Who in 1961 became the first man in space?
One of these 20 young men, Yuri Gagarin, became the first human in space with his April 12, 1961, one-orbit flight Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, 1961
What happened in June 1965 for the space race?
On June 3, 1965, 120 miles above the Earth, Major Edward H White II opens the hatch of the Gemini 4 and steps out of the capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to walk in space