Mae Jemison

Mae Carol Jemison, born on October 17, 1956, is an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut. In 1992, she made history by becoming the first African-American woman to travel into space as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Jemison joined NASA in 1987 and was selected for the STS-47 mission, during which the Endeavour orbited the Earth for nearly eight days. Born in Alabama and raised in Chicago, Jemison graduated from Stanford University with degrees in chemical engineering and African and African-American studies. She then earned her medical degree from Cornell University. Prior to her astronaut career, Jemison worked as a doctor for the Peace Corps in Liberia and Sierra Leone. After leaving NASA in 1993, she founded a technology research company and a non-profit educational foundation.