Share
On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride became the first U.S. woman to blast into space when the space shuttle Challenger launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Only 32 years old, she also was the youngest American astronaut of any gender.
Ride Had a Ph.D. in Physics
A few other tidbits about Ride:
— Born in Los Angeles, she was precocious and athletic as a kid, reading the sports section at age 5 and developing into a standout tennis player.
— She earned a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford at a time when just 3% of doctoral candidates in physics nationwide were women.
— The media peppered her with dumb questions. For example, “Do you cry when things go wrong on the job?” And another one: “What kind of make-up will you carry?”
— However, she endured such questions with grace while also driving home a point about feminism and her job as an astronaut: “It may be too bad that our society isn’t further along and that this is such a big deal.”
You can learn more about Ride in the animated PBS video below.
RELATED TOPICS:
Woman in Fresno Mansion Fraud Case Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion
5 hours ago
California Prisoner Indicted for Exploiting Child Victim While Incarcerated
6 hours ago
Kennedy Plans to Phase Out 8 Commonly Used Food Dyes
6 hours ago
Trump Approval Rating Dips. Many Wary of His Wielding of Power, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds
6 hours ago
Fresno Woman, Tied to Fentanyl ‘M30 King,’ Sentenced to Federal Prison
6 hours ago
Tesla Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit Claiming Sudden Acceleration in Ohio Crash
7 hours ago
Special Interests Pour More Than Half a Billion Into CA Lobbying
7 hours ago
Texas Walmart Shooter Who Killed 23 Avoids Death Penalty by Pleading Guilty
8 hours ago
Paul Atkins Sworn in as US SEC Chair
4 hours ago
Categories


Paul Atkins Sworn in as US SEC Chair

US Supreme Court Appears Likely to Uphold Obamacare’s Preventive Care Coverage Mandate

Woman in Fresno Mansion Fraud Case Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

California Prisoner Indicted for Exploiting Child Victim While Incarcerated

Kennedy Plans to Phase Out 8 Commonly Used Food Dyes
