Mae Carol Jemison American doctor and astronaut Date of Birth: 17.10.1956 Country: USA

Biography of Mae Carol Jemison

Mae Carol Jemison was born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama, and was the youngest child in her family. Her father worked for a charitable organization, and her mother taught English and mathematics at an elementary school. The family moved to Chicago, Illinois, when Mae was three years old, as Chicago offered better educational opportunities for children.

From an early age, Jemison believed that she would one day go to space. She was also fascinated by science and had a passion for the arts. She began dancing at the age of nine and loved all types of dance, from ballet to jazz. Although she initially wanted to become a professional dancer, her mother convinced her that she could always dance while being a doctor, but she couldn't heal if she became a dancer.

In 1973, Jemison graduated from Morgan Park High School in Chicago, and at the age of 16, she became a student at Stanford University. In 1977, she graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. She then earned her medical degree from Cornell Medical College in 1981. During her medical school years, Jemison traveled to Cuba, Kenya, and Thailand to provide basic medical assistance to the local communities.

After completing her medical training, Jemison worked as a general practitioner in Los Angeles. Despite her medical career, she never stopped dancing and even equipped a dance studio in her own home. Inspired by the example of the first American female astronaut, Sally Ride, Jemison applied to NASA as soon as she learned that the astronaut program was open. Her first application was rejected, but she was accepted on her second attempt in 1987.

Before her space flight, Jemison's work at NASA involved technical support during launches at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the testing of computer programs at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory in Houston, Texas. She made her only space flight from September 12 to September 20, 1992, on the Space Shuttle Endeavour's STS-47 mission. One of the most significant moments in her life was seeing Chicago, her hometown, from space. In total, she spent 190 hours, 30 minutes, and 23 seconds in space.

Jemison retired from NASA in March 1993 to explore the interaction between social sciences and technology, a field that greatly interested her. While NASA was not thrilled with her early departure, Jemison had already made history as the first African American woman in space. She established her own company, the Jemison Group, which focused on research and application of new technologies in everyday life. She also lectures at Cornell University and participates in charitable events. From 1995 to 2002, she taught at Dartmouth College.