Juneteenth: A Day for Math

Jun 17, 2022 | Bryan

Last blog post, we explained what Juneteenth was and how you could celebrate it with your kids. Juneteenth is now only a couple of days away and provides a perfect opportunity to reflect on the contributions of Black Americans. This blog post we will be exploring and learning more about famous African American mathematicians and their contributions to our culture and modern institutions.

  1. Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) - Banneker, a mostly self-educated man in mathematics and astronomy, is best known for building America’s first clock. And, using his rich understanding of trigonometry and astronomy, he accurately predicted a solar eclipse in 1789.

  2. Elbert Frank Cox (1895-1969) - In 1925, Elbert Frank Cox was the first black man to earn a Ph.D in mathematics not only in the United States, but in the entire world.

  3. Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) - Katherine Johnson was the main character of the critically-acclaimed film Hidden Figures. Her contributions in the field of orbital mechanics, alongside fellow female African American mathematicians Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, were critical to the United States’ success in putting astronaut John Glenn into orbit in 1962.

  4. Valerie Thomas (1943-Present) - Valerie Thomas is a scientist and inventor best known for inventing the Illusion Transmitter in 1980. This technology was the first of its kind in the field of 3D-imagery and is the basis for modern 3D-televisions, video games, and movies.

  5. Lonnie Johnson (1949-Present) - Lonnie Johnson is best known for inventing the Super Soaker water gun while working at the U.S. Air Force, a product which has grossed nearly $1 Billion since 1990. He also invented a “toy projectile gun,” which eventually became the Nerf Gun.

Today and all days, we celebrate these mathematicians and their contributions to our society.