Born October 17, 1956, Decatur, Alabama

When the National Space and Aeronautics Administration’s space shuttle Endeavour was launched on September 12, 1992, Mae Jemison—one of the seven-member crew—became the first black woman to travel in space. A mission specialist or “science astronaut” on the eight-day mission, she used her medical training to perform many experiments while in orbit. On her return she was treated as something of a celebrity and held up as a role model for black youths. Overcoming the discrimination that women and minorities often face in the United States, she had fulfilled her childhood dreams. Jemison hoped that her historic journey would encourage other blacks to pursue careers in space exploration, science, and technology.

Jemison was born October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama. The daughter of a maintenance worker and an elementary schoolteacher, she moved with her family to Chicago when...