NASA on Friday is named its Washington headquarters after Mary W. Jackson, the space agency's first African American female engineer whose story was portrayed in the popular film "Hidden Figures."

Jackson started her NASA career in 1951 as part of a segregated unit of female mathematicians at what is now Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

The women did calculations during the early pre-computer days of the U.S. space program.

Their story was chronicled in a book and the 2016 film.

Jackson was later promoted to engineer and retired from NASA in 1985. She died in 2005 at age 83.

Share:
More In Culture
Wendy's Frosty Key Tag Promotion
Wendy's announced it's bringing back its Frosty key tags for promotion, which gives customers a whole year's worth of Frosties for just $3, with proceeds going to children in foster care.
On The Scene: The Museum of Broadway
Julie Boardman, co-founder of The Museum of Broadway, joined Cheddar News to discuss the history of theater in New York City, showed some of the gallery exhibits and gave a behind-the-scenes tour of how some of the shows are produced.
Roc Nation and Social Justice Reform
Dania Diaz, managing director of Roc Nation and one of the founding members of its United Justice Coalition, joined Cheddar News to discuss how the organization helps to address violence in Black and Brown communities and what they expect to talk about at an upcoming summit.
Load More