Sally Ride was the first female American astronaut in space. She was also a competitive tennis player.

Fun Facts

• Sally Ride was born in 1951 in Los Angeles. Her parents were both Presbyterian ministers. Her mother volunteered at a correctional facility and her father taught political science at Santa Monica College.
• As a child, Sally was interested in science. She also loved playing tennis.
• After she graduated from high school, Sally went on to gain masters and doctorate degrees in physics from Stanford University.
• In 1978, Sally saw a newspaper ad from NASA seeking applicants for the space program. She, along with 35 other people, was selected from 8,000 applicants.
• Sally went on two space flights, logging more than 348 hours in space. Some people wondered if women should be in space. Sally insisted she was qualified.
• Sally left the NASA space program in 1987. She worked as a professor and she developed Sally Ride Science, a company that offered engaging science classes for kids.
• Sally co-wrote six children’s books on science with her partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy.
• She died in 2012 at her home.

 

Vocabulary

1. Correctional facility: a prison
2. Doctorate: the highest college degree obtainable

Questions and Answers

Question: Did Sally have any children?

Answer: Sally did not have any children, although she loved teaching children, especially about science.

 

Learn More

Read more about Sally Ride at NASA.

 

Internal Link

https://www.americanhistoryforkids.com/1980s-culture/