Mae Jemison was born Oct. 17, 1956, in Decatur.
After becoming a doctor of medicine and serving as a Peace Corps officer, Jemison decided to follow a life-long passion and become an astronaut.
In 1987, Jemison became the first African-American woman admitted into NASA's astronaut training program.
After a year of training, Jemison went on to become the first African-American woman astronaut, and in 1992 her accomplishments continued to skyrocket as she became the first African-American woman in space.
After her historical achievements, Jemison went on to win numerous awards, and in 2016 Mae Jemison High School right here in the Rocket City was named after the trailblazer.
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