Sally ride biography first american
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Sally Ride was the first American woman in space. She made her journey into history on June 18, 1983. Throughout her life, Dr. Ride broke barriers and worked to ensure that girls and women were encouraged to do the same.
Sally Kristen Ride was born on May 26, 1951, in Encino, California to Carol Joyce and Dale Burdell Ride. Growing up, Sally and her sister were encouraged to follow their individual interests and they had a happy, loving home.
As a child, Ride was an avid tennis player and had dreams of becoming a professional. She began playing tennis at age 10, and subsequently won a scholarship to the Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles. While in her teens, Ride was ranked in the top 20 nationally on the junior tennis circuit. After graduating from high school, she attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. During her sophomore year, she left Swarthmore to pursue a career in tennis. After three months she determined that college was a better option for her, and enrolled a
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Sally Ride: First American woman in space
Sally Ride became the first American woman to go into space when she flew on the space shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983.
She made two shuttle flights and later became a champion for science education and a role model for generations. Ride died of cancer in 2012.
Related: 20 trailblazing women in astronomy and astrophysics
Early life
Born in Encino, Calif., on May 26, 1951, Sally Kristen Ride was the older of two daughters of Dale B. Ride and Carol Joyce (Anderson) Ride. Her father was a professor of political science and her mother was a counselor. While neither had a background in the physical sciences, she credited them with fostering her deep interest in science by encouraging her to explore.
An athletic youngster, Ride attended Westlake High School for Girls, a prep school in Los Angeles, on a partial tennis scholarship. She graduated in 1968. After a brief foray into professional tennis, she returned to California
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Sally Ride
American physicist and astronaut (1951–2012)
For other uses, see Sally Ride (disambiguation).
Sally Ride | |
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Ride in 1984 | |
| Born | Sally Kristen Ride (1951-05-26)May 26, 1951 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | July 23, 2012(2012-07-23) (aged 61) La Jolla, California, U.S. |
| Education | Swarthmore College University of California, Los Angeles Stanford University (BA, BS, MS, PhD) |
| Spouse | Steven Hawley (m. 1982; div. 1987) |
| Partner | Tam O'Shaughnessy (1985–2012) |
| Awards | Presidential Medal of Freedom (2013, posthumous) |
| Space career | |
Time in space | 14d 7h 46m |
| Selection | NASA Group 8 (1978) |
| Missions | |
Mission insignia | |
| Retirement | August 15, 1987 |
Sally Kristen Ride (May 26, 1951 – July 23, 2012) was an American astronaut and physicist. Born in Los Angeles, she joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 became the first American woman and the third woman to