Sally Ride: First American Woman in Space Dies at 61

Sally Ride was an American astronaut and physicist. Born on May 26, 1951, in Encino, California, she earned a PhD in physics from Stanford.

In June 1983 she became the first American woman in space aboard the shuttle Challenger. She flew a second mission in 1984 and served on the commissions that investigated the Challenger and Columbia accidents. She later founded Sally Ride Science to encourage girls in science.

She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2011. Ride died in La Jolla, California, on July 23, 2012, at age 61. Her obituary revealed that her partner for 27 years was Tam O'Shaughnessy.

Achievements: First American woman in space, Presidential Medal of Freedom (2013).

Birth: May 26, 1951 - Encino, California.

Profession: Astronaut and physicist.

Interesting Facts: She was the youngest American in space at the time, at age 32.