Benjamin banneker
Benjamin bannekerBenjamin Banneker
Benjamin Banneker was a phenomenal African-American mathematician, astronomer, and inventor. He was born near Baltimore, Md., on November 9, 1731. He was the son of a slave and a free black woman. He grew up as a free black, and while attending school he demonstrated early mathematical ability. His childhood curiosity led him to explore a wide variety of other subjects.
In about 1771, he began to make calculations in the field of astronomy. In the science of astronomy, Banneker was entirely self-taught. He wanted to find answers to his questions about the mysterious movements of the stars and cycles of the moon. In colonial times, most families owned an almanac. Farmers read their almanacs so they would know when to see their soil, when to plow, and when they could expect rain to water their crops. Some People read almanacs to find out when the sun and moon would rise and set, how the weather would change from season to season and when eclipses would occur. Banneker accurately predicted a solar eclipse in 1789.
There were many white scientists in Bannekar’s day that taught themselves astronomy and published their own almanacs. They didn’t think it was possible for a black man-free or slave-to be smart enough to calculate the movements of the stars the way Banneker did. Banneker was determined to create an almanac that would be the first of its kind. Therefore,...
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