On March 12, 1791, Benjamin Banneker, a self-educated mathematician, writer, astronomer and inventor became the first African-American to receive a presidential appointment.
For more than thirty years, Banneker's astronomical predictions, inventions and published writings helped create changes in American society. However, it is his work on our nation's capital that is most notable. When Pierre L'Enfant resigned from from his position as chief designer of Washington D.C., he took the layout plans, leaving the surveyors without any plans to finish. Using only his memory, Banneker was able to recreate L'Enfant's designs.
Public Domain. Images Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
About Benjamin Banneker
African-Americans in Astronomy and Space
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