Benjamin Banneker

1731–1806 (age 75)

Mathematician/Astronomer

Photograph of Benjamin Banneker

Biography

Benjamin Banneker, a self-taught mathematician and astronomer, courageously asserted the intellectual worth of African Americans through his almanacs and his correspondence with prominent leaders.

His precise observations contributed to the planning of the nation’s capital and his steady integrity is memorialized at Mount Gilboa Chapel, where generations honor his pioneering spirit.