Ride was born in Encino, California, on May 26, 1951. Growing up, she loved science.
“I was fascinated by whether there might be life on Mars,” Ride told Scholastic News in 2008. “I was fascinated by the stars.”
At the time Ride was in college, science wasn’t a common career path for women.
In 1970, women held only 7 percent of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) jobs in the U.S.
Still, Ride was determined to follow her dream. In 1977, she saw an ad in a newspaper. NASA was looking for new astronauts. For the first time, women could apply.
“I always dreamed of going into space,” Ride said. “The moment I had that chance, I jumped at it.”
Of the more than 8,000 people who applied, only 35 were selected for astronaut training. Ride was one of the six women chosen.