This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Margaret-Hamilton-American-computer-scientist, Space.com - Margaret H. Hamilton: Apollo Computer Programmer, Wired - Her Code Got Humans on the Moon - And Invented Software Itself, Margaret Hamilton - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Margaret Hamilton - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), National Aeronautics and Space Administration. [47] In 1980, British-Israeli computer scientist David Harel published a proposal for a structured programming language derived from HOS from the viewpoint of and/or subgoals. I said to myself, 'Oh, boy, The Wizard of Oz! Mutual respect was across the board. Had one child, son, Hamilton Wadsworth Meserve, on June 12, 1936. For Hamilton, although Apollo 11 was monumental, she relished the challenge of doing her job for it. (Apollo 13 aborted before landing due to an explosion in the command module's service area.). It does not store any personal data. During one interview, she joked: I was in need of money at the time, I had done about six pictures for MGM at the time, and my agent called. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. She soon transferred, however, to Earlham College in Indiana where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, with a minor in philosophy. [17], Hamilton's early experience as a teacher fueled a lifelong interest in educational issues. It was intended to guide the spacecraft once they had achieved Earth orbit. Hamilton was concerned with legitimizing software development as an engineering discipline. Would spoof her famous role of The Wicked Witch of The West in a 1976 Paul Lynde Halloween Special for television. Houston! [36], When Hamilton started using the term "software engineering" during the early Apollo missions,[57] software development was not taken seriously compared to other engineering,[58] nor was it regarded as a science. After only one crewed mission in Earth orbit Apollo 7 in early 1968 NASA elected to send Apollo 8's command module solo that December on an orbital mission to the moon, out of concerns that the Soviet Union would get there first. Biography. Looking back, we were the luckiest people in the world; there was no choice but to be pioneers. [19] She later moved to Millbrook, New York. She portrayed the sister of Witchiepoo from H.R. As Neil Armstrong was already preparing to bring the ship down, the computer started displaying two errors: error 1201 and error 1202. ], She married Paul Boynton Meserve on June 13, 1931, and made her debut on the New York City stage the following year. In 1976, Hamilton co-founded with Saydean Zeldin a company called Higher Order Software (HOS)[40] to further develop ideas about error prevention and fault tolerance emerging from their experience at MIT working on the Apollo program. And it was at the age of 22 that she graduated from Earlham . Hamilton, now an independent computer scientist, described for MIT News in 2009 her contributions to the Apollo software which last month was added in its entirety to the code-sharing site GitHub: From my own perspective, the software experience itself (designing it, developing it, evolving it, watching it perform and learning from it for future systems) was at least as exciting as the events surrounding the mission. The original caption, she says, reads: Here, Margaret is shown standing beside listings of the software developed by her and the team she was in charge of, the LM [lunar module] and CM [command module] on-board flight software team.. She was 82 years old. She is one of the people credited with coining the term "software engineering". Biography. [66], She met her first husband, James Cox Hamilton,[80] in the mid-1950s while attending college. [14] The SAGE Project was an extension of Project Whirlwind, started by MIT to create a computer system that could predict weather systems and track their movements using simulators. The crowning mission, Apollo 11 in July 1969, saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descend all the way to the surface in the lunar module, safely return to the command module (piloted by Mike Collins) and make it home to Earth. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It was July 20, 1969. In 2019, she was awarded The Washington Award. And I asked him what part, and he said, 'The Witch,' and I said, 'The Witch?!' From 1961 to 1963, she worked at MIT on an unknown aircraft trajectory tracking project. The solution came from a young Margaret who assured the Mission Director that she could safely ignore the two error messages. On December 23, 1938, Hamilton suffered a second-degree burn on her face and a third-degree burn on her hand during a second take of her fiery exit from Munchkinland in which the trap door's drop was delayed to eliminate the brief glimpse of it seen in the final edit. Biography of Margaret Hamilton, American scientist, notable computer scientist who worked at NASA in support of Apollo missions. !' [63] Hamilton's innovations go beyond the feats of playing an important role in getting humans to the Moon. Hamilton has published more than 130 papers, proceedings, and reports, about sixty projects, and six major programs. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. A kindergarten teacher in her native Cleveland, Margaret Hamilton began her acting career there in community theatre and with the prestigious Cleveland Playhouse. Margaret H. Hamilton is a computer scientist who was instrumental to NASA's efforts to land humans on the moon in the 1960s and 1970s. Apollo 9 tested out the lunar module and command module together in Earth orbit for the first time, and then the two spacecraft were tested again in lunar orbit for Apollo 10. A former schoolteacher, she worked as a character actor in films for seven years before she was offered the role that defined her public image. For this Laboratory, she developed codes for new programming routines. After graduating in 1958, she taught high-school mathematics for a short time. Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Margaret Heafield Hamilton is an American computer scientist, systems engineer, and business owner. Margaret Hamilton is an American software engineer and computer scientist best known for leading the team responsible for creating the software for the Apollo moon missions and Skylab space station. Hamilton was cast after Gale Sondergaard, who was first considered for the role, albeit as a more glamorous witch with a musical scene, declined the role when the decision was made that the witch should appear ugly.[6]. She also gained recognition for her work as an advocate of causes designed to benefit children and animals and retained a lifelong commitment to public education. They're scared. Her Gramercy Park neighbor Sybil Daneman reported that Hamilton loved children but they were often afraid to meet her because of her portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Four years later, she obtained the Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics at Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana (USA). What are the Van Allen Belts and why do they matter? and he said, 'What else? Even adolescents. A few years later, they were reunited on Broadway for the short-lived musical Come Summer. She subsequently developed Alzheimer's disease and died in her sleep following a heart attack on May 16, 1985 in Salisbury, Connecticut at the age of 82. A Slight Case of Murder. In the early 1960s Hamilton joined MITs Lincoln Laboratory, where she was involved in the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) project, the first U.S. air defense system. She later attended Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and practiced acting doing children's theater while a Junior League of Cleveland member. Discover Margaret Hamilton's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Omissions? [1], On November 22, 2016, Hamilton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from president Barack Obama for her work leading to the development of on-board flight software for NASA's Apollo Moon missions. UConnToday, 23 April 2013. Hamilton made her debut as a "professional entertainer" on December 9, 1929, in a "program of 'heart rending songs'" in the Charles S. Brooks Theater at the Cleveland Play House. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. New York, Pufnstuf herself being spoofed by actress Billie Hayes. The on-board flight software captured these alarms with the "never supposed to happen displays" interrupting the astronauts with priority alarm displays. Hamilton also toured in many plays and musicals, even repeating her role of the Wicked Witch in specially written stage productions of The Wizard of Oz. Margaret Hamilton (* 17. srpna 1936 Paoli) je americk softwarov inenrka a podnikatelka. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The original caption, she says, reads: Here, Margaret is shown standing beside listings of the software developed by her and the team she was in charge of, the LM [lunar module] and CM [command module] on-board flight software team.. is 5'(1.52m) . Bill Dunford MIT Museum: Margaret Hamilton Apollo Photos. Hamilton, a 24-year-old with an undergrad degree in mathematics, had gotten a job as a programmer at MIT, and the plan was for her to support her husband through his three-year stint at Harvard. She graduated from Hancock High School and studied at the University . Only co-star Frank Morgan played more roles (five) in the film. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Paul Boynton Meserve (13 June1931 - 20 May1938)( divorced)( 1 child). Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! Corrections? Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. Half a century ago, MIT played a critical role in the development of the flight software for NASAs Apollo program, which landed humans on the Moon for the first time in 1969. Looking back, we were the luckiest people in the world; there was no choice but to be pioneers.. Hamilton herself specifically concentrated on software to detect system errors and to recover information in a computer crash. Credit: Courtesy MIT Museum Margaret Hamilton's Apollo Code A brief history of the famous 1969 photo of the software that sent humans to the Moon. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented on November 22, 2016 by the President of the United States, for her brilliant work during the Apollo missions in the 1960s. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But a software incident almost derailed the landing, as Hamilton recalled in a 2009 interview with MIT. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. She was best known for her portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West, and her Kansas counterpart Almira Gulch, in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film The Wizard of Oz.A former schoolteacher, she worked as a character actress in . They were married on June 15, 1958, the summer after she graduated from Earlham. Her name was clearly visible when the entire Apollo 11 source code was released on GitHub in 2016; according to MIT, the first full line of the software read, "SUBMITTED: MARGARET H. HAMILTON DATE: 28 MAR 69 / M.H.HAMILTON, COLOSSUS PROGRAMMING LEADER / APOLLO GUIDANCE AND NAVIGATION.". Margaret Hamilton. Margaret Dawn Hamilton AM (23 June 1941 - 24 November 2022) [1] was an Australian children's literature publisher who served as the National President of the Children's Book Council of Australia from 1991 to 1992 and as a National Board Member until April 2017 when she formally retired. Dedication and commitment were a given. Margaret Hamilton was born on August 17, 1936. In The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976), she portrayed Lynde's housekeeper, reprising the Wicked Witch role, as well as introducing Lynde to the rock group Kiss. They're clapping at hearing the sound again.[11]. CAPE ISLAND Tour boat operators sometimes entertained their passengers by referring to Cape Island as "Witch's Island." That's because the primary resident there, during summers from 1961 to 1985, was Margaret Hamilton, the actor who played the Wicked Witch of the West and Elmira Gulch in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.. Profiled in "American Classic Screen Interviews" (Scarecrow Press). Margaret Hamilton Career Profession: Computer Scientist, Systems Engineer and Business Owner Known For: Director of the "Software Engineering Division" of the "MIT Instrumentation Laboratory", which developed "On-board Flight Software for NASA's Apollo Space Program Debut: Film debut: These Three (1936) Movie poster Net Worth: $12 Million Approx She was a distant cousin of Neil Hamilton, with whom she appeared in By Your Leave (1934). Updates? Margaret Hamilton was born December 9, 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio, to Jennie (Adams) and Walter Hamilton. Margaret Hamilton (Margaret Brainard Hamilton) was born on 9 December, 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, is an Actress, Soundtrack. [20][41] They created a product called USE.IT, based on the HOS methodology they developed at MIT. According to Hamilton, this now-iconic image (at left, above) was taken at MIT in 1969 by a staff photographer for the Instrumentation Laboratory later named the Draper Laboratory and today an independent organization for use in promotion of the labs work on the Apollo project. Danko sat on a smoking pipe configured to look like the Witch's broomstick. Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Related: Apollo Coder and 'Apollo 13' Actor Receive Presidential Medals of Freedom, SpaceX scrubs Crew-6 astronaut launch due to ignition-fluid issue, Experience SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut mission with these amazing photos, DNA from 4 American presidents will launch to deep space, Asteroid Ryugu is rich in organic molecules that can be building blocks of life, On This Day In Space: Feb. 26, 1966: 1st launch of Saturn 1B rocket, Your monthly guide to stargazing & space science, Subscribe today and save an extra 5% with code 'LOVE5', Issues delivered straight to your door or device. Margaret Hamilton was born December 9, 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio, to Jennie (Adams) and Walter Hamilton. She was Director of the Software Engineering Division of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, which developed on-board flight software for the Apollo space program. [22][16] Another part of her team designed and developed the systems software. Until the day she died, she had children recognizing her and coming up to her to ask why she was so mean to Dorothy. She was severely burned during the "Surrender Dorothy!" Margaret Hamilton was born in 1936 in the United States. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. Social Media Lead: She had a small role in the made-for-television film The Night Strangler (1973) and appeared as a befuddled neighbor on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, who is a friend of the very similar Mary Wickes. The computer was overloaded with interrupts caused by incorrectly phased power supplied to the lander's rendezvous radar. They're really scared for a second. She later attended Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and practiced acting doing children's theater while a Junior League of Cleveland member. What followed next were brief messages from Apollo 11 to Robledo de Chabela in Spain; and from Spain to Houston, where Margaret was; from Houston to Robledo; and from Robledo to Apollo 11. Dishonored Lady. [42][43][44] It was successfully used in numerous government programs[45][46] including a project to formalize and implement C-IDEF, an automated version of IDEF, a modeling language developed by the U.S. Air Force in the Integrated Computer-Aided Manufacturing (ICAM) project. Without exaggeration, it could be said that the heroes of the arrival to the Moon were four: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and Margaret Hamilton. Danko made the fiery entrance to Munchkinland, not Hamilton. In Wired magazine, she said in 2015 "I enjoyed school, but there was something about maths that I loved more than anything". Click here if you want to see this biography in Spanish translation. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. We knew that. 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