On this day in history, June 18, 1983, astronaut Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space

Astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space on this day in history, June 18, 1983. Born on May 26, 1951, in Los Angeles, Ride earned bachelor's degrees in English and physics from Stanford University in California before staying at Stanford and earning a PhD in physics in 1978. Shortly before earning her doctorate, Ride saw an ad for a newspaper that piqued her interest. NASA was recruiting for astronauts -- and, for the first time, the agency would include women in its astronaut class. "Over 8,000 men and women applied to the space program that year. Of the 35 individuals accepted, six were women, and I was one of them. This was in January 1978," said Ride in quotes listed on a tribute page on NASA's website.