Today's Google Doodles celebrate the life and career of America's first female astronaut, Sally Ride, on what would have been her 64th birthday. 

In four touching Doodles, Google traces Ride's passions for science, teaching, and environmentalism. In one, Ride gazes at Earth from the space shuttle Challenger, on which she flew twice. In another, she and her students defy gravity as she lectures in a classroom, commemorating her career as a professor of physics. Another shows her encouraging a young woman to begin her own career as an astronaut, highlighting Ride's devotion to inspiring young women to pursue careers in science and mathematics. The final Doodle explores Ride's outspoken involvement with environmental causes as she and a young female student view a penguin in Antarctica from space.

In a touching tribute to Ride, her longtime partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, wrote about Ride's contributions to science, education, and environmentalism for Google's official blog. The artist behind today's Doodles, Olivia Huynh, also created a two-and-a-half minute animated short in memory of Ride and her achievements. She and O'Shaughnessy narrated the video.  

Ride died on July 23, 2012, of pancreatic cancer.