Editing Michael P. Anderson (section)

==Early life and education==
Michael Philip Anderson was born in [[Plattsburgh, New York]] on December 25, 1959, to Barbara and Bobbie Anderson. He was their third child and only son. Bobbie serviced jets at [[Plattsburgh Air Force Base]] in Plattsburgh<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QF9grMa_84YC&q=michael+phillip+anderson+astronaut+father&pg=PA10|title=African Americans in the Military|last=Reef|first=Catherine|date=2014-05-14|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=9781438107752|language=en}}</ref> and was transferred to [[Fairchild Air Force Base]], about {{convert|12|miles|km|}} away from [[Spokane, Washington]], which Anderson spoke of as his hometown.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/anderson.html|title=Astronaut Bio: Michael P. Anderson 5/04|website=www.jsc.nasa.gov|date=11 February 2015 |access-date=2016-12-11}}</ref> Anderson graduated from [[Cheney School District|Cheney High School]] in [[Cheney, Washington]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-01 |title=15 years after Columbia space shuttle disaster, remembering Spokane’s own Michael Phillip Anderson |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/feb/01/15-years-after-columbia-space-shuttle-disaster-rem/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Spokesman.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-01 |title=15 years after Columbia space shuttle disaster, remembering Spokane’s own Michael Phillip Anderson |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/feb/01/15-years-after-columbia-space-shuttle-disaster-rem/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Spokesman.com |language=en}}</ref> one of four [[African Americans]] in a class of 200 students.<ref name=":0" />

In 1981, Anderson graduated with a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in physics and astronomy from the [[University of Washington]] in [[Seattle]]. In 1990, he earned a [[Master of Science]] degree in physics from [[Creighton University]] in [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/bio-shuttle-columbia-payload-commander-lt-col-michael-anderson|title=Bio: Shuttle Columbia Payload Commander Lt. Col. Michael Anderson|date=2003-02-01|newspaper=Fox News|language=en-US|access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref>