eros pace ▁engineer , ▁and ▁entrepr ene ur , ▁whose ▁work ▁history ▁includes ▁a ▁U . S . ▁Air ▁Force ▁term ▁of ▁service ▁and ▁a ▁twelve - year ▁st int ▁at ▁NASA , ▁including ▁the ▁Jet ▁Prop ulsion ▁Labor atory . ▁ ▁He ▁invent ed ▁the ▁Super ▁So aker ▁water ▁gun ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁among ▁the ▁world ' s ▁best s elling ▁to ys ▁ever ▁since . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁ ▁Johnson ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Mobile , ▁Alabama . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁veter an ▁and ▁his ▁mother ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁nur se ' s ▁a ide . ▁He ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁" lik ed ▁to ▁t ink er ▁with ▁things " ▁from ▁an ▁early ▁age ▁when ▁his ▁father ▁explained ▁to ▁him ▁the ▁basic ▁principles ▁of ▁electric ity . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁te en age ▁years , ▁Johnson ▁attended ▁the ▁all - black ▁William son ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Mobile . ▁He ▁drew ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁insp iration ▁from ▁George ▁Washington ▁Car ver . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁Johnson ▁represented ▁his ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁the ▁Alabama ▁science ▁fair . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁black ▁student ▁in ▁the ▁fair ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁African ▁Americans ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁much ▁presence ▁in ▁science . ▁He ▁created ▁a ▁robot ▁he ▁named ▁" Line x ", ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁com pressed - air ▁power ed ▁robot ▁and ▁took ▁home ▁first ▁prize . ▁ ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁high ▁school , ▁Johnson ▁attended