Lonnie George Johnson was born in Mobile, Alabama, into a family with a strong emphasis on education and resourcefulness. From a young age, he displayed a natural curiosity and aptitude for building and inventing, often taking apart and reassembling toys and appliances, laying the foundation for his future engineering career.

Growing up in a segregated South, Johnson's access to formal resources was limited, but his creativity was boundless. As a teenager, he built a go-kart out of scrap metal and even constructed a pressurized water-powered rocket launch system, demonstrating early mastery of physics and engineering principles. Notably, he created 'The Linex,' a remote-controlled robot, which earned him first place at a science fair, showcasing his exceptional talent and determination.