Maria Mitchell
1818 – 1889 · aged 71
American astronomer
- Born
- 1 Aug 1818 · Nantucket
- Died
- 29 Jun 1889 · Lynn
Life timeline
Their life from birth to death. On the timeline, world events of the time are shown faintly.
- 1 Aug 1818BornBorn in Nantucket
- 1848AwardFellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 29 Jun 1889DiedDied in Lynn
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Meanwhile in the world
Major world events during their lifetime (1818 – 1889).
- 1853 – 1856Crimean War
- 1857 – 1858Indian Rebellion of 1857
- 1870 – 1871Franco-Prussian War
Biography
Maria Mitchell ( mə-RY-ə; August 1, 1818 – June 28, 1889) was an American astronomer, librarian, naturalist, and educator. In 1847, she discovered a comet named 1847 VI (modern designation C/1847 T1) that was later known as "Miss Mitchell's Comet" in her honor. She won a gold medal prize for her discovery, which was presented to her by King Christian VIII of Denmark in 1848. Mitchell was the first internationally known woman to work as both a professional astronomer and a professor of astronomy after accepting a position at Vassar College in 1865. She was also the first woman elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Mitchell is the namesake of the Maria Mitchell Association, the Maria Mitchell Observatory, and the Maria Mitchell Aquarium.
Text from the Wikipedia article Maria Mitchell, CC BY-SA 4.0
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