Born on May 10, 1900, in Westchester England, Cecilia Helena Payne went on stargazing escapades as a child with her mother, Elena Pertz. Once, she saw a meteor stream across the sky and decided at age five to become an astronomer. At a young age, she already knew that being a female would be an obstacle, especially when her younger brother Humfry was born. She discovered that he “was the one who really mattered”. Women during her time were seldom able to advance past teaching jobs, and those who were able to advance into more prestigious jobs frequently went unrecognized for their efforts.
During her adolescence, she attended a school where pupils were instructed in French or German, algebra, geometry, and measurements. They were also
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One of her friends, A.J Comrie, who had a Ph.D in astronomy suggested that she was better off being an astronomer in America. In London, she attended a lecture by the new director of the Harvard Observatory, Harlow Shapley. After his lecture, she asked if she could work with him, and he approved. Several months later, with her Cambridge degree in hand, she journeyed to America. In 1839, the Harvard observatory was established and created a reputation through the photography and meticulous cataloging of stars. The majority of the work had been done by a succession of underpaid and predominantly anonymous women known as “computers” or “Pickering’s Harem”. These included women such as Annie Jump Cannon, who did the crucial work in stellar classification, and Henrietta Swann Leavitt, who uncovered the correlation between the brightness of stars and their period of observation.
In her papers and her thesis, Cecilia wrote about how elements in stars remained relatively the same, with some variation in their spectra, meaning that the stars may be composed of hydrogen and helium, rather than elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, silicon and iron that are abundant on earth. A leading astronomer, Otto Struve, had later acknowledged Payne’s work to be the “undoubtedly the most brilliant PhD thesis ever written in astronomy”. She also assisted in initiating the field of astrophysics by bringing
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Although the occupation had little pay, the work was tedious, and she would have no freedom to choose her topic, she had accepted. Finding another discovery, she concluded that some light from stars were absorbed by interstellar matter. The theory had not been approved by Russell and Shapley, so she did not publish her discovery, only to later have it revealed by Shapley. Throughout that time, women were expected to observe, while men constructed
In her twenties Clara decided to expand her education further by attending the Clinton Liberal institute for higher learning. There she studied analytic geometry, calculus, astronomy, mathematics and natural science in addition to French, German, ancient history, philosophy and religion (Pryor 1987). With her highly atypical education for a woman of that time, Clara continued the close pupil-teacher relationships she had enjoyed in her earlier schooling.
Many women have had an impact on science over the years and their accomplishments tend to be underappreciated by the public eye. Often times, there are important people that have made a significant impact on the world that we have today that do not receive the credit and attention that they deserve for their accomplishments. Recognizing and acknowledging people that have made an impact on society now and in the past, is an important part of learning about history and the accomplishments of the past.
As as result of the relocation of people from England to Australia, it turned Australia into the land of opportunity and made for a better world. It benefited England and the world for many reasons such as securing trade routes with China. The movement of the convicts also spread fear among english society deterring crime. Furthermore, some of the convicts were fortunate enough to the opportunity to live and potentially earn their freedom. Crime rates rose and England's jails become overcrowded with prisoners they resorted to using prison hulks as temporary, makeshift confinements on the river Thames eventually leading to the penal transportation to Australia.
Miriam Amanda Wallace Ferguson a.k.a “MA” was the first woman governor of texas, she was born in Bell County, TX on June 13, 1875 she had two daughters Joseph L. and Eliza (Garrison) Wallace, Miriam A. Ferguson married James E. Ferguson in 1899 at the age 24. Her husband James E. Ferguson tried to get his name on the ballot in 1924 sadly he failed that’s when Miriam A. Ferguson ran for governor before then Miriam always took care of her family that’s why Miriam supporters made up “MA” Ferguson and her first and middle name make up “MA” so they always called her “MA” and to make people vote for her she said she promised with her husband she would have “two governors for the price of one” Miriam promised that she would extensive cuts in the in
In Mae’s early life she was already interested in the aspect of science she knew she wanted to do something in that field. Although when she told her parents and peers this, they discouraged her. Although they didn’t encourage her because women equality and racism were still a little heavy, she persevered. She studied up on different type fields of science in the library, but most times on astrology. She had a dream to be an astronaut, and no one was going to stop her. At the age of sixteen she attended stanford university and got her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and African
The fact that she continued to read to further her knowledge and to learn more did not faze her that not many other women were doing as she was. At a young age she knew that “settling” with the roles of women during this time was a life that she had to choose but she also wanted more. She wanted to educate herself and that she did through the works of her favorite author’s books and poems.
Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born July 4, 1868 in Lancaster, Massachusetts and died in 1921. Henrietta's parents were George Roswell and Henrietta swan I. George was a divinity doctor and a minister as well, which didn't keep them in one place very long. Henrietta was the first born of seven children, two of which passed away at very young ages. because of the fast pace of her father ministry they moved a lot. when Henrietta was 17 they moved to Ohio where she enrolled at Oberlin College for three years. One of those years she participated in a preparatory course and the other two she studied music. after the three years in Ohio they moved back home to Massachusetts this time to Cambridge. there, no matter how hard she tried she could not enroll
Annie was left in charge of the Pickering’s Women and was to continue their work. She started off by examining the bright southern hemisphere stars. She divided the stars into the spectral classes we see today: O, B, A, F, G, K, M. Her talent for seeing the stellar spectra was
Once a petite housekeeper girl to a singer for her organist brother with the fond of the telescope, became the first women to be officially recognized in a scientific position, significantly contributing to not only the field of science and astronomy, but along with the history of women in the work place. Through her accepted position as a paid assistant to her astronomer brother, she has contributed to essential findings, which led to receiving an honorary membership of the Royal Astronomical Society, and having several comets, an asteroid and a lunar crater bearing her name till this day. Her work in classifying the night sky has left an ever-lasting legacy for those who wishes and are studying in the subject. She continues to be honored and remembered with the naming of astronomical structures even after her death.
What is the legacy of Dorothy Hodgkin, both on the study of structure on an atomic scale and for women in science?
Surely, she craved to write—meaning to work here—endangered her husband’s position as an authority. He would not have control any longer toward the narrator—his wife. In the 19th century upper class and middle class women were not expected to earn their own living. Women rarely had careers and most professions refused entry to women. In the middle of the 19th century it was virtually impossible for women to become doctors, engineers, architects, accountants or bankers. After a long struggle the medical profession allowed women to become doctors. It was not until 1910 that women were allowed to become accountants and bankers. However, there were still no women diplomats, barristers or judges. Women were allowed to become teachers majority of women became teaches but this was also a low paying job.
She has been a part of many scientific organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, The American Philosophical Society, International Astronomical Union, National Academy of Sciences, the Phi Beta Kappa Society, and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. She is the author to several books and over 200 articles about galaxies and their motions.3
He was different than most astronomers in his time because rather than charting the positions of stars or planets, he was collecting double stars and nebulae.
Marie Curie LIFE OF MARIE CURIE Marie Curie(1867-1934) was a French physicist with many accomplishments in both physics and chemistry. Marie and her husband Pierre, who was also a French physicist, are both famous for their work in radioactivity. Marie Curie, originally named Marja Sklodowska, was born in Warsaw, Poland on Nov.7, 1867. Her first learning of physics came from her father who taught it in high school. Marie's father must have taught his daughter well because in 1891, she went to Paris(where she changed her original name) and enrolled in the Sorbonne.
Throughout history, women have been seen in many different lights. From a woman’s perspective she is strong, smart, helpful and equal to men. In the eyes of men, she is seen as the weaker being, the housewife, and the caretaker. By looking at the following pieces of writing, one can see that through the centuries, women have struggled to break out of the mold that man had put her in and make themselves known in society as important.