The third, Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941), a physicist, joined the staff of the Harvard College Observatory in 1897. In her 40-plus years on staff, Jump Cannon named and catalogued over 300,000 stars, perfected a universal system of stellar classification, and compiled the largest accumulation of astronomical information ever assembled by a single researcher.
While women astronomers were searching the far reaches of the galaxy via telescope, women aviators were exploring the skies closer to the Earth. Less than a decade after Orville Wright's (1871-1948) first successful flight, Harriet Quimby (1884-1912) became the first American woman to earn a pilot's license (1911). In 1912, she was the first woman to fly across the English Channel. The war effort expanded a flight school started in 1915 by Katherine (1891-1977) and Marjorie Stinson, who trained American and Royal Canadian pilots. In addition to her flight school achievements, Marjorie Stinson was appointed the first female airmail pilot in 1918. Another first was accomplished by Bessie Coleman (1896-1926), who became the first African-American (male or female) to earn a pilot's license (in 1921).
By the 1930s, women aviators had made their mark as stunt pilots, entertainers, and adventurers,and began making significant contributions in other areas of aviation.
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