Annie Jump Cannon was born on December 11, 1863 and I suppose, having died in 1941, she may not still be all that sprightly. However her legacy is certainly alive and well.

In addition to her work in astronomy (classifying a quarter of a million stellar spectra for the Henry Draper Catalog), she was a suffragette, and worked for rights for women and to promote their opportunities in science.

Cannon was the last recipient of the Ellen Richards research award set up to help fund the studies of women scientists. The award was discontinued after this - on the grounds that women were now equal and it was no longer needed. Miss Cannon disagreed and used the money to set up an award of her own, specificially to aid women working on a PhD in astronomy.

You can read more about the fascinating Annie Jump Cannon by clicking on her name.

Mona - 1863 to 1938 is 75 years old ...

From December 11, 1863 to December 11, 2012 is 149. (Whoops! Two years off. Oil up the abacus.)

But Susan, thanks for the nudge, because I was looking at the wrong death date for Annie Cannon, which was April 1941. She was 77 when she died. I'm not sure how I muddled my arithmetic about her birth anniversary, must have run out of fingers.