On this day in 1919 - August 12th - Anglo-American astronomer Margaret Burbidge (nee Peachey) was born in Cheshire, England.

She made notable contributions to the theory of quasars, to measurements of the rotation and masses of galaxies, and to the understanding of how chemical elements are formed in the depths of stars through nuclear fusion. She was the first woman director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory and the first woman to be president of the American Astronomical Society.

Happy 100th birthday to one of the great astronomers of the last century!