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NAME: Annie Oakley
LIFETIME: August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926
WHAT SHE IS KNOWN FOR: Annie Oakley was a woman known for her sharpshooting style in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and for cultivating a reputation as America’s first female star.
WHY WE LOVE HER: Oakley earned the nickname “Little Sure Shot” at the age of 15, when she won her first sharpshooting contest against Frank Butler, the man she would eventually marry. After performing in Buffalo Bill’s show for a few years, she was earning more than any other entertainer, except for Buffalo Bill himself. She performed her show in front of Queen Victoria, the King of Italy and the President of France. When Oakley was injured in a train accident, she suffered from temporary paralysis and had five spinal operations, but she eventually regained her health. She actively promoted the service of women in combat operations and offered to support the introduction of 50 female sharpshooters during the Spanish-American war. President McKinley declined her offer, but Teddy Roosevelt named his cavalry after the Rough Riders from her show. Throughout her career, Oakley taught more than 15,000 women how to shoot a gun in self-defense. At the time of her death, she gave the world the image of the American cowgirl.
FUN FACT: She had such good aim that at his request, she shot the ashes off the cigarette held by the new German Kaiser, Wilhelm II.
