History is full of brilliant people who were underestimated, particularly women. In the late 1800s, one woman went from cleaning rooms to making groundbreaking discoveries about the stars.
Her name was Willamina Fleming. Before she was cataloging stars and discovering new things about the cosmos, she was working as a housemaid.
She was born on May 15, 1857, in Dundee, Scotland, to Robert Stevens and Mary Walker. Her parents had a total of 10 children, but many of them died before reaching the age of five. As a result, she grew up with three brothers and two sisters.
She married a banker named James Fleming in 1877 and moved with him to Boston in 1878. Her husband ended up abandoning her while pregnant, leaving her with no financial support.
So, Willamina took up the position of housekeeper for Edward C. Pickering, an astronomer at the Harvard College Observatory, in order to make ends meet.
Soon, he realized how valuable she would be. When his male assistant proved to be incompetent, Pickering declared that his maid could do a better job.
In 1881, he promoted Willamina to be his assistant. Two years later, she was hired on permanently. She was part of The Harvard Computers, a group of women computers at the Harvard College Observatory.
She recruited 20 women between 1888 and 1903. The group included Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Antonia Maury, Annie Jump Cannon, and her sister, Johanna Mackie.
During her career, she examined the photographic plates used to record astronomical research and performed calculations on them. It was meticulous work that required close attention to detail.
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Willamina proved to be more than capable. She cataloged over 10,000 stars, discovered 10 novas, 310 variable stars, and 52 nebulae.
In 1888, she famously discovered the Horsehead Nebula. In addition to her research, she was responsible for developing and managing a classification system that became the foundation for systems still used in astronomy today.
In 1898, Harvard recognized her contributions to the university and the observatory, appointing her as Curator of Astronomical Photographs.
In 1906, she became the first American woman elected to the Royal Astronomical Society of London. The Astronomical Society of Mexico presented her with a gold medal for her discovery of new stars just months before her death.
Willamina Fleming died of pneumonia in Boston in 1911. She was one of the most well-known female astronomers of her time.
Her scientific contributions were especially important at a time when women were receiving little acknowledgment for their work. She broke barriers in a field once considered exclusively male, paving the way for later women astronomers, physicists, and researchers.
All it takes is one unexpected opportunity for someone to completely change the way we understand the universe. Talent can come from anywhere, even from someone who was once hired to sweep the floors.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
