Annie Oakley

Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey) was a world-famous sharpshooter, rifle expert and performer in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. History: Born in rural Ohio in 1860 - the fifth child of Susan Wise and Jacob Mosey - Oakley began shooting animals at an early age in order to supply food for her mother and siblings (her father died of Pneumonia in 1866). At the age of 16, she entered a shooting contest in Cincinnati against fellow marksman Frank E. Butler. After winning the contest, Annie formed a relationship with Butler and went on to marry him in 1882. In 1885, Annie and her husband joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West touring show. The exposure that Oakley received as the "Top-Billed" shooter in the show helped propel her to celebrity status (both in the U.S. and abroad). After enjoying a long and successful career in the public eye, Annie Oakley retired to her hometown of Greenville, Ohio where she died on November 3, 1926. Fast Facts:

1. Born: August 13, 1860
2. Died: November 3, 1926
3. Name: Phoebe Ann Mosey
4. Nicknamed "Little Sure Shot" by Sitting Bull
5. A musical loosely based on her life, Annie Get Your Gun, became a hit in 1946
6. Died of Pernicious Anemia
7. Wrote a letter to president William McKinley in which she offered her services as a sharpshooter during the Spanish-American War

• August 13, 1860: Born in Ohio

• 1882: Marries Irish Immigrant Francis "Frank" E. Butler

• 1885: Joins Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show

• 1894: Performs in one of Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope films

• November 3, 1926: Dies of Pernicious Anemia

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