(Day 61 of 365)
Annie Oakley was a true icon in the Wild West. As a sharpshooting show-woman that travelled the nation showing off her famous trick shooting skills, (remember the mirror shot?) Oakley set the precedent that it was OK for women to showcase their talents in whatever realm they chose. Also, in having impeccable marksmanship, Oakley’s talent set her apart in that she excelled in a predominantly male-centered activity.
Here’s the romance part…
On Thanksgiving Day in 1875, Annie Oakley met Frank Butler—a man she was slated to compete against. She soundly beat him in the shooting competition (shooting a perfect score), and he accepted his defeat… graciously. Rumor has it that the last opponent he expected was 15-year-old Annie, and he was quoted as saying: “I was a beaten man the moment in which she appeared.” They married the following year, and spent over fifty years together.
Annie passed away on November 3rd, 1926, and Frank followed her in death eighteen days later… telling his brother in his last days that he had suffered a “terrible broken heart.”
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| Love at first shot. |
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