Profile of the Day: Annie Oakley
Are you related to the famous sharpshooter Annie Oakley? On this day in 1860, the Wild West star was born.
Image: Annie Oakley / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0
She was born Phoebe Ann Mosey in a cabin near Woodland, Ohio. Oakley honed her remarkable sharpshooting skills as a teen hunting game to support her mother and siblings. She met her husband Frank Butler, a marksman and performer, after beating him in a shooting competition.
In 1885, she and her husband joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Showcasing her excellent marksmanship in each show, Oakley became a major star. Her fame took her overseas where she performed for Queen Victoria, King Umberto I of Italy, and other crowned heads of state. She even shot a cigarette out of the mouth of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Explore Annie Oakley’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the sharpshooter.