Women “Computers” Explored the Cosmos – Timeline of Annie Jump Cannon's Career

When tracing the progression of Annie’s career from when she joined the “computers” by cataloguing her awards and accomplishments, it is astounding that it was not until 1938 Harvard finally recognized her as an astronomer and a professor.

1884 – Annie graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in physics.

1893 – Annie’s pamphlet of prose and photographs, “In the Footsteps of Columbus” were published and distributed at the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition.

1896 – Annie Jump Cannon became a “computer” at Harvard College Observatory.

1911 – Annie took over the duties as Curator of Astronomical Photographs

1916 – Annie directed the fellowship given to Pickering by Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association.

1918 – Annie considered the first person to systematically classify the heavens.

1921 – Annie was the first to receive an honorary doctorate in astronomy from the University of Groningen, Netherlands.

1925 – Annie received the first honorary doctorate from the University of Oxford to be awarded to a woman.

1931 – Hard work paid off when Annie was the first woman to receive Henry Draper Medal of the National Academy of Sciences.

1932  - Annie won the Ellen Richards Research Prize of the Association to Aid Scientific Research for Women

1933 – With the funds from her research prize, stablished the Annie Jump Cannon Award, which is given to a North American female astronomer for contributions to astronomy.

1938 – Annie appointed to the Harvard faculty, when she was named William Cranch Bond Professor of Astronomy.\

1940 – Annie officially retired but continued to research.

By her death in 1941, Annie had been classifying stars at the rate of up to 300 per hour culminating in 350,000 classified stars.