Annie Oakley

Born Phoebe Anne Oakley Moses in Darke County, Ohio, America on 13 August, 1860, Annie Oakley was to become the greatest woman rifle shot ever known.

At the age of six, Annie was already using a rifle to hunt food for her family and was renowned for her spectacular aim.

One of her biggest feats occurred when she won a shooting match against the crack marksman, Frank Butler, whilst she was still a teenager. International fame followed and later Butler and Oakley married.

Together they toured America in circuses and music hall acts until they joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, through which she won her fame. Annie was so good that she could hit the end of a cigarette held in none other than her beloved husband’s lips. Although it is hard to believe, Annie performed the same trick on Kaiser Wilhelm during a trip to Berlin.

This remarkable sharpshooter’s career ended when she was seriously injured in a train crash in 1901. Although she did recover, Annie’s career was limited to shooting lessons and demonstrations. She died on November 3, 1926 at the age of 66.