American marine biologist, conservationist, and writer Rachel Carson died #OTD in 1964.

She is best known for her groundbreaking book "Silent Spring," published in 1962, which brought attention to the environmental impact of pesticides, particularly DDT, and sparked a global environmental movement. The book is often credited with inspiring the modern environmental movement and the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

#books #marinebiology #womeninscience

American astronomer Annie Jump Cannon died #OTD in 1941.

Cannon developed a system of stellar classification based on spectral characteristics, which became known as the Harvard Classification Scheme (she was one of the "Harvard Computers"). She classified hundreds of thousands of stars, organizing them by temperature and spectral characteristics. Her work laid the foundation for our understanding of stellar evolution and the composition of stars.

#astronomy #womeninscience