People & firearms history
Annie Oakley
A professional markswoman who turned extraordinary rifle and shotgun skill into a global stage career.
Photo: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
Connection to firearms
Born Phoebe Ann Moses, Annie Oakley used her marksmanship to help support her family, won a shooting match at age 15, and became a featured performer with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West. Her act made precision shooting visible to large audiences in the United States and Europe.
Why they matter
Oakley became one of the most recognizable women in a male-dominated shooting profession. She also supported orphan charities, raised money for the Red Cross through shooting demonstrations during World War I, and later taught shooting to women.
Gun-related biography
Annie Oakley was born Phoebe Ann Moses in rural Darke County, Ohio, in 1860. As a girl, she helped support her family by shooting game and selling it. At fifteen, she won a shooting match against touring champion Frank Butler; they later married and built a professional partnership.
Oakley joined Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West in 1885 and became famous for feats that included splitting cards, snuffing candles, and shooting corks from bottles. Her performances in the United States and Europe made a woman with a rifle one of the era’s most recognizable public images.
Her work continued beyond entertainment. Oakley gave money to orphan charities, offered to organize female sharpshooters during World War I, and instead raised Red Cross funds through demonstrations at military camps. She later gave shooting lessons to women.
Sources and further reading
Known quotes
"I've made a good deal of money in my time, but I never believe in wasting a dollar of it."
– Annie Oakley, quoted by PBS American Experience.