Annie Oakley, the poor back-country orphan girl who made her way to world-wide fame, was born in Ohio and could shoot the head off a running quail by the time she was twelve years old. At a mere 5 feet tall, Annie could handle a rifle or a six-gun with a mastery unsurpassed by that of any human being before her time. Once, at the invitation of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, she knocked the ashes off a cigarette he was holding in his mouth. When she out-shot the great marksman, Frank Butler, he fell in love with her and they married, living happily together until death. In 1901 Annie suffered a spinal injury in a train wreck that required five operations and left her temporarily partially paralyzed. Although she recovered, Annie toured less frequently during the latter part of her career. Nevertheless, her shooting expertise did not suffer and she continued to set records. In a shooting contest in North Carolina 62 year old Annie hit 100 clay targets straight from the 16 yard mark. During her life, Annie overcame poverty, mistreatment and physical injury with her determination. She played a key role in breaking barriers for women in her sport. She showed great compassion and generosity to widows and young women and was known to give up her medals for money for orphans.
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