Long before the screen placed the face of Mary Pickford before the eyes
of millions of Americans, this girl, born August 13, 1860 as Phoebe Anne
Oakley Moses, had won the right to the title of "America's Sweetheart."
Having grown up learning to shoot game to help support her family, Annie
won first prize and met her future husband at a shooting match when she
was fifteen years old. He convinced her to change her name to Annie
Oakley and became her husband, manager, and number-one fan for the next
fifty years. Annie quickly gained worldwide fame as an incredible crack
shot, and could amaze audiences at her uncanny accuracy with nearly any
rifle or pistol, whether aiming at stationary objects or shooting
fast-flying targets from the cockpit of a moving airplane. Despite
struggles with her health and even a long, drawn-out legal battle with
media magnate William Randolph Hearst, Annie Oakley poured her energy
into advocating for the U.S. military, encouraging women to engage in
sport shooting, and supporting orphans.