On This Day in Herstory, August 31st 1869, Mary Ward, an Irish scientist, astronomer, author and artist, died at the age of 42; she is the first person known to have been killed by a motor vehicle.
Just like most girls at the time, Ward and her sisters were educated at home, however, she came from a family that was renowned for its scientific prowess; and as such, from a young age she developed an interest in the natural world. Ward dabbled in astronomy, her cousin was crucial in the construction of a reflecting telescope with a six-foot mirror; at every stage of construction Ward produced detailed sketches of the instrument, these sketches were essential in the recent restoration of the telescope.
Ward also enjoyed creating highly detailed sketches of insects, this interest led to her procurement of a microscope. She read everything she could find about microscopy and became a self taught expert. She even went as far as to make her own slides using ivory, as glass was not easy to secure at the time. Despite her passions and education, Universities and societies would not accept women into their ranks at this time. Ward pursued knowledge in every way that was in her means, frequently writing to scientists to ask about papers they had written.
In 1857 Ward decided to make her knowledge public, however found it difficult to find a publisher that accepted the scientific workings of women. She chose to publish her first book privately, and after some success the work was released again under a new publisher; this work was reprinted eight times due to its success. She published several articles and a few more books, with two of her publications being chosen to go on display at the international exhibition at the Crystal Palace in 1862.
Her death at such a young age was a tremendous loss to the scientific community, as she proved herself as one of the best known authors on the use of a microscope.
