Mary Anning was a pioneering palaeontologist and fossil collector. Her lifetime was a constellation of firsts.
She was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, in the southwest English county of Dorset. Lyme Regis is now part of what is now called the Jurassic Coast, and discoveries are still being made to this day.
Mary died from breast cancer in 1847. She was only 47 years old, and still in financial strain despite a lifetime of extraordinary scientific discoveries.
Today the Natural History Museum in London showcases several of Mary Anning’s spectacular finds, including her ichthyosaur, plesiosaur and pterosaur. Much like they did two centuries ago, her fossils continue to captivate visitors from around the world.