Origins & Early Life

Aileen Carol Wuornos (; née Pittman; February 29, 1956 – October 9, 2002) was an American serial killer. Between 1989 and 1990, while engaging in street prostitution along highways in Florida, Wuornos shot, killed, and robbed seven of her male clients. She initially claimed that her victims had either raped or attempted to rape her, and that the homicides were committed in self-defense, but later abandoned this defense. Wuornos was sentenced to death for six of the murders and was executed in 2002 after spending more than ten years on Florida's death row.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Aileen Carol Pittman was born on February 29, 1956, in Rochester, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Her mother, Diane Wuornos, was 14 years old when she married Aileen's father, 18-year-old Leo Pittman, on June 3, 1954. On March 14, 1955, Diane gave birth to Aileen's older brother Keith. After less than two years of marriage, and two months before Aileen was born, Diane filed for divorce. She gave birth to Aileen at the age of 16.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In January 1960, when Wuornos was almost four years old, Diane abandoned her children, leaving them with their maternal grandparents, Lauri and Britta Wuornos, who legally adopted Keith and...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. A. Milne — Contemporary (Died in 1956) (1956): Celebrated English author, famed for Winnie-the-Pooh and children's literature.
• Alan Davis — Contemporary (Born in 1956) (1956): English comic book writer and artist known for Captain Britain and X-Men work.
• Alan Eustace — Contemporary (Born in 1956) (1956): Pioneering computer scientist known for his work at Google and record-breaking space dive.
• Abba Eban — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• Alexander Prokhorov — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): Soviet physicist known for fundamental work on optics, leading to the laser and maser.
• Astrid Lindgren — Contemporary (Died in 2002) (2002): Iconic Swedish children's author, celebrated for imaginative tales and advocacy.
• Augusta Savage — Shared historical date (02-29 · Born) (1892): Pioneering sculptor and influential teacher of the Harlem Renaissance.
• Bartholomew I of Constantinople — Shared historical date (02-29 · Born) (1940): Current Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, leading Eastern Orthodoxy.
• Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan — Shared historical date (10-09 · Died) (705): Fifth Umayyad Caliph who consolidated Islamic rule and reformed the state.
• Aimee Semple McPherson — Shared historical date (10-09 · Born) (1890): Pioneering Pentecostal evangelist, famous for founding the Foursquare Church.
• 1956 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1956
• February 29 (02-29) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 29
• 2002 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2002
• October 9 (10-09) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 9