Origins & Early Life

Anna Johnson Pell Wheeler (née Johnson; May 5, 1883 – March 26, 1966) was an American mathematician. She is best known for early work on linear algebra in infinite dimensions, which has later become a part of functional analysis. Anna Johnson was born on May 5, 1883, to Swedish immigrant parents in Calliope, Iowa in the United States. Her father, Andrew Gustav Johnson, was a furniture dealer and undertaker.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Her mother, Amelia (née Friberg), was a homemaker. Both of Johnson's parents came from the parish of Lyrestad, in Västergötland, Sweden. Johnson had two older siblings, Esther and Elmer. At the age of nine her family moved to Akron, Iowa and she was enrolled in a private school. In 1899 she joined her sister at the University of South Dakota where they took many of the same classes.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

She graduated in 1903 and began graduate work at the University of Iowa. Her thesis, titled The extension of Galois theory to linear differential equations, earned her a master's degree in 1904. She obtained a second graduate degree one year later from Radcliffe College, where she took courses from Maxime Bôcher and William Fogg Osgood. In 1905 she won an Alice Freeman Palmer Fellowship...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke — Contemporary (Born in 1883) (1883): British Field Marshal and Chief of the Imperial General Staff during WWII.
• Alexander Gettler — Contemporary (Born in 1883) (1883): Pioneering American forensic toxicologist and father of modern medicolegal investigation.
• Alexander Yegorov (general) — Contemporary (Born in 1883) (1883): Soviet military leader and one of the original Marshals of the Soviet Union.
• A. R. Rahman — Contemporary (Born in 1966) (1966): Visionary Indian composer celebrated for blending global sounds with cinematic emotion.
• Abe Saperstein — Contemporary (Died in 1966) (1966): Founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, revolutionized black basketball.
• Abu Musab al-Zarqawi — Contemporary (Born in 1966) (1966): Jordanian jihadist militant known for orchestrating violence in Iraq (1966–2006)
• Adele — Shared historical date (05-05 · Born) (1988): Iconic English singer-songwriter celebrated for powerful mezzo-soprano vocals.
• Alice Milliat — Shared historical date (05-05 · Born) (1884): Pioneering figure in women's sport, instrumental in Olympic inclusion and global athletic organization.
• Alan Arkin — Shared historical date (03-26 · Born) (1934): Esteemed American actor, filmmaker, and musician with a seven-decade career.
• Alan Silvestri — Shared historical date (03-26 · Born) (1950): Award-winning composer renowned for epic film scores, especially for blockbuster franchises.
• 1883 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1883
• May 5 (05-05) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on May 5
• 1966 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1966
• March 26 (03-26) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on March 26