Origins & Early Life

Helen Gibson (born Rose August Wenger; August 27, 1892 – October 10, 1977) was an American film actress, vaudeville performer, radio performer, film producer, trick rider, and rodeo performer; and is considered to be the first American professional stunt woman. She was born Rose August Wenger in Cleveland, Ohio, one of five girls to Swiss-German parents, Fred and Annie Wenger. Her father had wanted a son, and encouraged her to be a tomboy. Helen saw her first Wild West show in Cleveland in the summer of 1909 and answered a Miller Brothers 101 Ranch ad for girl riders in Billboard magazine.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

They taught her to ride, and she performed in her first 101 Ranch Real Wild West Show in St. Louis in April 1910. She was quoted as saying: "(I) was already practicing picking up a handkerchief from the ground at full gallop. When veteran riders told me I could get kicked in the head, I paid no heed. Such things might happen to others, but could never happen to me, I believed.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

We barnstormed all over the US and the season ended all too soon. I was sorry when I had to go home, and could hardly wait to open in Boston in the spring of 1911." When...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Akira Mutō — Contemporary (Born in 1892) (1892): Imperial Japanese Army General implicated in war crimes during WWII.
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• Arthur Compton — Contemporary (Born in 1892) (1892): Pioneering physicist known for the Compton effect and contributions to nuclear science.
• A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada — Contemporary (Died in 1977) (1977): Pioneering global spread of Krishna consciousness teachings and the Hare Krishna mantra.
• Aleksandr Vasilevsky — Contemporary (Died in 1977) (1977): A pivotal Soviet general who commanded forces during WWII and served as Minister of Defense.
• Anaïs Nin — Contemporary (Died in 1977) (1977): Pioneering diarist and author whose intimate writings explored sexuality and the subconscious.
• Amalia Fuentes — Shared historical date (08-27 · Born) (1940): Filipino actress, known as the Queen of Philippine Movies in the 1960s.
• Baal Shem Tov — Shared historical date (08-27 · Born) (1698): Founder of Hasidic Judaism, a Jewish mystic from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
• Abdul Qadeer Khan — Shared historical date (10-10 · Died) (2021): Pakistani nuclear physicist, known as the 'father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program'
• Abel Tasman — Shared historical date (10-10 · Died) (1659): Dutch explorer famed for charting Tasmania and New Zealand for the VOC.
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