Jeannette Piccard held a pilot's license in 1934 and set an altitude record for women balloonists that stood for 28 years. She had a doctorate in organic chemistry from Chicago. At 79, she became one of the first eleven women ordained as Episcopal priests in 1974 — in a ceremony the Church called irregular before later recognizing as valid. She died in 1981. Her twin brother Auguste set a separate balloon altitude record and inspired a Star Trek character.
January 5, 1895
131 years ago
What Else Happened on January 5
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