Hertha Marks Ayrton was a pioneering scientist and inventor, born on April 28, 1854. Known as the "tamer of lightning," she even wrote a book on the subject — The Electric Arc — published in 1902. She was the first woman to be elected a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.
By adding copper plating to the electrical components within arc lights, Ayrton was able to control the "lightning" inside them, making the lights safer and more efficient. During World War I, she also invented a hand-powered fan to help disperse noxious gases from trenches on the Western Front. Hertha Marks Ayrton passed away on August 23, 1923, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy that continues to inspire women in science and engineering.
