Wonder Woman of the Week: Wang Zhenyi

Qing Dynasty China was not known for strong women's rights. For one woman however, that didn't stop her from educating herself and becoming one of the greatest mathematicians and astronomers in world history. Wang Zhenyi was born in 18th Century China when it was illegal for women to obtain an education. Wang did not let that stop her however. The young woman educated herself in the fields of astronomy, mathematics, geography, and medicine with the help of her father and grandparents. While spending time along the Great Wall, Wang spent five years learning archery, equestrian skills, and martial arts from the wife of a Mongolian general.

Wang Zhenyi expanded on knowledge of patterns of lunar and solar eclipses- greatly improving the knowledge of these astronomical events in contemporary Chinese science. Zhengyi also blended knowledge from European mathematics like the theories of Pythagoras with East Asian scientific observations to discover scientific explanations for astronomical occurrences. Wang also went on to write poetry revolving around the social stratification of ethnicity and gender in Qing China- openly expressing the issues women and minorities faced in her country. Wang died before turning thirty, but her work has survived as examples of important scientific discoveries in astronomy.