In the year 1811, on the rugged cliffs of Lyme Regis, England, a 12-year-old girl named Mary Anning and her brother made a discovery that would change science forever — a 17-foot Ichthyosaurus, the first of its kind ever found. 🐉💎

Born into poverty, Mary had little formal education. Yet, armed with curiosity and determination, she taught herself geology and anatomy, studying every rock and bone she could find. 📚💪
While most young girls of her time were expected to stay at home, Mary was out on the dangerous cliffs, hammer in hand, uncovering secrets buried for millions of years.

Over the next two decades, she went on to discover the Plesiosaurus (1823) and Britain’s first pterosaur (1828) — fossils that helped rewrite humanity’s understanding of prehistoric life. 🦴✨
But recognition did not come easily. Male scientists often took credit for her work, and her name was left out of the books she helped to fill with discovery. 💔

Even tragedy could not break her spirit — in 1833, a landslide nearly took her life and claimed her loyal dog Tray, her constant companion on every fossil hunt. 🐾🌧️

Mary passed away in 1847, but her legacy endures. Today, her fossils fill the Natural History Museum, and the Jurassic Coast proudly honors her name. 🏛️🌈

She didn’t just uncover fossils — she uncovered the story of Earth itself, piece by piece, stone by stone.
A girl who began with nothing but wonder, and gave the world the gift of history written in stone. 🕊️💫