A Woman Worked In A Candy Factory But Didn’t Suspect Her Later Career Would Make History
The line moves along, and a young woman checks over the candy as it passes in front of her. It’s not the most interesting job, but it’s putting Mary Tornich through college. And when she graduates, she’s going to move on to a much more interesting career, culminating in a role that will truly create history.
Important figure
Later known under her married name, Mary Tornich Janislawski didn’t work in a candy factory for the rest of her days. No, she would become an important figure in the world of navigation. But her work was not simply bound to the sea. It found a realm where her discoveries would become significant in opening up new worlds.
Long life
Janislawski lived to 90, and of course if you enjoy that long a life, you’re likely to have some colorful experiences. She lived through World War II, and she had a part to play there too. Not as a combatant — she had a distaste for warlike endeavors — but in a role that was in keeping with her talents.
Rare skill
What were those talents? Well, Janislawski had a rare skill that brought her to notice at a young age: she had a tremendous ability in math. And in an age where women were seen by many as having no facility for numbers, well, she proved the naysayers wrong, excelling in a way few men could hope to match.
California girl
Early in the summer of 1908 a pair of people who had made their home in San Francisco, California, but were originally from Europe — specifically Italy and Yugoslavia — welcomed a daughter. They called her Mary. Not much is known about her childhood, except that she seemed to have had a fascination with aviation, creating a pilot’s cap out of felt.
