Rachel Carson was born on May 27, 1907. From age eleven, she started to publish stories in St. Nicholas magazine.
Short story "A Battle in the Clouds" published by Rachel Carson in St. Nicholas Magazine, 1918, rachelcarson.org
RACHEL CARSON
"Rachel's like the mid-day sun, always very bright, never stops her studying, 'till she gets it right."
~ Carson's classmates at Parnassus High
Rachel Carson with her mother and two siblings, 1910, Rachel Carson Council
Carson went to the Pennsylvania College for Women. She was encouraged to major in biology instead of English by her biology professor. Carson earned a Master’s degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins University, which was impressive for women at the time.
Rachel Carson's application to Johns Hopkins University, 1928, The Sheridan Libraries and University Museums Blog
Rachel Carson's "placement file" to help her look for jobs, 1935, The Sheridan Libraries and University Museums Blog
Carson was appointed to the Bureau of Fisheries as an aquatic biologist in 1936, and stood out in the male-dominated profession. She was invited to join the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1943. Carson also published her first two books about the ocean, Under the Sea Wind and The Sea Around Us. As a scientist and a writer, Carson had experience conveying scientific information clearly to the public.