Henrietta Swan Leavitt

American astronomer and human calculator (1868–1921)
Person human Q110181
Henrietta Swan Leavitt
William Henry credited as photographer in the Woman Citizen issue where this photo appeared. · Public Domain · Wikimedia
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Henrietta Swan Leavitt

Summary

Henrietta Swan Leavitt is a human[1]. Her place of birth was Lancaster[2]. She was born on July 4, 1868[3]. She died in Cambridge[4]. She died on December 12, 1921[5]. She worked as an astronomer[6] and computer[7]. She ranks in the top 0.69% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (176 views/month, #6,918 of 1,000,298).[8]

Key Facts

  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's place of birth was Lancaster[2].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt passed away in Cambridge[4].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born on July 4, 1868[3].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt died on December 12, 1921[5].
  • Burial took place at Cambridge Cemetery[9].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's father was Rev. George Roswell Leavitt[10].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's mother was Henrietta Swan Kendrick[11].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt held citizenship in United States[12].
  • English was Henrietta Swan Leavitt's native language[13].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt worked as an astronomer[6].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt worked as a computer[7].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's field of work was astronomy[14].
  • Among Henrietta Swan Leavitt's employers was Harvard University[15].
  • Among Henrietta Swan Leavitt's employers was Harvard College Observatory[16].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's education included a stint at Radcliffe College[17].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was educated at Harvard University[18].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's education included a stint at Oberlin College[19].
  • A notable work attributed to Henrietta Swan Leavitt is standard candle[20].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society[21].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of Harvard Computers[22].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of American Astronomical Society[23].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of American Association for the Advancement of Science[24].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of American Association of University Women[25].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt was a member of American Association of Variable Star Observers[26].
  • Henrietta Swan Leavitt's religion is recorded as Eastern Orthodoxy[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born in Lancaster[2]. She was born on July 4, 1868[3]. Her father was Rev. George Roswell Leavitt[10]. Her mother was Henrietta Swan Kendrick[11]. English was her native language[13].

Education

Educated at Radcliffe College[17], a college[28], in United States[29], founded in 1879[30]; Harvard University[18], a private university[31], in United States[32], founded in 1636[33], headquartered in Cambridge[34]; and Oberlin College[19], a college[35], in United States[36], founded in 1833[37], headquartered in Oberlin[38].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include astronomer[6] and computer[7]. Henrietta Swan Leavitt's field of work was astronomy[14]. Employers include Harvard University[15], a private university[39], in United States[40], founded in 1636[41], headquartered in Cambridge[42] and Harvard College Observatory[16], an astronomical observatory[43], in United States[44], founded in 1839[45], headquartered in Cambridge[46].

Works and Contributions

A notable work attributed to Henrietta Swan Leavitt is standard candle[20]. Things named for her include Leavitt[47], a lunar crater[48].

Personal Life

Henrietta Swan Leavitt's religion is recorded as Eastern Orthodoxy[27].

Death and Burial

Henrietta Swan Leavitt died on December 12, 1921[5]. She passed away in Cambridge[4]. The cause of death was cancer[49]. Burial took place at Cambridge Cemetery[9].

Why It Matters

Henrietta Swan Leavitt ranks in the top 0.69% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (176 views/month, #6,918 of 1,000,298).[8] She has Wikipedia articles in 28 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[50] She is known by 37 alternative names across languages and contexts.[51]

She has been cited as an influence by Margaret Harwood[52], an astronomer[53], 1885–1979[54], of United States[55], awarded the honorary degree[56].

She is credited with the discovery of T Pyxidis[57], a cataclysmic variable star[58] and Period-luminosity relation[59]. Entities named for her include Leavitt[47], a lunar crater[48].

FAQs

Where was Henrietta Swan Leavitt born?

Born in Lancaster[2], Henrietta Swan Leavitt…

Where did Henrietta Swan Leavitt die?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt died in Cambridge[4].

Who were Henrietta Swan Leavitt's parents?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt's father was Rev. George Roswell Leavitt[10]. Henrietta Swan Leavitt's mother was Henrietta Swan Kendrick[11].

What did Henrietta Swan Leavitt do for work?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt worked as astronomer[6] and computer[7].

Where did Henrietta Swan Leavitt go to school?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt was educated at Radcliffe College[17], Harvard University[18], and Oberlin College[19].

Who did Henrietta Swan Leavitt influence?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt has been cited as an influence by Margaret Harwood[52].

What did Henrietta Swan Leavitt discover?

Henrietta Swan Leavitt is credited as discoverer of T Pyxidis[57] and Period-luminosity relation[59].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  3. [10] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  4. [11] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  5. [12] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  6. [17] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  7. [18] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  8. [19] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  9. [14] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  10. [13] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  11. [6] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  12. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  13. [15] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  14. [16] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  15. [9] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  16. [27] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  17. [21] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  18. [22] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  19. [23] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  20. [24] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  21. [25] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  22. [26] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  23. [49] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  24. [3] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  25. [5] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  26. [20] ↑ . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [52] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [57] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [59] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [47] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [31] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [32] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [33] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [34] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [35] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [36] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [37] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [38] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [39] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [40] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [41] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [42] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [43] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [44] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [45] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [46] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [53] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [54] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [55] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [56] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [58] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [48] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [8] ↑ . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [50] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [51] ↑ . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Henrietta Swan Leavitt. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/henrietta-swan-leavitt
MLA “Henrietta Swan Leavitt.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 5 Oct. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/henrietta-swan-leavitt.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_henrietta-swan-leavitt_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Henrietta Swan Leavitt}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/henrietta-swan-leavitt}, note = {Accessed: 2026-10-05}}
LLM prompt According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Henrietta Swan Leavitt — https://4ort.xyz/entity/henrietta-swan-leavitt (retrieved 2026-10-05)

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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 4w ago · Ferran Mir · 2026-09-04 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Relative → John Leavitt, Erasmus Darwin Leavitt, Jr., Erasmus Darwin Leavitt
    "/* wbsetclaim-update:2||1 */ [[Property:P69]]: [[Q616591]]"
  2. 4w ago · Ferran Mir · 2026-09-04 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Bibsys id → 6047069
    Nacsis-cat author id → DA16057823
    Image → Henrietta Swan Leavitt 1921.png, Henrietta Swan Leavitt.jpg
    "/* wbsetclaim-update:2||1 */ [[Property:P20]]: [[Q49111]]"
  3. 4w ago · Ferran Mir · 2026-09-04 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Viaf cluster id → 47876856, 390149294145680521092
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:2||1 */ [[Property:P214]]: 390149294145680521092"
  4. 14w ago · Printstream · 2026-06-25 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14536 → 411623
    "/* wbcreateclaim-create:1| */ [[Property:P14536]]: 411623, #quickstatements; #temporary_batch_1782398664614"
  5. 16w ago · Jindřich Rubeš · 2026-06-11 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Svkkl authority id → 0252111-Leavitt-Henrietta-Swan-18681921
    Local thumb → —
    "/* wbcreateclaim-create:1| */ [[Property:P9322]]: 0252111-Leavitt-Henrietta-Swan-18681921, [[:toollabs:quickstatements/#/batch/259473|batch #259473]]"
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