Alice Mitchell was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 11, 1872. In 1892 she gained notoriety for murdering her lover Freda Ward. Her trial, which led to her institutionalization, became national news and increased the visibility of lesbianism. Mitchell died on March 31, 1898. You can read reprints of two significant analyses of her experiences here: Alice Mitchell Murders Freda Ward in Memphis, 1892.