Strickland’s win is historic in more than one way. It’s been 55 years since the last time a woman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. And Strickland is only the third woman to receive the prize in the Nobel’s 117-year existence.

Maria Goeppert Mayer, a German American physicist, won in 1963 for her work describing the structure of the atomic nucleus. Before that, the Polish-French physicist Marie Curie won in 1903 for her role in the discovery of radiation. She shared the prize with her collaborators: her husband, Pierre Curie, and the scientist Henri Becquerel. The French Academy of Sciences had actually only nominated the men for the prize; Curie was included at her husband’s insistence.

After Tuesday’s announcement, Strickland’s name started flying around the internet. Stories popped up celebrating her win and what it means for women in physics and other science fields. This is usually the case with relatively unknown Nobel winners, but there was something quite unusual about Strickland’s blossoming recognition. As the day passed, her story was commemorated in the digital record in real time on Wikipedia.

For a test of Wikipedia, watch the profile of Donna Strickland being filled up in real time https://t.co/dhgaCFy5RO #NobelPrize — Akshat Rathi (@AkshatRathi) October 2, 2018

Unlike her fellow winners, Strickland did not have a Wikipedia page at the time of the announcement. A Wikipedia user tried to set up a page in May, but it was denied by a moderator with the message: “This submission’s references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article.” Strickland, it was determined, had not received enough dedicated coverage elsewhere on the internet to warrant a page.

On Tuesday, a newly created page flooded with edits: “Added in her title.” “Add Nobel-winning paper.” “Added names of other women Nobelists [sic] in physics.”

The construction of the Wikipedia page feels like a metaphor for a historic award process that has long been criticized for neglecting women in its selection, and for the shortage of women’s stories in the sciences at large. To scroll through the “history” tab of Strickland’s page, where all edits are recorded and tracked, is to witness in real time the recognition of a scientist whose story likely deserved attention long before the Nobel Prize committee called.

Strickland herself was surprised to learn she was the third woman to receive the honor in physics. “Is that all, really? I thought there might have been more,” she said at a press conference Tuesday. “We need to celebrate women physicists, because we’re out there. Hopefully, in time, it will start to move forward at a faster rate.”

Forty-eight women have been awarded a Nobel Prize from 1901 to 2017, compared with 892 men. (With regard to the 2018 tally, there are still a few more prizes in other areas to be announced this week.)