Science and Medicine
This founder of modern nursing is known for her work caring for soldiers in the Crimean War. She later established the basis of nursing education and helped to make hospitals cleaner and safer.
Florence Nightingale
This judge and professor was the first Jewish female Supreme Court Justice. She devoted her whole life to fighting for equal pay and opportunities for women and all others under the law.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
This royal was known was ‘The People's Princess.’ She devoted her time to helping the less fortunate, particularly those struggling with illnesses like cancer, AIDS, and leprosy.
Princess Diana
This writer invented her own style of writing and encouraged women to question society through works like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.
Jane Austen
This Mexican painter pushed boundaries when it came to art and societal expectations for women. She is remembered for drawing attention to Mexican and Indigenous culture through her paintings and for her haunting self-portraits.
Frida Kahlo
This scientist won two Nobel Prizes for discovering radioactivity and isolating pure radium. Her discoveries transformed the medical field and she later became the first female professor at the Sorbonne.
Marie Curie
This activist played a major role in ending slavery and paving the way for women to vote in the US. She founded the National Woman Suffrage Association and the International Council of Women.
Susan B. Anthony
This First Lady was an advocate for the Women’s and Civil Rights Movements. She served as the first American delegate to the United Nations and helped to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Eleanor Roosevelt
This I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings author inspired many with her works about the Civil Rights Movement and the status of women. She also won many awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Maya Angelou
This I Love Lucy actress and comedian was the first woman to own a major studio. She paved the way for many women in comedy and business, creating mentorship programs and equality organizations.
Lucille Ball
This nurse is remembered for her daring heroics in bringing supplies and help to soldiers on the battlefield during the American Civil War. She later founded and led the Red Cross for twenty-three years.
Clara Barton
This former slave and activist campaigned for the rights of women an minorities, met with President Lincoln about ending slavery, and was the first Black woman to sue a white man and win.
Sojourner Truth
This Empress is credited with modernizing Russia by implementing educational and legal reforms, advocating for gender equality, and promoting Russian literature and culture.
Catherine the Great
This author and abolitionist popularized the anti-slavery movement with her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. She was also part of the Underground Railroad and the Women’s Rights Movement.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
This “Proud Mary” R&B singer sold over 100 million albums and won 12 Grammy Awards. She still holds the Guiness World Record for selling more concert tickets than any other solo performer.
Tina Turner
This astronaut was the first American woman in space. She was part of the crew on the Challenger and her participation in the mission helped to pave the way for other women to go to space.
Sally Ride
This writer and activist was known as the ‘Mother of Feminism’. She campaigned for the Equal Rights Act, founded the National Women’s Political Caucus, and created New York Magazine.
Gloria Steinem
This UK Prime Minister was the first woman elected to lead a European country. Her measures helped to strengthen the efficiency of the British economy and bring an end to the Cold War.
Margaret Thatcher
This author of Jane Eyre and other influential works is remembered as one of the most famous Victorian writers for using her words to contradict societal norms and inspire oppressed women.
Charlotte Bronte
This Philadelphia Story actress won four Oscars. She only accepted roles that portrayed women as intelligent and independent and fought against ageism and the gender pay gap in Hollywood.
Katherine Hepburn
This mathematician has been called the world’s original computer programmer. She created the first programming language and wrote the first algorithm for an early computing machine.
Ada Lovelace
This activist advocated for the rights of farmers, helping create the Agricultural Workers’ Association and United Farm Workers. Her organization of boycotts led to advancements in collective bargaining.
Dolores Huerta
This politician was India’s first female Prime Minister. Known for her tough leadership style, she was a major advocate for the rights of the poor and environmental conservation.
Indira Gandhi
This Annie Allen writer was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature. She used her poetry and novels to spread awareness of Black culture and history.
Gwendolyn Brooks
This musician, who wrote the Civil Rights Movement protest song “Strange Fruit”, is known as one of the greatest jazz singers of all time. She won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her work.
Billie Holiday