Women across the globe have been fighting for equal rights for themselves and for others since the beginning of time. Yes, we're still often faced with blatant discrimination (opens in new tab)on the basis of sex, but real progress has been made. For inspiration that'll drive you to make your own mark on the world, find inspiration in the women, ahead, who have shifted our culture in meaningful ways.
Amelia Earhart, 1920s
In 1928, Earhart was the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean (opens in new tab). She was also the 16th woman to be issued a pilot's license. She mysteriously disappeared during a flight in 1937, and was pronounced legally dead two years later.
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1930s
When her husband FDR took office, Eleanor didn't just stand by—she dramatically changed the role of the first lady (opens in new tab), advocating for human rights, women's rights, and children's causes. She went on to become chair of the U.N.'s Human Rights Commission in 1945.
Grace Hopper, 1930s
In 1934, Hopper earned her Ph.D. in mathematics (opens in new tab), becoming one of the very few women to hold such a degree. She went on to help "develop a compiler that was a precursor to the widely used COBOL language" for computers, and she became a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy.
Frida Kahlo, 1930s
A force in the art world, Kahlo became known in Mexico and around the world for creating thought-provoking works grounded in magical realism (opens in new tab). Her 1938 self-portrait, titled "The Frame," was the first work by a 20th-century Mexican artist to ever be featured in the Louvre.
Hedy Lamarr, 1940s
The "Golden Age" actress was credited for helping to co-invent a radio signaling device (opens in new tab), a.k.a a “Secret Communications System.” The system changed radio frequencies to confuse and hinder enemies during World War II, and it's a crucial part of how we communicate wirelessly today.
Naomi Parker, 1940s
This photo of Parker bending over machinery with her hair pulled back in a red bandana was the inspiration behind behind "Rosie the Riveter (opens in new tab)." A version of Rosie was published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1943 in a patriotic campaign to get women into the workforce, but the iconic photo was originally created as a poster for Westinghouse Electric Corporation with the now-popular phrase,”We Can Do It.”
Anne Frank, 1940s
Frank was a young Jewish girl who died in a concentration camp in 1945. Her father, Otto Frank, escaped and published his daughter's now-famous diaries (opens in new tab) in 1947, which chronicled her experiences during the Holocaust. Her writing has helped historians (and readers) better understand the time.
Lucille Ball, 1950s
The beloved sitcom I Love Lucy (opens in new tab) made its television debut in 1951. Ball became known as one of America’s top comedians for her iconic role on the show, which had storylines about marital issues and women in the workforce.
Queen Elizabeth II, 1950s
After the death of her father King George VI, Elizabeth became Queen on February 6, 1952, but her official coronation wasn’t until June 2, 1953. She is Britain’s longest-reigning monarch (opens in new tab) to date, and she’s made numerous changes to the monarchy during her rule.
Rosa Parks, 1950s
Back in the '50s, the rule in Montgomery, Alabama, was that if a bus became full, the seats at the front would be given to white passengers. Parks, a leader in the local NAACP and the civil rights movement, iconically refused to give up her seat. Her willingness to disobey the rule helped to spark the Montgomery boycott (opens in new tab) and other efforts to end segregation in America.
Ella Fitzgerald, 1950s
She was already a widely-known American jazz singer when, in 1958, she made history, becoming the first African American woman to win a Grammy (opens in new tab). She collected two that year: best individual jazz performance and best female vocal performance.
Althea Gibson, 1950s
Serena Williams might be the most famous tennis player on earth, but she might not have gotten her start if not for the persistence of Althea Gibson. In 1951, Gibson made her historic debut (opens in new tab) as the first African American woman to play at Wimbledon.
Margaret Sanger, 1960s
Sanger, a feminist and women's rights activist, coined the term "birth control." She wrote pamphlets and opened a women's health clinic decades before her biggest achievement—getting the Food and Drug Administration to approve the first oral contraceptive (opens in new tab), Enovid, in 1960, six years before her death.
Rita Moreno, 1960s
After starring in the 1961 film adaptation of The West Side Story, Moreno rocketed into superstardom (opens in new tab), going on to work in Hollywood and on Broadway in numerous roles. Today, she is still the only Latino to earn the coveted EGOT (which means she's won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony).
Betty Friedan, 1960s
Friedan is best known for writing the book The Feminine Mystique (opens in new tab), which encourages women to seek more opportunities for themselves outside traditional home-based roles. She went on to co-found and become president of the National Organization for Women.
Jane Goodall, 1960s
Goodall began studying chimpanzees (opens in new tab) in the Gombe Stream National Park of Tanzania in 1960, and her extensive research (which has spanned almost 60 years) has provided some of the most groundbreaking insight into the minds and social lives of our closest relative, chimpanzees. The primatologist and anthropologist went on to found the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 as well as the Roots and Shoots program in 1991 as an effort to encourage wildlife conservation efforts.
Indira Gandhi, 1960s
In 1966, Gandhi became the third prime minister of India, and is one of few examples of women rising to power (opens in new tab) in the country. She continued in her role for more than 20 years until she was assassinated in 1984.
Katherine G. Johnson, 1960s
Johnson, a mathematician, was one of the brains behind the complex calculations that helped us fly into space. In 1969, she helped to successfully send the first man to the moon (opens in new tab). Her work is highlighted in the film Hidden Figures, about the pioneering African American women at NASA.
Celia Cruz, 1960s
When she joined forces with the popular band Sonora Matancera in 1950, Cruz had no idea that she would become the voice of a nation; throughout the '60s, the "Queen of Salsa" (opens in new tab)became one of the most prolific musicians in Latin America. At the same time, Cruz championed the cause of her fellow Cubans during the regime of Fidel Castro, speaking out against the violence of his government.
Shirley Chisholm, 1960s–70s
In 1968, Chisholm made history when she became the first Black woman to be elected into Congress. The Brooklyn-born activist and political leader later entered the 1975 Democratic presidential race—the first woman and the first Black American to do so.
Germaine Greer, 1970s
Greer was well-known for holding radical feminist (opens in new tab)views, and her book The Female Eunuch, published in 1970, was pivotal in post-second wave feminism literature. Her book explores how society imposes expected behaviors on women.
Angela Davis, 1970s
Known for her progressive politics and work to abolish prisons, scholar and activist Angela Davis has been at the forefront of leftist causes–including the feminist movement, the Black Panther Party, and the anti-war effort–for over half-a-century. In 1970, the state of California prosecuted and wrongfully imprisoned Davis for three capital felonies, including conspiracy to murder, after an armed standoff occurred in a Marin County courtroom. She was released over a year later, in 1972. Undaunted, she continues to advocate for civil rights, gender equity, and prison abolition.
Aretha Franklin, 1970s
Memphis-born and Detroit-raised, Franklin was destined to be a legend. She got her start singing gospel music but made her name (opens in new tab)in soul with songs like "Chain of Fools," "Rock Steady," and the iconic anthem "Respect." In 1987, she was the first woman ever to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Junko Tabei, 1970s
Mountaineer Junko Tabei shattered gender norms in 1975 when she became the first woman to successfully climb Mount Everest (opens in new tab). She strengthened her legacy by later becoming the first woman ever to reach the Seven Peaks (the highest points of the earth's seven continents) in 1992.
Miriam Makeba, 1970s
Nicknamed "Mama Africa," Makeba is renowned throughout South Africa and the rest of the continent for her endless activism (opens in new tab). She used her global platform as a singer-songwriter to speak against apartheid in the '70s and '80s, calling attention to the plight of black South Africans through her music.
Meryl Streep, 1980s
Streep has now broken her own record for most Oscar nominations (opens in new tab)—21 to be exact. Her first nomination was for 1978's The Deer Hunter, but she didn't end up winning an Oscar until 1980 for her performance in Kramer vs. Kramer.
Benazir Bhutto, 1980s
Bhutto became the first woman prime minister of Pakistan (opens in new tab) in 1988. After a military coup overthrew her father's government, she inherited leadership of the Pakistan People's Party . She pushed for open elections, and won, just three months after giving birth.
Sandra Day O'Connor, 1980s
In 1981, O'Connor became the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court (opens in new tab). O'Connor was nominated by President Ronald Reagan, and the senate vote to appoint her was unanimous. She was a key swing vote in upholding big cases, like Roe v. Wade.
Sally Ride, 1980s
Ride became the first American woman to travel to space (opens in new tab) on the shuttle Challenger in 1983. The astrophysicist and Stanford-grad beat out at least 1,000 other applicants for a spot in the NASA astronaut program.
Amy Tan, 1980s
Tan was the author of the book The Joy Luck Club (opens in new tab), which “explored the relationship between Chinese women and their Chinese-American daughters.” It was the longest-running New York Times best-sellers in 1989. The novel has been translated into 25 different languages since it was first published.
Toni Morrison, 1990s
Writer and professor Toni Morrison shot into the national spotlight after the release of her first novel The Bluest Eye in 1970. From then on, Morrison was committed to telling stories about Black lives through poetic and intimate prose, winning the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1977 for Song of Solomon and the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved in 1988. After the third novel in the Beloved trilogy was published, she became the first Black woman to win the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Dr. Mae C. Jemison,1990s
Jemison was the first African American woman to be accepted (opens in new tab) into NASA’s astronaut program. She went on to become the first African American woman to fly into space in 1992 aboard the Endeavour.
Elizabeth Taylor, 1990s
The actress—formerly known for her scandalous love affairs—started the Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation in 1991 after her close friend, Rock Hudson, died from the disease. The foundation lends support to those who are sick, and funds research for more advanced treatments. Taylor was a pioneer at a time when many celebrities and most politicians were not talking about the AIDS crisis.
J.K. Rowling, 1990s
Rowling is the author of the wildly popular Harry Potter (opens in new tab) series. The first novel came out in 1997. By 1999, the first three installments of the series held the top three spots on the New York Times bestseller list.
Tegla Loroupe, 1990s
The Kenyan long-distance runner became the first African American woman to win the NYC Marathon in 1994. According to the Wall Street Journal (opens in new tab), "Since Loroupe's victory, Kenyan women have won five of the intervening New York marathons and now own six world records in distance running." She has her own peace and humanitarian foundation (opens in new tab) called the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation.
Madeleine Albright, 1990s
Albright became the first female secretary of state (opens in new tab) when, in 1996 President Clinton, selected her to represent the United States in foreign affairs. An advocate for human rights she fought to prevent the expansion of nuclear weapons and broker peace in the Middle East.
Michelle Kwan, 1990s
In one of the most competitive eras of figure skating, Kwan's star shone brightly among the likes of Tara Lipinski and Sasha Cohen. From the time that she first took up skating at age 8 to her final run on the ice, Kwan has always been on top; to this day, she is the the most decorated figure skater in American history (opens in new tab) with two Olympic medals and five World championship titles.
Hillary Clinton, 2000s
After her tenure as First Lady, Hillary Clinton was elected to the U.S. Senate (opens in new tab) in 2000. She went on to serve as Secretary of State under Barack Obama and, in 2016, became the first woman in U.S. history to be the presidential nominee of a major political party.
Oprah Winfrey, 2000s
Winfrey started out as a Nashville reporter in the '70s before she was offered her own 30-minute talk show on a Chicago station. The Oprah Winfrey Show went national in 1986. By 2003 she'd earned the title of first female African American billionaire (opens in new tab).
Sonia Sotomayer, 2000s
Justice Sotomayer was appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 2009 by President Barack Obama, making her the first ever Hispanic woman (opens in new tab) to serve on the highest court in the land.
Halle Berry, 2000s
After her tremendous performance as the tortured Leticia Musgraves in the 2002 drama Monster's Ball, Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress (opens in new tab). She is the first (and only) African American woman to win the Oscar in the category.
Kathryn Bigelow, 2000s
Bigelow became the first woman to win the Academy Award (opens in new tab) for Best Director for her film The Hurt Locker, which also won Best Picture in 2009, making it the first film by a woman director to win that honor.
Sherly Swoopes, the 2000s
Often referred to as the "female Michael Jordan," Swoopes is a certified basketball legend. As one of the first women to be signed into the WNBA, Swoopes paved the way for the greats that would follow her, but she made sure to set the bar high—throughout her career, Swoopes has won three Olympic gold medals, is a three-time WNBA MVP, and tops on every WNBA player list that has ever existed.
Malala Yousafzai, 2010s
Yousafzai survived a gunshot wound to the face by the Taliban, and has since become a spokesperson for human rights, education, and women’s rights. In 2014, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (opens in new tab).
Laverne Cox, 2010s
In 2014, actress and activist Laverne Cox became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy in an acting category for her role in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. She took home a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Special Class special for her film Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word in 2015, making history as the first openly transgender woman to win the award. When she's not acting, she's advocating on behalf of transgender rights and equality.
Tammy Duckworth, 2010s
In 2017, Duckworth became the first Thai-American woman and the first female amputee (opens in new tab)to be elected to Congress. Just one year into her term, Duckworth fought for a resolution allowing infants into the chamber room, insuring that new parents in the Senate wouldn't have to miss out on any votes because of their newborns.
Ava DuVernay, 2010s
DuVernay was the first female African American director to earn a Golden Globe nomination (opens in new tab), and have a film nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, both for "Selma." She recently directed When They See Us, the story of the wrongfully convicted Central Park Five.
Simone Biles, 2010s
Since stepping into the limelight at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as a member of the "Fab Five," Biles has been shattering gymnastics records day by day. In addition to being a six-time World All-Around Champion, she he already has two gymnastics skills named after her (opens in new tab)(the Biles on floor and the Biles on vault).
Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett, 2020s
Dr. Corbett is a research fellow and lead at the Coronavirus Vaccines & Immunopathogenesis Team at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She also just so happened to lead the team that successfully developed the Moderna vaccine. On December 18, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the shot, which has an astounding 94-95% efficacy against clinical disease and a nearly 100% efficacy against serious disease–so please remember to thank her after you get your jab!
Kamala Harris, 2020s
On January 20, 2021, Kamala Harris became the first woman and the first African American and South Asian person to become the Vice President of the United States. But she's pretty used to breaking glass ceilings–after her successful bid for California Attorney General, she once again became the first woman and person of color to hold the position.
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