Women have made significant contributions to the course of history, but their achievements are often overlooked. From scientists to writers to activists, the impact of ten important women in history is highlighted in this article. Marie Curie’s ground-breaking research on radioactivity revolutionized modern nuclear physics while Emmeline Pankhurst played a pivotal role in women’s suffrage in the UK. Malala Yousafzai became an international symbol of the fight for girls’ education after surviving a Taliban attack, and Ada Lovelace is regarded as the world’s first computer programmer. Eleanor Roosevelt’s passionate advocacy for human and civil rights, and Mary Wollstonecraft’s feminist writing and philosophy remain influential. Florence Nightingale improved conditions in military hospitals and pioneered modern nursing, while Sojourner Truth’s activism bridged the gap between the abolitionist and women’s rights movements. Jane Austen’s literary representation of women’s experiences in Georgian England continue to resonate with readers today. The legacies of these women continue to inspire and empower women across the world to make their mark on history.
10 Important Women in History That You Need to Know
Women have played an important part in shaping history, even though their contributions have often been overlooked or undervalued. From leaders and activists to writers and scientists, here are ten women who have left their mark on the world.
1. Marie Curie
Marie Curie was a physicist and chemist who conducted groundbreaking research on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, in Physics in 1903, for her work on spontaneous radiation. She went on to win another Nobel Prize, in Chemistry in 1911, for her discovery of radium and polonium. Her work revolutionized our understanding of the nature of matter and paved the way for modern nuclear physics.
2. Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst was a British women’s rights activist who played a pivotal role in the fight for women’s suffrage in the early 20th century. She founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, which used militant tactics to draw attention to their cause, including hunger strikes and window smashing. Pankhurst’s leadership and activism helped secure the right to vote for women in the UK in 1918.
3. Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani education activist who became an international symbol of the fight for girls’ education after surviving a Taliban attack on her school bus in 2012. She went on to become the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in 2014, at the age of 17, for her work promoting education for girls in Pakistan and around the world. She continues to be a vocal advocate for girls’ education and women’s rights.
4. Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace was a 19th-century mathematician and writer who is known for her work on Charles Babbage’s proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Lovelace wrote what is now considered to be the world’s first computer program, a set of instructions for the Analytical Engine that would have calculated Bernoulli numbers. Her work on the Analytical Engine and her contributions to early computing have earned her the title of “the first computer programmer.”
5. Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was a political activist, diplomat, and First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She championed human rights and civil rights, and played a key role in the passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. She was also a prolific writer and public speaker, using her platform to advocate for social justice issues.
6. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a US Supreme Court Justice who was known for her work advocating for gender equality and women’s rights. She served on the court from 1993 until her death in 2020, and was the second woman to serve on the court. During her time on the court, she wrote several landmark decisions related to gender equality, including United States v. Virginia, which struck down the Virginia Military Institute’s male-only admissions policy.
7. Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft was an 18th-century writer and philosopher who is often considered the founder of modern feminism. Her most famous work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, argued that women were not inherently inferior to men, but were only seen as such because of the restrictions placed on them by society. Her advocacy for women’s education and rights laid the groundwork for the feminist movements that followed.
8. Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale was a nurse and social reformer who is known for her work during the Crimean War, where she and a team of nurses helped improve conditions in military hospitals. She is often considered the founder of modern nursing, and her work helped establish nursing as a respected profession. She was also a prolific writer and statistician, using her knowledge of data to advocate for public health reforms.
9. Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was a 19th-century abolitionist and women’s rights activist who is best known for her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech, which she delivered at a women’s rights convention in 1851. The speech eloquently argued that black women deserved the same rights as white women, despite facing additional oppression because of their race. Truth’s activism helped bridge the gap between the abolitionist and women’s rights movements.
10. Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist who is known for her witty social commentary and in-depth character studies. Her novels, including Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, continue to be widely read and studied today. Austen’s writing is celebrated for its portrayal of women’s experiences and the societal pressures they faced in Georgian England.
Conclusion
These ten women are just a few of the many who have left their mark on history. Their contributions have helped shape the world we live in today, and their legacies continue to inspire new generations of women.