15 Women Pioneers Who Changed the World
Throughout history, women pioneers have helped shape politics, science, business, music, and art. These incredible women have changed the world in ways nobody could ever imagine. For the most part, men get all the credit for their role in history, but these female pioneers have achieved things most men could only dream of doing.
They’re pioneers and trailblazers who profoundly impacted the world. Some of them are household names who fought for their freedom and civil rights. They played a vital role in policymaking, the law, politics, and more. These women pioneers broke down barriers and made the world a better place for all the women that followed.
At the same time, many of the female pioneers made groundbreaking discoveries or excelled in their line of work. Perhaps, they’re music icons or political figures that broke down barriers? Whatever they did they paved a path for the historical figures that followed and for future generations.
1. Susan B. Anthony
Activist Susan B. Anthony was a key figure in women’s suffrage and played a vital role in women’s right to vote. One of her most outstanding achievements was gaining the right for women to have a voice during elections. It all began when authorities arrested Anthony in 1872 for voting in her hometown of Rochester, New York.
After her much-talked-about trial, she refused to pay the fine and set out to change the laws. In 1878, Anthony and her close friend Elizabeth Stanton helped present an amendment to Congress to allow women to vote. In 1920, the bill finally became ratified as the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
2. Harriet Tubman
An icon of freedom and courage, Harriet Tubman is one of history’s greatest heroes and women pioneers. Born into slavery in 1822, Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. Unfortunately, Tubman had to leave her family behind. Using the historic Underground Railroad, she returned on thirteen missions rescuing seventy enslaved people, including her family. She also played a vital role in the American Civil War.
Initially joining the Union army as a nurse and cook, Tubman became a scout and spy. Later, Tubman became a key person in the women’s suffrage movement. Nicknamed Moses, Tubman is among the most inspiring and influential female pioneers.
3. Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell
Born in 1821, Elizabeth Blackwell had no interest in pursuing a career in medicine. Instead, she became a teacher, a standard job among women back then. Blackwell eventually found the job boring and craved something more thrilling.
In 1847, Blackwell started to consider pursuing a career in medicine after a friend of hers became ill. The friend felt the experience wouldn’t have been so bad with a female doctor. At that time there were no female doctors.
Blackwell encountered a great deal of discrimination from the moment she attended school. At first, every medical school rejected her until she got into Geneva Medical College. Blackwell became the first woman to receive a medical degree in 1849.
4. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
In 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the second woman to become an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. But before that, she was already a trailblazer. Starting her career as a lawyer, Ginsburg was a well-known advocate for gender equality and equal rights. Also known as Notorious RBG, Ginsburg’s groundbreaking opinions in the courtroom shaped the law throughout the country.
5. Susanna Salter
The daughter of the first mayor of Argonia, Kansas, Susanna Salter never intended to run for office. In the late 1880s, a female mayor was unheard of and seemed impossible. However, in 1887, a group of men in Argonia decided to pull a prank and placed Salter on the ballot.
They assumed she’d lose so badly that she’d be humiliated and the women’s suffrage movement would take a blow. Instead, Salter won in a shocking landslide victory, becoming the first elected female mayor to serve in office.
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6. Shirley Chisholm
In 1968, Shirley Chisholm made history as the first black woman elected to the United States Congress. But that wasn’t the first time she made history. Chisholm entered politics in the 1950s and rose through the ranks of the Democratic Party. In 1964, she broke down one of her first barriers when she joined the New York State Assembly.
Representing New York’s 12th congressional district, Chisholm expanded the nutrition and health programs for the poor. She became a powerful force in the Democratic Party, becoming the first female and first black candidate of a major party to run for president of the United States in 1972.
7. Katherine Johnson
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the United States and NASA were in a space race with the Soviet Union. Both nations were hell-bent on making it to the moon before the other. While the white male scientists got all the glory at the time, Katherine Johnson was the real genius of the team.
With a brilliant mind, she was able to comprehend complex math calculations. As the first African-American female scientist at NASA, Johnson’s calculations played a significant role in several spaceflights. Actress Taraji P. Henson portrayed Johnson in the critically acclaimed film Hidden Figures.
8. Mary Jackson
A brilliant mathematician, Mary Jackson began working at NASA in the 1950s in the segregated West Area Computing division. After taking advanced Engineering classes, Jackson became NASA’s first black female engineer. She played a key role in NASA for the next few decades, including several famous space missions. Actress Janelle Monae portrayed Jackson in the 2016 biographical film Hidden Figures.
9. Marie Curie
Marie Curie is one of history’s most influential individuals. Her contributions to chemistry and physics still have an impact today. In 1903, she became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in Physics. Along with her husband, Pierre Curie, and friend Henri Becquerel, they won the award for their groundbreaking work in radioactivity.
After her husband’s sudden death, she continued to break down barriers. In 1911, Curie became the only woman in history to win the Nobel Prize a second time. In this case, she won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for her discoveries regarding radium and polonium.
10. Sojourner Truth
Born into slavery in 1797, abolitionist Sojourner Truth fought for women’s rights and freedom. In 1826, Truth escaped slavery with her daughter. After gaining independence, Truth tracked down her son, Peter, and filed a suit against slave owner Solomon Gedney. After taking the case to the New York Supreme Court, Truth rescued her son in 1828.
Truth became the first black woman in history to defeat a white man in a court case. The groundbreaking victory would shape the rest of Truth’s life and history. Truth continued on her journey, fighting for civil rights and women’s rights. Without preparing, Truth delivered an iconic speech, “Ain’t I a Woman,” in Ohio in 1851. She remained an important figure in the fight for equal rights and freedom.
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11. Amelia Earhart
At a young age, Amelia Earhart had a passion for adventure. That passion would make her a trailblazer in aviation and a groundbreaking female pioneer. Piloting a Lockheed Vega 5B, Earhart became the first woman to make a nonstop solo transatlantic flight in 1932. During her lifetime, Earhart became a symbol and inspiration for women across the globe. She was also a strong supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Sadly, Earhart’s life ended under mysterious circumstances. In 1937, Earhart attempted to become the first woman to circumnavigate the earth. Last seen on July 2, 1937, Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan never reached their destination. Their mysterious disappearance added to Earhart’s already incredible legacy. She remains a female pioneer and inspiration.
12. Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow has a long and illustrious career in Hollywood. She’s best known for directing Point Break, Zero Dark Thirty, and Detroit. Bigelow made history at the 82nd Academy Awards when she won Best Director for The Hurt Locker. In the process, Bigelow became the first female director to win Best Director. Furthermore, she received several more awards and cemented her legacy as one of the greatest directors.
13. Mary Anderson
In the early 1900s, real estate agent Mary Anderson created an invention that would change driving forever. In 1902, Anderson took a trip to New York City and had an “aha moment” while sitting in the back of a trolly. Due to the bad weather, the driver had to stop or reach out the window to clean the windshield.
That’s when Anderson came up with the windshield wiper. Working with a local designer and company, she produced a working prototype and received a patent for the windshield wiper in 1903. However, she never profited from the invention as it only became standard after her patent expired in the 1920s.
14. Rosalind Franklin
After graduating from Newnham College, in 1941, Rosalind Franklin became an accomplished X-ray crystallographer and made groundbreaking discoveries in coal. In 1951, she landed a position as a research associate at King’s College London.
During this time, her research laid the foundation for further DNA research. Furthermore, she’s famous for her work with Photo 51, which helped scientists understand DNA structure. Franklin didn’t receive credit for her DNA discoveries or a Nobel Prize during her lifetime. It’s only now that historians recognize her undeniable and groundbreaking discoveries of DNA structure.
15. Betty Friedan
In the 1960s, Betty Friedan led the way for the women’s rights movement. Historians credit her with kicking off the second wave of American feminism with the 1963 book The Feminine Mystique. The book examined gender roles in America and pushed the idea that women could be more than homemakers.
At the same time, she was critical of feminists that attacked men and homemakers as well. Friedan became one of the most vital figures in the women’s movement.
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