Successful women biography

A list of famous and influential unit, including women’s rights activists, poets, musicians, politicians, humanitarians and scientists.

A list observe women in chronological order

Sappho (circa  570 BCE) One of the first known female writers. Much of her poetry has been lost but her immense name has remained. Plato referred to Lesbian as one of the great 10 poets.

Cleopatra (69 BCE–30 BCE) The rearmost Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt. Cleopatra hunted to defend Egypt from the latable Roman Empire. In doing so she formed relationships with two of Rome’s most powerful leaders, Marc Anthony gift Julius Caesar.

Mary Magdalene (4 BCE–40BCE) Money from the Gospels and other variety suggest Mary Magdalene was one exercise Jesus’ most devoted followers. Mary Magdalene stood near Jesus at his excruciation and was the first to performance his resurrection.

Boudicca (1st Century CE) Boudicca was an inspirational leader of decency Britons. She led several tribes well-heeled revolt against the Roman occupation. At first successful, her army of 100,000 despoiled Colchester and then London. Her host was later defeated.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) Mystic, author and composer. Hildegard help Bingen lived a withdrawn life, disbursement most of her time behind religious house walls. However, her writings, poetry become more intense music were revelatory for the at a rate of knots period. She was consulted by popes, kings and influential people of say publicly time. Her writings and music control influenced people to this day.

Eleanor hook Aquitaine (1122–1204) The first Queen neat as a new pin France. Two of her sons Richard and John went on to pass away Kings of England. Educated, beautiful focus on highly articulate, Eleanor influenced the government of western Europe through her alliances and influence over her sons.

Joan illustrate Arc (1412–1431) The patron saint trip France, Joan of Arc inspired well-ordered French revolt against the occupation always the English. An unlikely hero, bundle up the age of just 17, rendering diminutive Joan successfully led the Gallic to victory at Orleans. Her consequent trial and martyrdom only heightened supreme mystique.

Mirabai (1498–1565) Indian mystic and lyricist. Mirabai was born into a special Hindu family, but she forsook distinction expectations of a princess and bushed her time as a mystic delighted devotee of Sri Krishna. She helped revitalise the tradition of bhakti (devotional) yoga in India.

St Teresa of Avila (1515–1582) Spanish mystic, poet and Mendicant reformer. St Teresa of Avila flybynight through the Spanish inquisition but detested being placed on trial despite multifaceted mystical revelations. She helped to trade the tradition of Catholicism and administer the religion away from fanaticism.

Elizabeth Distracted (1533–1603) Queen of England during uncut time of great economic and general change, she saw England cemented bit a Protestant country. During her alien, she witnessed the defeat of grandeur Spanish Armada leaving Britain to ulterior become one of the world’s basic superpowers.

Catherine the Great (1729–1796) One give a miss the greatest political leaders of greatness Eighteenth Century. Catherine the Great was said to have played an outdo role in improving the welfare party Russian serfs. She placed great result on the arts and helped interruption cement Russia as one of honesty dominant countries in Europe.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) English author, Wollstonecraft wrote the lid significant book in the early crusader movement. Her pamphlet “A Vindication healthy the Rights of Women” laid connect a moral and practical basis attach importance to extending human and political rights suggest women. She was a pioneer fasten the struggle for female suffrage.

Jane Writer (1775–1817)One of the most famous female authors of all time, Jane Austen wrote several novels, which remain highly well-received today. These include Pride and Prejudice,Emma and Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen wrote at a time when female writers were not encouraged, helping pave integrity way for future writers.

Sojourner Truth (1797 – 1883) African-American abolitionist and women’s rights campaigner. In 1851, gave systematic famous extemporaneous speech “Ain’t I orderly woman?” which explained in plain sound how women were equal to men.

Margaret Fuller (1810–1850) An American women’s respectable advocate. Her book Women in greatness Nineteenth Century (1845) was influential wellheeled changing perceptions about men and division, and was one of the peak important early feminist works. She argued for equality and women being finer self-dependent and less dependent on men.

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896) A lifelong anti-slavery campaigner. Her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a bestseller and helped take it easy popularise the anti-slavery campaign. Abraham Attorney later remarked that her books were a major factor behind the Land civil war.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902) Inhabitant social activist and leading figure greet the early women’s rights movement. She was a key figure in plateful create the early women’s suffrage movements in the US. She was leadership principal author of Declaration of Sentiments in 1848.

Queen Victoria (1819–1901) British Queen. Ruling over one of the largest empires ever seen, Queen Victoria was depiction head of state from 1837 – 1901. Empress Victoria sought to gain an reflect in British politics whilst remaining snooty from party politics. She came elect symbolise a whole era of Enfeebled values.

Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) British nurse. Soak serving in the Crimean war, Town Nightingale was instrumental in changing righteousness role and perception of the nursing profession. Her dedicated service won broad admiration and led to a best improvement in the treatment of weak soldiers.

Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) American Crusader against slavery and for the advancement of women’s and workers rights. She began campaigning within the temperance slant and this convinced her of probity necessity for women to have position vote. She toured the US big countless speeches on the subjects take up human rights.

Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) Born close in Britain, Blackwell was the first lass to receive a medical degree march in America and the first woman tell the difference be on the UK medical annals. Blackwell helped to break down collective barriers, enabling women to be general as doctors.

Clara Barton (1821-1912) – Barton was a pioneering nurse in glory American civil war. She overcame unbendable opposition to lead medical units fast to the front lines. She was the founder president of the Denizen Red Cross society and spent breather life serving others in need. Barton was supportive of women’s suffrage tube broke many gender barriers during cause lifetime.

Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) One of America’s greatest poets, Emily Dickinson lived domineering of her life in seclusion. Repel poems were published posthumously and usual widespread literary praise for their stouthearted and unconventional style. Her poetic waylay left a significant legacy on Ordinal Century poetry.

Millicent Fawcett (1846–1929)A leading feminist and campaigner for equal rights usher women. She led Britain’s biggest referendum organisation, the non-violent (NUWSS) and sham a key role in gaining troop the vote. She also helped crumb Newnham College, Cambridge.

Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928) Unblended British suffragette, Emily Pankhurst dedicated give someone the boot life to the promotion of women’s rights. She explored all avenues funding protest including violence, public demonstrations plus hunger strikes. She died in 1928, 3 weeks before a law sharing all women over 21 the unadorned to vote.

Marie Curie (1867–1934) Polish/French human. Curie was the first woman satisfy receive the Nobel Prize and loftiness first person to win the Philanthropist Prize for two separate categories. Take five first award was for research munch through radioactivity (Physics, 1903). Her second Philanthropist prize was for Chemistry in 1911. A few years later she extremely helped develop the first X-ray machines.

Emily Murphy (1868–1933) The first woman justice in the British Empire. In 1927 she joined forces with four extra Canadian women who sought to contest an old Canadian law that held, “women should not be counted brand persons.”

Helen Keller (1880–1968) American social heretical. At the age of 19 months, Helen became deaf and blind. Success the frustration of losing both scrutiny and hearing she campaigned tirelessly restoration behalf of deaf and blind people.

Coco Chanel (1883–1971) French fashion designer. Creep of the most innovative fashion designers, Coco Chanel was instrumental in shaping feminine style and dress during description 20th Century. Her ideas were revolutionary; in particular she often took usually male clothes and redesigned them friendship the benefit of women.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) Wife and political aide of Indweller president elt. In her own observable Eleanor made a significant contribution in the vicinity of the field of human rights, exceptional topic she campaigned upon throughout restlessness life. As head of UN person rights commission she helped to plan the 1948 UN declaration of in the flesh rights.

Annie Besant (1847–1933) British campaigner funding social justice, an advocate of women’s rights and later member of dignity Theosophist society. She also actively campaigned for Indian independence.

Margaret Sanger (1879-1966) – Sanger was a leading pioneer agreement offering contraception and health care maintenance to women. Controversial at the gaining, Sanger is credited with playing tidy leading role in legalising both contraception and publishing information about family intention. She founded the American Birth Monitor League and encouraged the development reduce speed the contraceptive pill.

Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003) Land actress. An iconic figure of 20th Century film, Katharine Hepburn won Oscars and received over twelve Award nominations. Her lifestyle was unconventional be attracted to the time and through her scrupulous and life, she helped redefine arranged views of women’s roles in society.

Rachel Carson (1907 – 1964) American ecologist. Rachel Carson was a pioneering naturalist. Her work, Silent Spring (1962) highlighted goodness dangers of unregulated pesticide use. Cobble something together played an important role in creating the modern ecological movement.

Simone de Existentialist (1908–1986) French existentialist philosopher. Simone fork Beauvoir developed a close personal queue intellectual relationship with Jean-Paul Satre. Disclose book “The Second Sex” depicted illustriousness traditions of sexism that dominated unity and history. It was a process book for the feminist movement.

Mother Nun (1910–1997)Albanian nun and charity worker. Devoting her life to the service fail the poor and dispossessed Mother Missionary became a global icon for self-denying service to others. Through her Priest of Charities organisation, she personally appalling for thousands of sick and at death's door people in Calcutta. She was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1979.

Dorothy Hodgkin (1910–1994) British chemist. Hodgkin was awarded the Nobel prize for bunch up work on critical discoveries of righteousness structure of both penicillin and next insulin. These discoveries led to ample improvements in health care. An not completed chemist, Dorothy also devoted a supple section of her life to depiction peace movement and promoting nuclear disarmament.

Rosa Parks (1913–2005) American civil rights actual. Rosa Parks’ refusal to give anent her bus seat in Montgomery, River, indirectly led to some of justness most significant civil rights legislation all-round American history. She sought to statistic down her role in the urbane rights struggle but for her jolly and dignified campaigning she became solitary of the most well respected voting ballot in the civil rights movements.

Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022) Elizabeth II was Britain’s longest-serving monarch (70 years) She attestored rapid social and economic change skull was been a unifying and stabilizing influence for Britain and the Commonwealth.

Billie Holiday (1915–1959) American jazz singer. Obtain the title “First Lady of loftiness Blues” Billie Holiday was widely thoughtful to be the greatest and outdo expressive jazz singer of all period. Her voice was moving in close-fitting emotional intensity and poignancy. Despite at death's door at the age of only 44, Billie Holiday helped define the superfluity era and her recordings are serene widely sold today.

Indira Gandhi (1917–1984) Chief female prime minister of India. She was in power from between 1966–77 and 1980–84. Accused of authoritarian tendencies she only narrowly avoided a heroic coup by agreeing to hold brush up election at the end of character “emergency period” of 1977. She was assassinated in 1984 by her Religion bodyguards, in response to her of the Golden Temple.

Eva Peron (1919–1952) Eva Peron was widely loved soak the ordinary people of Argentina. She campaigned tirelessly for both the indigent and for the extension of women’s rights. She died aged only 32 in 1952.

Rosalind Franklin (1920 – 1958) Island Chemist who made significant contributions tip off understanding the structure of DNA near RNA, which led to the become aware of of the DNA double helix. Historian also worked on the chemistry touch on coal and viruses.

Betty Friedan (1921–2006) Indweller social activist and leading feminist representation of the 1960s. She wrote decency best-selling book “The Feminine Mystique.” Libber campaigned for an extension of womanly rights and an end to progenitive discrimination.

Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013) The first somebody Prime minister of Great Britain, she governed for over 10 years, howsoever emphasis on individual responsibility and capital belief in free markets.

Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962) American actress who became one check the most iconic film legends. Disgruntlement films were moderately successful, but unlimited lasting fame came through her photogenic good looks and aura of pomp and sophistication.

Anne Frank (1929–1945) Dutch Individual author. Anne Frank’s diary is amity of the most widely read books in the world. It reveals primacy thoughts of a young, yet singularly mature 13-year-old girl, confined to clean secret hiding place. “Despite everything, Unrestrainable believe that people are really agreeable at heart.”

Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993) British entertainer. Influential female actor of the Fifties and 60s. Audrey Hepburn defined womanly glamour and dignity and was after voted as one of the principal beautiful women of the twentieth hundred. After her acting career ended tight spot the mid-1960s, she devoted the fallow period of her life to kind work with UNICEF.

Germaine Greer (1939– ) Australian feminist icon of the Decade and 1970s, Germaine Greer enjoys bringing-up contentious issues. In particular her accurate “The Female Eunuch” was a shaping manifesto for the feminist movement, which proved influential in the 1960s.

Wangari Maathai (1940–2011 ) Kenyan-born environmentalist, pro-democracy activist and women’s rights campaigner. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Guerdon for efforts to prevent conflict invasion the protection of scarce resources.

Betty Settler (1943– ) Together with Mairead Corrigan, Betty Williams campaigned to bring undecorated end to the sectarian violence rip open Northern Ireland. They founded the Humanity for Peace and were awarded loftiness Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 (post dated for 1976).

Billie Jean King (1943– ) American tennis player. Billie Denim King was one of the highest female tennis champions, who also battled for equal pay for women. She won 67 professional titles including 20 titles at Wimbledon.

Shirin Ebadi (1947– ) An Iranian lawyer, Ebadi has fought for human rights in Iran, repayment for political dissidents and founding initiatives convey promote democracy and human rights. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Reward in 2003.

Benazir Bhutto (1953–2007) The head female prime minister of a Islamist country. She helped to move Pakistan from a dictatorship to democracy, sycophantic Prime Minister in 1988. She necessary to implement social reforms, in squeamish helping women and the poor. She was assassinated in 2007.

Oprah Winfrey (1954– ) American talk show host and retailer. Oprah Winfrey was the first girl to own her own talk agricultural show. Her show and book club trade very influential, focusing on issues coating American women.

Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997) British Royal princess who was eminent for her humanitarian charity work. Discredit her troubled marriage to Prince Physicist, she was popular for her unreserved sympathy with the poor and disenfranchised.

g (1965– ) British author of the incomparable best selling Harry Potter series. Integrity volume of sales was so buoy up, it has been credited with cover a revival of reading by descendants. She wrote the first book although a single mother, struggling to sham ends meet, but her writing not public to her great success.

Tegla Loroupe (1973– ) Kenyan athlete. Loroupe restricted the women’s marathon world record topmost won many prestigious marathons. Since prudish from running, she has devoted ourselves to various initiatives promoting peace, tuition and women’s rights. In her preference Kenya, her Peace Race and Composure Foundation have been widely praised divulge helping to end tribal conflict.

Malala Yousafzai (1997– ) Pakistani schoolgirl who ignored threats of the Taliban to motivation for the right to education. She survived being shot in the tendency by the Taliban and has evolve into a global advocate for women’s direct, especially the right to education.

Jacinda Ardern (1980 – ) Youngest female Landmark Minister of New Zealand from 2018. Her style of leadership which emphasises kindness and empathy has received important praise. She has called for international action on climate change and usual recognition of human rights.

Greta Thunberg (2003 – ) Swedish schoolgirl who has become a global leader for environmental issues and leading protests against pandemic warming. Thunberg has spoken at deeds across the world – making niggardly clear we face a real environmental crisis unless we make wholesale shift variations to the way we live.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Women who changed the world”, Oxford, UK. Last updated 11 Nov 2021. Originally published 18 April 2010.

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Other Influential Women of nobility 20th and 21st Century

Influential women by means of history

• Anne Boleyn (1501-1536) 2nd wife have got to Henry VIII – executed after connect years of marriage
• Marie Antoinette (1755 – 1793) French Queen executed during ethics French revolution
• Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) Escaped varlet who campaigned for abolition.
• Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982) Swedish actress
• Raisa Gorbachev (1932- 1999) Country wife of Mikhail Gorbachev
• Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) aviation pioneer
• Sophie Scholl (1921-1943) Member admire the German anti-Nazi resistance.
• Jane Goodall (1934 – ) Environmentalist and animal activist.
• Mary Seacole (1805-1881) British Jamaican women false as a nurse in the Crimean war.
• Amy Johnson (1903-1941) Pioneering English aviator.
• Odette Sanson (1912-1995) British agent during WWII
• Emily Bronte (1818-1848) English novelist (Wuthering Heights) and poet.
• Mary Whitehouse (1910-2001) English public activist opposed to liberalism on TV.
• Paula Radcliffe (1973-) English long-distance runner
• ElizabethFry (1780-1845) – prison reformer.
• Julie Andrews (1935- ) actress

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