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Considered the world's first computer programmer.

Worked alongside Charles Babbage and created programs for the digital computers he invented.

Studied as a mathematician.

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English mathematician Ada Lovelace, the daughter of poet Lord Byron, has been called “the first computer programmer” for writing an algorithm for a computing machine in the mid-1800s.

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Who Was Ada Lovelace, The World’s First Computer Nerd?

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First woman in America to receive a medical degree.

Her family moved to the US from England when she was 11 years old.

During her time in medical school, she was excluded and faced discrimination.

Devoted much of her later career to training women entering medical fields.

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First woman to win a Nobel Prize

First person to win the Nobel Prize a second time

Her work led to the discovery of polonium and radium - and the development of X-rays.

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How the Genius of Marie Curie Killed Her

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First woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Created a network of charitable and humanitarian organizations in Europe during World War I.

Was among a handful of journalists and writers allowed on the front lines during the war.

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Edith Wharton - The Mount | Edith Wharton's Home

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The Mount is the home of Edith Wharton in Lenox, MA - the Berkshires. Historic Tours, Weddings, Music, Events, Outdoor Sculpture, Cafe. Close to Tanglewood, Shakespeare & Co., Red Lion Inn

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9th English 1S C2 L11Edith Wharton: Biography and Major Novels

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First female member of a Presidential Cabinet - Secretary of Labor for Franklin D. Roosevelt

Developed many of the New Deal solutions to the Great Depression

"The work of Frances Perkins lives on in our unemployment insurance, minimum wage, shorter work week and federal laws regulating child labor and worker’s safety."

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Frances Perkins - FDR Presidential Library & Museum

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Born in Boston to well-educated parents on April 10, 1880, Frances Perkins attended the women's college Mount Holyoke, founded by Mary Lyon, a pioneer in women's education. Lyon's empowering adage to the young ladies at Mount Holyoke was: "Go Forward, attempt great things, accomplish great things" (Downey 11).

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Frances Perkins Documentary: Maryland State Champs 2015

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Born in St. Louis, Missouri

Became a sought after performer famous for her unique dancing style and outrageous costumes

Participated in the French Resistance as a spy during World War II

Refused to perform for segregated audiences and devoted her later life to the American Civil Rights Movement

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Josephine Baker was an entertainer from St. Louis, Missouri, who became famous for her singing, dancing, and acting in New York City and Paris, France. She worked for the French Resistance during World War II

World War II was a global conflict that began in Europe on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. In response, Britain and France declared war on Germany. War broke out between the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allied Powers (Britain, France, and the Soviet Union). Japan invaded China, occupied the Philippines, and seized a number of islands throughout the Pacific, while Germany captured much of Europe and North Africa before invading the Soviet Union. Millions of civilians were killed; Jews were specifically singled out by the Germans for extermination, as were other minorities, such as those who were mentally ill, physically and mentally disabled, homosexual, or members of political and religious groups who opposed the Axis Powers.

The United States provided aid to the Allied Powers but remained neutral until Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. The United States then declared war on Japan and, in turn, Germany declared war on the United States. The United States joined the Allied Powers and launched an enormous war effort at home and abroad. On the home front, civilians made important contributions by helping to produce military equipment, supplies, and food in record amounts. American military forces fought in Europe, North Africa, and throughout the Pacific against the Axis Powers. By the end of the war, over twelve million Americans had served in the armed forces.

On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered, bringing an end to the war in Europe. The war in the Pacific continued until the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan in early August 1945. The Japanese surrendered on August 14, 1945. By the end of the war, over 418,500 American servicemen were killed, and worldwide an estimated thirty-eight million people lost their lives during the war.

Civil Rights refers to rights that all individuals in a society are guaranteed by their government in order to protect them from unfair treatment. In the United States, a citizen's civil rights are outlined in the first ten amendments of the Constitution, which are called the Bill of Rights.

in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. By the end of her life, she had formally adopted twelve children of varying racial and ethnic backgrounds, calling them her "Rainbow Tribe."

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Josephine Baker - Historic Missourians - The State Historical Society of Missouri

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Josephine Baker was an entertainer from St. Louis, Missouri, who became famous for her singing, dancing, and acting in New York City and Paris, France. She worked for the French Resistance during World War II World War II was a global conflict that began in Europe on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland.

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Kevin Hart's Guide To Black History - Josephine Baker

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Graduated with a PhD in mathematics from Yale

Creating the terms "bug" and "de-bug" to describe computer problems

Co-created COBOL, one of the earliest standardized computer languages

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Grace Murray was born in New York City in 1906. In an era when girls were expected to play house, Grace loved climbing trees, hiking, sailing, and reading. She also played basketball, hockey, and water polo-none of which was a typical activity for girls. Grace had a dollhouse, but she was more interested in building toy furniture for it than in playing with dolls. She even built an elevator for it.

Grace liked figuring out how things worked. When she was 7, she took apart her alarm clock. Gears and cogs flew out of the clock, but she couldn't make sense of the mechanism. Instead of giving up, she dismantled all the other alarm clocks in the house, determined to discover how they worked.

Grace's parents encouraged her curiosity. They took her to museums, libraries, concerts, and lectures. They also spent summers near a lake, where they hiked, swam, sailed, and explored. Once, Grace's canoe capsized. Her mother, who was watching from the shore, called out, "Remember your great-grandfather, the admiral!" This reminder gave Grace the strength to recover her canoe and return to shore. Grace would later say that her great-grandfather inspired her admiration for the U.S. Navy.

When Grace was 8, her father became ill and had to have both legs amputated. He never complained. His bravery inspired Grace to face challenges head-on. If her father could be so brave, Grace felt that she could conquer anything.

Grace's father worried that he might not always be able to provide for his daughters. He wanted them to get a good education and be able to support themselves. He encouraged them to go to college and envision careers. Grace started at Vassar College when she was 17. She studied math and physics, then went to graduate school at Yale. With a PhD in mathematics, the little girl who'd spent her days tinkering with clocks would become one of the greatest computer minds of her generation.

Leader in Coding

After graduating from Yale, Grace wanted to join the U.S. Naval Reserve. In 1943, she was accepted, and assigned to the Bureau of Ships Computation Project, at Harvard University. There, she worked on the first large-scale automatic calculator in the U.S. Her team came up with new ways to interact with computer data. Grace believed the data should be similar to human language. Later, she helped develop a computer language called COBOL, which uses English words.

Grace was a pioneer in computer science. At a time when women were rarely seen in STEM fields, she worked with other experts to develop computer programming as it's known today.

Fast Facts

Grace rose to the position of rear admiral in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Grace loved to teach. Before her years in the Navy, she was a math professor at Vassar.

Grace was nicknamed Amazing Grace because of her great accomplishments.

Grace helped popularize the term debugging, after a moth was found in a computer.

Grace won many awards. In 1991, she was the first individual woman to get the National Medal of Technology, the highest achievement in that field. In 2016, her memory was honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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This is Grace: Read the Story of Grace Hopper

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Grace Murray was born in New York City in 1906. In an era when girls were expected to play house, Grace loved climbing trees, hiking, sailing, and reading. She also played basketball, hockey, and water polo-none of which was a typical activity for girls.

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March 6, 1983: Grace Hopper—She taught computers to talk

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Pioneered the technology that forms the basis for WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth

Moved to the US in 1937 to pursue a career in American cinema

Began inventing between takes on Hollywood movie sets

In 1942, co-patented an idea they called the "Secret Communication System"

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Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who pioneered the technology that would one day form the basis for today's WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems. As a natural beauty seen widely on the big screen in films like Samson and Delilah and White Cargo, society has long ignored her inventive genius.

Lamarr was originally Hedwig Eva Kiesler, born in Vienna, Austria on November 9 th, 1914 into a well-to-do Jewish family. An only child, Lamarr received a great deal of attention from her father, a bank director and curious man, who inspired her to look at the world with open eyes. He would often take her for long walks where he would discuss the inner-workings of different machines, like the printing press or street cars. These conversations guided Lamarr's thinking and at only 5 years of age, she could be found taking apart and reassembling her music box to understand how the machine operated. Meanwhile, Lamarr's mother was a concert pianist and introduced her to the arts, placing her in both ballet and piano lessons from a young age.

Lamarr's brilliant mind was ignored, and her beauty took center stage when she was discovered by director Max Reinhardt at age 16. She studied acting with Reinhardt in Berlin and was in her first small film role by 1930, in a German film called Geld auf der Stra βe ("Money on the Street"). However, it wasn't until 1932 that Lamarr gained name recognition as an actress for her role in the controversial film, Ecstasy.

Austrian munitions dealer, Fritz Mandl, became one of Lamarr's adoring fans when he saw her in the play Sissy. Lamarr and Mandl married in 1933 but it was short-lived. She once said, "I knew very soon that I could never be an actress while I was his wife ... He was the absolute monarch in his marriage ... I was like a doll. I was like a thing, some object of art which had to be guarded-and imprisoned-having no mind, no life of its own." She was incredibly unhappy, as she was forced to play host and smile on demand amongst Mandl's friends and scandalous business partners, some of whom were associated with the Nazi party. She escaped from Mandl's grasp in 1937 by fleeing to London but took with her the knowledge gained from dinner-table conversation over wartime weaponry.

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Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who pioneered the technology that would one day form the basis for today's WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems

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The brilliant mind of Hollywood legend Hedy Lamarr

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Godmother of Rock and Roll

One of earliest songs described as rock and roll which combined gospel vocals with electric guitar

Pioneer in use of electric guitar - a new instrument at the time

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Inductee Insights explores the artists that have changed the course of rock's history with their evolution of sound.

Sonic and influential musical histories are powered by our partners PNC Bank. We're bringing you the stories behind your favorite band's songs and sounds.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe astounded audiences with her guitar pyrotechnics and powerful soprano.

America's first gospel rock star, she paved the way for rock & roll to grip new audiences. Her heartfelt folksiness gave way to her roaring mastery of her trusted Gibson SG, which she wielded on a level that rivaled the best of her contemporaries. Dive into her legacy and wide-ranging influence in her Inductee Insights episode powered by PNC Bank.

At the age 23, Tharpe signed with Decca Records, receiving second billing to famed band leader Cab Calloway. Her break out in 1938 came with the release of her first single - "Rock Me" - the first ever gospel session recorded at Decca. Songs "That's All" and "The Lonesome Road" followed her successful release. These recordings exemplified Sister Rosetta's early sound - stirring gospel vocals accompanied by her exhilarating resonator guitar. Following these recordings, Sister Rosetta became a sensation - even though her mixture of gospel lyrics with secular music stirred controversy.

Tharpe's popularity and resonance only grew throughout the 1940s. During World War II, she fronted Lucky Millinder's popular big band where young fans of swing gravitated towards her music. Servicemen and women were introduced to her on government-issued "V-discs."

As the "the Godmother of Rock & Roll" Sister Rosetta's influence extended far beyond her own career.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Collaborating with boogie-woogie pianist Sam Price in 1944, Sister Rosetta released "Strange Things Happening Every Day". The song was a smash, reaching #2 on the Billboard R&B chart. It was the first gospel song to make Billboard's Harlem Hit Parade. "Strange Things..." was an early model for rock and roll, capturing the attitude of the music to come. Even the young and unknown Jerry Lee Lewis chose her hit for his audition song at Sun Records.

Sister Rosetta teamed up with gospel singer Marie Knight in the late-1940s, and the two would record some of their most enduring work together, including 1947's "Didn't It Rain" and 1948's "Up Above My Head."

Sister Rosetta sold out arena shows into the 1950's. As a bona fide rock 'n' roll star, twenty-five thousand fans paid to attend her 1951 wedding at Griffith Stadium in Washington DC. Always the savvy businesswoman, Sister Rosetta's performance at the wedding was recorded and released as a top-selling record.

As her celebrity began to wane in America in the sixties, she toured Europe with Muddy Waters, where she captured the interest and fandom of a new generation of British blues rockers, including Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton.

Tharpe's impact on rock and roll music is undeniable. As the "the Godmother of Rock & Roll" Sister Rosetta's influence extended far beyond her own career. Johnny Cash called her his favorite singer, covering several songs on his 1979 gospel album A Believer Sings the Truth. Elvis Presley performed her version of "Up Above My Head" at his 1968 comeback special. The Staple Singers. Nina Simone. Paul Butterfield. Van Morrison. Led Zeppelin. The Grateful Dead - these are a handful of artists who've covered Tharpe's classic blues song "Nobody's Fault But Mine. " Her 1950s rendition of the traditional gospel song "This Train" directly influenced Bruce Springsteen's 1999 song "Land of Hope and Dreams". The comparisons and sonic similarities roll on through each of rock's eras.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bonnie Raitt once said, "[Sister Rosetta] blazed a trail for the rest of us women guitarists...She has long been deserving of wider recognition and a place of honor in the field of music history." Sister Rosetta's 2018 Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame cements her legacy as one of rock 'n' roll's founding members.

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Sister Rosetta Tharpe | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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Inductee Insights explores the artists that have changed the course of rock's history with their evolution of sound. Sonic and influential musical histories are powered by our partners PNC Bank. We're bringing you the stories behind your favorite band's songs and sounds.

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American war worker during World War II

Most likely the model for the iconic "We Can Do it" posters

The image is most commonly known as Rosie the Riveter

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Rosie the Riveter was the star of a campaign aimed at recruiting female workers for defense industries during World War II, and she became perhaps the most iconic image of working women. American women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers during the war, as widespread male enlistment left gaping holes in the industrial labor force. Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home.

Rosies in the Workforce

While women during World War II worked in a variety of positions previously closed to them, the aviation industry saw the greatest increase in female workers.

More than 310,000 women worked in the U.S. aircraft industry in 1943, making up 65 percent of the industry's total workforce (compared to just 1 percent in the pre-war years). The munitions industry also heavily recruited women workers, as illustrated by the U.S. government's Rosie the Riveter propaganda campaign.

Based in small part on a real-life munitions worker, but primarily a fictitious character, the strong, bandanna-clad Rosie became one of the most successful recruitment tools in American history, and the most iconic image of working women in the World War II era.

Did you know? Though women who entered the workforce during World War II were crucial to the war effort, their pay continued to lag far behind their male counterparts: Female workers rarely earned more than 50 percent of male wages.

In movies, newspapers, propaganda posters, photographs and articles, the Rosie the Riveter campaign stressed the patriotic need for women to enter the workforce. On May 29, 1943, The Saturday Evening Post published a cover image by the artist Norman Rockwell, portraying Rosie with a flag in the background and a copy of Adolf Hitler's racist tract "Mein Kampf" under her feet.

Though Rockwell's image may be a commonly known version of Rosie the Riveter, her prototype was actually created in 1942 by a Pittsburgh artist named J. Howard Miller, and was featured on a poster for Westinghouse Electric Corporation under the headline "We Can Do It!"

Early in 1943, a popular song debuted called "Rosie the Riveter," written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb, and the name went down in history.

Who Was Rosie the Riveter?

The true identity of Rosie the Riveter has been the subject of considerable debate. For years, the inspiration for the woman in the Westinghouse poster was believed to be Geraldine Hoff Doyle of Michigan, who worked in a Navy machine shop during World War II.

Other sources claim that Rosie was actually Rose Will Monroe, who worked as a riveter at the Willow Run Bomber Plant near Detroit. Monroe also was featured in a promotional film for war bonds.

And Rosalind P. Walter from Long Island, New York, is known to be the Rosie from the popular song by Evans and Loeb. Walter was, in fact, a riveter on Corsair fighter planes.

But the most credible claim on Rosie's legacy came from Naomi Parker Fraley, who was photographed working in the machine shop at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, California. In the 1942 photo, she is sporting a telltale polka-dotted bandana. Fraley passed away in January 2018.

WACs

In addition to factory work and other home front jobs, some 350,000 women joined the Armed Services, serving at home and abroad. At the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and women's groups, and impressed by the British use of women in service, General George C. Marshall supported the idea of introducing a women's service branch into the Army.

In May 1942, Congress instituted the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, later upgraded to the Women's Army Corps, which had full military status. Its members, known as WACs, worked in more than 200 non-combatant jobs stateside and in every theater of the war.

By 1945, there were more than 100,000 WACs and 6,000 female officers. In the Navy, members of Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) held the same status as naval reservists and provided support stateside. The Coast Guard and Marine Corps soon followed suit, though in smaller numbers.

WASPs

One of the lesser-known roles women played in the war effort was provided by the Women's Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs. These women, each of whom had already obtained their pilot's license prior to service, became the first women to fly American military aircraft.

They ferried planes from factories to bases, transporting cargo and participating in simulation strafing and target missions, accumulating more than 60 million miles in flight distances and freeing thousands of male U.S. pilots for active duty in World War II.

More than 1,000 WASPs served, and 38 of them lost their lives during the war. Considered civil service employees and without official military status, these fallen WASPs were granted no military honors or benefits, and it wasn't until 1977 that the WASPs received full military status.

Impact of Rosie the Riveter

The call for women to join the workforce during World War II was meant to be temporary and women were expected to leave their jobs after the war ended and men came home. The women who did stay in the workforce continued to be paid less than their male peers and were usually demoted. But after their selfless efforts during World War II, men could no longer claim superiority over women. Women had enjoyed and even thrived on a taste of financial and personal freedom-and many wanted more. The impact of World War II on women changed the workplace forever, and women's roles continued to expand in the postwar era.

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Rosie the Riveter - Real Person, Facts & Norman Rockwell

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Rosie the Riveter was the star of a campaign aimed at recruiting female workers for defense industries during World War II. Artist Normal Rockwell's cover image of Rosie, made in 1943, became, perhaps the most iconic image of working women.

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First person of Native American descent to become a prima ballerina at a major company

Performed with the New York City Ballet from 1948 - 1965

First prima ballerina at the New Your City Ballet

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Behind the Doodle: Celebrating Maria Tallchief

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Served in the Arizona State Senate from 1969-1974

First woman on the supreme court in 1981

Was seen as firm, but just - and was not swayed by partisan opinions in her judicial decisions

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Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman named to the U.S. Supreme Court, has made history through her appointment, breaking the ultimate "glass ceiling" in the legal profession.

Named to the Court by President Reagan in 1981, O'Connor's legal beginnings probably did not suggest to her that she would one day hold a seat on the nation's highest bench. After a distinguished legal preparation at Stanford University (LL.B., 1952), service as a deputy county attorney in California, and work as a civilian lawyer for the Quartermaster Corps while her husband was on military duty in Europe, O'Connor was unable to find work with an Arizona law firm because of her gender. Rather than retreat, she established her own successful law practice - and in 1965 was named assistant attorney general for the State of Arizona. She was named to fill a vacancy in the Arizona State Senate in 1969, and was subsequently re-elected to two, two-year terms, serving as Senate Majority Leader in her last term. In 1975 she was elected to the Maricopa County Superior Court, and then to the Arizona Court of Appeals in 1979.

Throughout her service on the U.S. Supreme Court, O'Connor has proven to be a thoughtful jurist. She has, forever, shattered the idea that women were not qualified to serve on the nation's highest court - and by her role model, further opened the door for women at all levels of the legal profession.

Year Honored: 1995

Birth: 1930 -

Born In: Texas

Achievements: Government

Educated In: California, New Mexico, Texas, United States of America

Schools Attended: Lordsburg High School, Radford School, Stanford University
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O'Connor, Sandra Day - National Women's Hall of Fame

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Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman named to the U.S. Supreme Court, has made history through her appointment, breaking the ultimate "glass ceiling" in the legal profession. Named to the Court by President Reagan in 1981, O'Connor's legal beginnings probably did not suggest to her that she would one day hold a seat on the...

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Bio chronicles Sandra Day O'Connor, one of the most influential women in U.S. history

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Graduated from Columbia Law School tied for first in her class

Helped start the Women's Right Project at the American Civil Liberties Union

First female tenured professor at Columbia Law School

Was an important voice for gender equality

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday, September 18, in Washington, D.C. She was 87. Ginsburg had served as a United States Supreme Court justice since 1993. As the second woman to sit on the nation's top court, she fought fiercely for women's rights, for herself and others.

Memorials were held around the country. People brought flowers and lit candles. They carried signs quoting her. "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made," read some. "Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you," read others.

AMANDA ANDRADE-RHOADES- BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES

After two days at the Supreme Court Building, Ginsburg was to lie in state × state JEFF GREENOUGH-GETTY IMAGES a style appropriate for a person of high rank (noun) The military general was buried in state. at the U.S. Capitol on September 25. She's the first woman in American history to receive this honor.

Ginsburg faced gender discrimination as she worked her way toward the Supreme Court. This led her to support issues such as equal pay and opportunities for all. In doing so, she became a role model and cultural icon.

DAVID HUME KENNERLY-GETTY IMAGES

Journey to the Court

Joan Ruth Bader was born in 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. As a young girl, she loved books. One day, reading while walking, she fell and broke her nose.

Ruth graduated from high school and went to Cornell University, in New York. There, she met Martin Ginsburg. They married in 1954.

Ruth and Marty were accepted to Harvard Law School. But he was called for active military duty, so Ruth put her studies on hold. She took a job at the U.S. Social Security Administration. When her employer found out she was pregnant, Ruth was given a lesser role at lower pay.

In 1956, while Marty and Ruth were at Harvard, she was one of nine women in a class of more than 500. After Marty was diagnosed with cancer, Ruth went to class for both of them, typing up his notes and papers as well as her own. When Marty got a job in New York, Ruth gave up her last year at Harvard to go with him and finish her studies at Columbia Law School.

Ruth graduated from Columbia in 1959, tied for first in her class. But she was unable to get a job at a leading law firm. And Supreme Court clerkships × clerkship DARRENMOWER-GETTY IMAGES a job that gives a person a chance to work with and learn from a judge (noun) After finishing law school, Harry applied for a clerkship with a judge. went to men, not women.

LIBRADO ROMERO-THE NEW YORK TIMES

Ruth didn't get angry. She got even. She taught at Rutgers Law School, in New Jersey, from 1963 to 1972, and pushed for equal pay for women there. In 1972, she began teaching at Columbia. She helped start the Women's Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union. And in 1980, she joined the U.S. Court of Appeals.

"I Dissent"

President Bill Clinton appointed Ginsburg to the Supreme Court in 1993. She was sworn in on August 10 of that year, with her husband by her side. She had already established herself as an important voice for gender equality. She ruled on a number of landmark × landmark CHRIS MADDALONI/CONTRIBUTOR -GETTY IMAGES historic (adjective) Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark lawsuit that made segregation illegal in schools. cases in her career.

JEFFREY MARKOWITZ-SYGMA/GETTY IMAGES

A Supreme Court justice can write a dissenting opinion when he or she disagrees with the majority. Ginsburg did this often. In 2014, she explained why: "Justices continue to think and can change," she said. "I am ever hopeful that if the court has a blind spot today, its eyes will be open tomorrow."

On September 19, the Supreme Court released statements from the eight current justices who served with Ginsburg. Here are some of their words.

"We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her-a tireless and resolute champion of justice." -Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.

"She was the essence of grace, civility, and dignity. She was a superb judge who gave her best and exacted the best from each of us, whether in agreement or disagreement." -Justice Clarence Thomas

"My dear friend and colleague Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an American hero. She spent her life fighting for the equality of all people, and she was a pathbreaking champion of women's rights." -Justice Sonia Sotomayor

"Justice Ginsburg will go down as a leading figure in the history of the court. She will be remembered for her intelligence, learning, and remarkable fortitude. She has been and will continue to be an inspiration for many." -Justice Samuel A. Alito

JABIN BOTSFORD-THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday, September 18, in Washington, D.C. She was 87. Ginsburg had served as a United States Supreme Court justice since 1993. As the second woman to sit on the nation's top court, she fought fiercely...

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Made By Her: Monumental Women | Hulu

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First woman in fly space

Orbited the earth 48 times

Learned to parachute in her spare time while she was working in a textile mill

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Who Was Valentina Tereshkova?

As a young woman, Valentina Tereshkova worked in a textile mill and parachuted as a hobby. She was chosen to be trained as a cosmonaut in the USSR's space program. On June 13, 1963, she became the first woman to travel into space. In just under three days, she orbited the earth 48 times. After her space flight, she served in the Communist Party and represented the USSR at numerous international events.

Early Life

The second of three children born to Vladimir Tereshkova and Elena Fyodorovna Tereshkova, Valentina Tereshkova was born on March 6, 1937 in Bolshoye Maslennikovo, a village in western Russia. When she was two years old, father was killed fighting in World War II. Her mother raised Valentina, her sister Ludmilla and her brother Vladimir, supporting the family by working in a textile mill.

Valentina began attending school when she was eight or 10 (accounts vary), and then started working in the textile mill in 1954. She continued her education through correspondence courses, and learned to parachute in her spare time. It was her parachuting experience that led to her being chosen, in 1962, for training as a cosmonaut in the Soviet space program. During the late 1950s and 1960s, the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union escalated for space travel supremacy. The competitiveness between the two nations for "one upping" achievements was fierce and the Soviets were determined to be the first to send a woman into space.

Cosmonaut Career

Four women were chosen to become cosmonauts, but only Tereshkova actually went into space. On June 16, 1963, Vostok 6 was launched, with Tereshkova aboard. The first woman to travel in space, she called out, "Hey sky, take off your hat. I'm on my way!" as the craft took off. Tereshkova orbited the earth 48 times in 70.8 hours-just under three days. (By way of comparison, Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, orbited the earth once; and the four American astronauts who flew before Tereshkova orbited a total of 36 times.) While she was orbiting, she spoke with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who said, "Valentina, I am very happy and proud that a girl from the Soviet Union is the first woman to fly into space and to operate such cutting-edge equipment."

When she returned from her voyage-parachuting from her space craft to earth from 20,000 feet-Tereshkova was given the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

Despite the success of Tereshkova's flight, it was 19 years before another woman (Svetlana Savitskaya, also from the USSR) traveled to space. Many accounts suggest that women cosmonauts did not receive the same treatment as their male counterparts. The first American woman to go to space was Sally Ride in 1983.

Life After Space Travel

On November 3, 1963, Tereshkova married Andrian Nikolayev, who was also a cosmonaut. On June 8, 1964, their daughter, Yelena Adrianovna Nikolayeva, was born. Tereshkova and Nikolayev divorced in 1980.

Tereshkova graduated with distinction from the Zhukovsky Military Air Academy in 1969. She became a prominent member of the Communist Party, and represented the USSR at numerous international events, including the United Nations conference for the International Women's Year in 1975. She headed the Soviet Committee for Women from 1968-87, was pictured on postage stamps, and had a crater on the moon named after her.

In 2007, Vladimir Putin invited Tereshkova to celebrate her 70th birthday. At the time, she said, "If I had money, I would enjoy flying to Mars." In 2015, her space craft, Vostov 6, was displayed as part of an exhibit at the Science Museum in London called "Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age." Tereshkova attended the opening, and spoke lovingly about her spacecraft, calling it "my lovely one" and "my best and most beautiful friend - my best and most beautiful man."

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As a young woman, Valentina Tereshkova worked in a textile mill and parachuted as a hobby. She was chosen to be trained as a cosmonaut in the USSR's space program. On June 13, 1963, she became the first woman to travel into space. In just under three days, she orbited the earth 48 times.

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The First Woman in Space - Valentina Tereshkova I THE COLD WAR

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Known as the "Queen of Soul"

Advocated for civil rights and women's rights

First woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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Aretha Franklin was a singer, songwriter, pianist, actress, and civil rights activist. Her multi-octave vocal range moved millions of people around the world during an expansive career that spanned six decades. As a child, Franklin learned how to play piano by ear, and by the age of 12 her father, a prominent preacher, began managing her career. She accompanied him on the road as he traveled in his, "gospel caravan" tours where she performed at various churches. At the age of 16, Franklin went on tour with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and years later performed at his funeral. Once she turned 18, Franklin made the decision to transition from gospel to pop music and moved to New York. In 1960, she signed with Columbia records and released her first secular album, Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo. The album was a mix of diverse genres such as standards, vocal jazz, blues, doo-wop, and rhythm-and-blues. By the end of 1961, Franklin had her first international hit, "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody," and she was named the "new-star female vocalist" by DownBeat magazine.

Her career continued to skyrocket, as Aretha Franklin became a household name. By the end of the 1960s, Franklin had come to be known as the "Queen of Soul." Many of Franklin's songs, such as "Respect," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" became anthems of movements for social change. Throughout her life, Franklin was immersed and involved in the struggle for civil rights and women's rights. She provided money for civil rights groups, at times covering payroll, and performed at many benefits and protests. Aretha Franklin was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was awarded a Grammy Legend Award in 1991 and later awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. Franklin was a Kennedy Center Honoree, recipient of the National Medal of Arts, American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award, presented by Awards Council member and NWHF 2011 Inductee Coretta Scott King. Aretha Franklin's music has been an inspiration for many artists, and her legacy is enduring.

Year Honored: 2020

Birth: 1942 - 2018

Achievements: Arts
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Franklin , Aretha - National Women's Hall of Fame

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Aretha Franklin was a singer, songwriter, pianist, actress, and civil rights activist. Her multi-octave vocal range moved millions of people around the world during an expansive career that spanned six decades. As a child, Franklin learned how to play piano by ear, and by the age of 12 her father, a prominent preacher, began managing...

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Aretha Franklin Biography: Life and Career of the Soul Singer

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First woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon

They attempted to force her off the course, but she managed to finish the 26.2 miles

Helped to advocate for the inclusion of the women's marathon in the Olympics

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Switzer, Kathrine - National Women's Hall of Fame

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As the first woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon, Kathrine Switzer broke the gender barrier and paved the way for women in running. Born into a military family stationed in Germany, Switzer later attended Syracuse University, earning a B.A. from the Newhouse School of Journalism (1968).

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The story of Kathrine Switzer - The first female to run the Boston Marathon

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First American woman in space

Graduated from Stanford with a PhD in physics

Worked with her partner Tam O’Shaughnessy to create Sally Ride Science, an organization to encourage children's interest in science

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Sally Ride was the first American woman in space. She made her journey into history on June 18, 1983. Throughout her life, Dr. Ride broke barriers and worked to ensure that girls and women were encouraged to do the same.

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History in Five: Sally Ride, America's First Woman in Space

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First woman to serve as Librarian of Congress

Began her career in the Chicago Public Library as a children's librarian and a youth services coordinator

First African American to receive Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year Award in recognition of her outreach services at the Pratt Library in Baltimore

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Carla Hayden was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress on September 14, 2016. Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to lead the national library, was nominated to the position by President Barack Obama on February 24, 2016, and her nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 13.

Prior to her latest post she served, since 1993, as CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. Hayden was nominated by President Obama to be a member of the National Museum and Library Services Board in January 2010 and was confirmed to that post by the Senate in June 2010. Prior to joining the Pratt Library, Hayden was deputy commissioner and chief librarian of the Chicago Public Library from 1991 to 1993. She was an assistant professor for Library and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh from 1987 to 1991. Hayden was library services coordinator for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago from 1982 to 1987. She began her career with the Chicago Public Library as the young adult services coordinator from 1979 to 1982 and as a library associate and children's librarian from 1973 to 1979.

Hayden was president of the American Library Association from 2003 to 2004. In 1995, she was the first African American to receive Library Journal's Librarian of the Year Award in recognition of her outreach services at the Pratt Library, which included an after-school center for Baltimore teens offering homework assistance and college and career counseling. Hayden received a B.A. from Roosevelt University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago.

Follow Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on Twitter. https://twitter.com/libnofcongress External

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About the Librarian | About the Library | Library of Congress

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Carla Hayden was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress on September 14, 2016. Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to lead the national library, was nominated to the position by President Barack Obama on February 24, 2016, and her nomination was confirmed by the U.S.

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Meet the new Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden

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First Hispanic and Latina supreme court justice

Third woman to serve on the Supreme Court

Worked as an assistant district attorney, in private practice, at the U.S. District Court, and in the U.S. Court of Appeals before joining the Supreme Court

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Sotomayor, Sonia - National Women’s Hall of Fame

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Sonia Sotomayor (1954- ) The Honorable Sonia Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009 after leadership as an assistant district attorney, in private practice, and across a distinguished judicial career. She is the third…

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First female to coach in the NFL

First woman to play running back in a men's professional league (Indoor Football League)

Won four National Championships and two gold medals as a member of Team USA in the 2010 and 2013 International Federation of American Football’s (IFAF) Women’s World Championship

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Dr. Jen Welter is the first female to coach in the NFL. In the summer of 2015, she served as a linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals, a period of time defined by the bond she has formed with the players. Widely known as a trailblazer and pioneer in professional football, becoming the first woman to coach in the NFL was only her most recent first. In 2014, Welter became the first woman to play running back in a men's professional football league. In early 2015, Welter was hired as the first female coach in men's professional football, helping coach the most successful Revolution season in franchise history. Prior to joining the world of men's professional football, Welter had a highly decorated 14-year career in women's professional football which included four National Championships and two gold medals as a member of Team USA in the 2010 and 2013 International Federation of American Football's (IFAF) Women's World Championship.

She is committed to increasing access and opportunities in football. To empower women through football, Welter designed her signature program, "A Day in the Life," Camp which debuted with the Washington Redskins women's program in 2015. She continues to create a range of camps for girls and women through her GRRRidiron Flag Football Camp, along with a number of other community initiatives like her Camp on the Corner program that brings football to youth in under-served areas.

Welter has appeared as a guest NFL analyst on NBC, the NFL Network and ESPN, and in national newspapers and other publications. Welter has become a regular empowerment and sports speaker sharing the stage at events with sports and political giants like Serena Williams and Condoleeza Rice. As guest editor of Wired Magazine, Serena Williams highlighted Welter as one of her Trailblazers, 10 heroes who are showing the way forward to a better, fairer world for all. Welter was recognized at the United Nations as Sports Pioneer of the Year on Women's Entrepreneurship Day. ESPNW named her one of the 25 most influential women in sport in 2015.

Welter holds a doctorate degree in Psychology, a Master's in Sport Psychology, and a Bachelor's degree from Boston College.

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Dr. Jen Welter is the first female to coach in the NFL. In the summer of 2015, she served as a linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals, a period of time defined by the bond she has formed with the

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Kamala Harris Biography | Former Vice President of USA

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First woman to serve at Vice President of the United States

Began her career in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office

First African American and first woman to serve as California's Attorney General

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MLA - Rothberg, Emma. "Kamala Harris" National Women's History Museum, 2020. Date accessed.

Chicago - Rothberg, Emma. "Kamala Harris" National Women's History Museum. 2020. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/kamala-harris.

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On January 20, 2021, Kamala D. Harris became the first woman, the first African American woman, the first Indian-American, the first person of Asian-American descent, and the first graduate of an HBCU to become the Vice President of the United States.

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First permanent female NFL referee

First woman to officiate in a Super Bowl

Started officiating high school football and worked her way up to college games before joining the NFL

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Good thing Sarah Thomas will be wearing shoes Sunday at Raymond James Stadium for Super Bowl 55. She's about to break another glass ceiling.

Thomas, 47 of Pascagoula, Miss., will become the first female official to work a Super Bowl.

"Being granted the honor of working a Super Bowl means you finished top of your position," Thomas said. "If you get the call to work a Super Bowl, that's awesome. But just being selected for it, can't say it was a goal. My goal is just to be No. 1 in my position."

Thomas has worked for six seasons in the NFL and been an official since 1999. Sunday, she'll work as a down judge for the NFL's championship game.

"Her elite performance and commitment to excellence has earned her the right to officiate the Super Bowl," said Troy Vincent, the NFL's Executive Vice President of Football Operations.

Here are 10 things to know about Thomas heading into the game:

She graduated from the University of Mobile (Ala.) after finishing her collegiate basketball career as an academic All-American. She ranks fifth in the school's history in steals (192), and in three seasons she logged 779 points, 411 rebounds and 108 assists.

She started officiating in 1999 (at a varsity high school football game) and worked her way up to the college level, where she was hired by Conference USA in 2007.

She joined the NFL in 2015 as the league's first full-time female official and made her debut in the Chiefs-Texans game on April 8.

She earned high praise from New Orleans coach Sean Payton after officiating some training camp practices for the Saints. In 2015, Payton told ESPN, "She's ready. She's gonna do well. It's not because it sounds good or it's a PR move. We've watched her grow, and she's gonna be outstanding. She's got the right demeanor. She's sharp."

She was making history long before her Super Bowl debut. In 2007, she was the first female official to work a major college football game (Memphis-Jacksonville State). And in 2018, she was the first female to officiate an NFL playoff game (Chargers-Patriots).

Officiating football games isn't her only gig. She also works in marketing for an in-home hospice company in Pascagoula, Miss.

In 2017, she took a hit officiating the 2016 Packers-Vikings game on Christmas Eve that resulted in two broken bones in her wrist. Minnesota's Kyle Rudolph caught a pass and Green Bay's Morgan Burnett made the tackle. Burnett's helmet hit Thomas' wrist, which was against her stomach, and the players sent her flying backward on the sideline. Thomas was put in concussion protocol as a result of the hit but returned to finish the game with a broken wrist.

She has officiated 92 games in her NFL career, including three playoff games. Five of those games featured Kansas City, and six included Tampa Bay. Thomas was actually a line judge for the Saints-Bucs NFC division playoff game.

She is known as the first full-time female official in the union, but she isn't the first woman to officiate an NFL game. Shannon Eastin worked the Lions-Rams game on Sept. 9, 2012, during the officials' labor strike. Eastin was hired as a replacement during the lockout.

In April 2015, she was asked how she would respond to angry players and coaches. "Silence can never be misquoted," she said. "I want to be as professional as I can. I try to carry myself that way. The first form of rejection at any level is being ignored, so I will address them in a professional manner, and we usually move on."

* * *

BUCS, REMADE: From laughingstock to Super Bowl with one simple change

BRADY IN THE BIG GAME: We rank all nine Tom Brady Super Bowl appearances

HOW THEY STACK UP: Ranking the first four Super Bowls staged in Tampa

FANS IN TAMPA: A first look inside the Super Bowl Experience in Tampa

MORE BUCS PHOTOS: Follow the Tampa Bay Times Bucs coverage on Instagram

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Sarah Thomas: 10 things to know about the Super Bowl's first female official

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Good thing Sarah Thomas will be wearing shoes Sunday at Raymond James Stadium for Super Bowl 55. She's about to break another glass ceiling. Thomas, 47 of Pascagoula, Miss., will become the first female official to work a Super Bowl. "Being granted the honor of working a Super Bowl means you finished top of your position," Thomas said.

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Meet Sarah Thomas the NFL's First Full-Time Female Official | NFL 360 Changing Stripes

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The Football Journey of Jen Welter | NFL Canada | Play 60

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The first female to coach in the NFL shares her story with Canadian youth Subscribe to NFL Network: http://goo.gl/4GOLwY NFL Network schedule: http://www.nfl.com/network/schedule Start your free trial of NFL Game Pass: https://www.nfl.com/gamepass?campaign=sp-nf-gd-ot-yt-3000342 Check out our other channels: NFL http://www.youtube.com/nfl NFL Films http://www.youtube.com/nflfilms Watch NFL Now: https://www.nfl.com/now Listen to NFL podcasts: http://www.nfl.com/podcasts Watch the NFL network: http://nflnonline.nfl.com/ Download the NFL mobile app: https://www.nfl.com/apps 2016 NFL Schedule: http://www.nfl.com/schedules Buy tickets to watch your favorite team: http://www.nfl.com/tickets Shop NFL: http://www.nflshop.com/source/bm-nflcom-Header-Shop-Tab Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NFLNetwork Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NFLNetwork Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/nflnetwork/

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First woman to win an Indy Car race

First woman to win the pole position at the NASCAR Daytona 500

"I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl."

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Quick Facts
"I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl. That's how I've always approached my racing career. I've been lucky enough to make history and be the first woman to do many things. We have a lot more history to make and we are excited to do it.""I don't want to be remembered for the things that didn't go as well, I want to be remembered for the things that went well."

Name

Danica Patrick

Birth Date

March 25, 1982 (age 38)

Place of Birth

Beloit, Wisconsin

Full Name

Danica Sue Patrick

Zodiac Sign

Aries

Who Is Danica Patrick?

Danica Patrick is a retired professional race car driver. She dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a race car driver, and in 2002, she signed with Rahal Letterman Racing. In 2005, Patrick became the first woman to hold the lead during the Indianapolis 500. Three years later, she was the first to record a win on the IndyCar circuit. Switching to stock cars, Patrick won the time trials at the 2013 Daytona 500, becoming the first woman to win the pole position at the famous NASCAR event. Following her retirement from racing in 2018, she began hosting the Pretty Intense weekly podcast.

Early Life and Career

Born Danica Sue Patrick on March 25, 1982, in Beloit, Wisconsin, Patrick began racing go-karts with her sister at age 10 and dropped out of high school to advance her racing career in England. It was there that she finished second at the Formula Ford Festival, the highest-ever finish by either a woman or an American in the event.

In 2002, Patrick signed with Rahal Letterman Racing, then co-owned by former driver Bobby Rahal and talk show host David Letterman. During the next two years, Patrick achieved moderate success and was a consistent finisher on the podium, but never won a race.

Driving Career

In 2005, Patrick became the fourth woman to race in the Indianapolis 500. Her fourth-place finish was the highest ever for a female driver, besting the previous record of ninth set by Janet Guthrie in 1978. She led 19 laps of the race, becoming the first woman ever to lead the Indy 500. Later that year at Kansas Speedway, she won her first pole position to become the second woman to accomplish this feat in the IRL (Indy Racing League) IndyCar Series. Patrick was named Rookie of The Year at the 2005 IRL Championship.

Patrick's 2006 year began tragically when teammate Paul Dana was killed in a crash the morning of the Toyota Indy 300. Patrick had solid Top 10 finishes throughout her IRL campaign that year, coming in ninth place in the standings. Among many honors, she was named Female Athlete of the Year by the United States Sports Academy.

In 2008, Patrick made history when she became the first woman to win a IndyCar race. She made an impressive showing at the Indianapolis 500 the following year, coming in third in that event. Another signature accomplishment came in August 2010, when she set a record with her 29th consecutive race running at the finish.

Patrick began making the transition to stock car racing in 2010 and joined the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The following year, she scored a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the best ever by a woman in a NASCAR national stock car series.

In 2013, during her first full season on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit, Patrick won the time trials at the Daytona 500. This victory made for another first-she became the first woman to win the pole position at the famous NASCAR event.

"I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl," Patrick said, according to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website. "That's how I've always approached my racing career. I've been lucky enough to make history and be the first woman to do many things. We have a lot more history to make and we are excited to do it."

She went on to place eighth in the "Great American Race," and after competing in every event on the 2013 schedule, she finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting.

While looking for her first big Sprint Cup win, Patrick continued to deliver notable results. She notched a career-best sixth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in August 2014, and the following year she recorded her sixth Top 10 finish, the most of any woman in the history of Sprint Cup competition.

Facing the loss of sponsorship in early 2017, Patrick announced in November that she was stepping away from racing full time, and would retire after competing in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 in 2018.

There was no storybook ending to Patrick's career, as she bowed out after crashing in both events. "Today was really disappointing for what we were hoping for and what you want from your last race, but I'm grateful for all of it," she said after her Indy 500 showing. "I just wish I could have finished stronger."

Other Projects and Post-Racing Career

Her unique status as a female race car driver, combined with her youth and good looks, netted Patrick numerous media opportunities. She served as a host on Spike TV, was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and appeared in commercials and music videos. In 2006, she published her autobiography, Danica: Crossing the Line.

Preparing for her post-racing career, Patrick began making wine through her Somnium Vineyard in Deer Park, California, and founded the Warrior clothing line. In 2017, she released a new book, Pretty Intense: The 90-Day Mind, Body and Food Plan That Will Absolutely Change Your Life.

In August 2019, Patrick launched an inspirational weekly podcast, also titled Pretty Intense. Some of her early guests included former baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and activist Gloria Steinem.

Personal Life

Patrick married physical therapist Paul Edward Hospenthal in 2005. In January 2013, she filed for divorce. According to Sporting News NASCAR, Patrick stated that "My marriage is irretrievably broken and there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation" in her divorce paperwork. Around that time, she revealed she was dating fellow stock car driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Patrick split from Stenhouse in late 2017, and soon confirmed she was dating Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In July 2020, Patrick's rep confirmed the pair was "no longer together."

Fact Check

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"I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl. That's how I've always approached my racing career. I've been lucky enough to make history and be the first woman to do many things. We have a lot more history to make and we are excited to do it."

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Danica Patrick Bio: Life and Career of the IndyCar and NASCAR Driver