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1508 BCE
Hatshepsut
was an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, considered to be one of its country’s most successful rulers. She oversaw major building projects, military campaigns into Nubia, Syria and Levant and rebuilt broken trade networks. -
30 BCE
Cleopatra
The last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt. Cleopatra sought to defend Egypt from the expanding Roman Empire. In doing so she formed relationships with two of Rome’s most powerful leaders, Marc Anthony and Julius Caesar. -
Elizabeth Blackwell
was the first woman in the world to graduate from medical school. Blackwell was also a pioneer in the education of women in medicine. -
Mary McLeod Bethune
Founder of the National Council of Negro Women, she served as an adviser to FDR on his "black cabinet" and promoted the education of African-American youth. -
Margaret Chase Smith
was the first woman to serve in the U.S. Congress, both in the House of Representatives and Senate. -
Toni Morrison
The first African American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature; winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Her enthralling books illuminate the mysteries of the human heart and unflinchingly take on the toughest issues. -
Mia Hamm
She scored more international goals than any other soccer player, and led a generation of adolescent girls to change their minds about sports. -
Malala Yousafzai
Pakistani schoolgirl who defied threats of the Taliban to campaign for the right to education. She survived being shot in the head by the Taliban and has become a global advocate for women’s rights, especially the right to education.
