Clarissa “Clara” Barton is most widely acknowledged as the founder of the American branch of the Red Cross. Her life’s work cemented her as one of the most important figures in the history of social work and nursing alike, and millions of people from across the globe have benefited from her contributions to American healthcare. […]
Bessie Coleman, Fearless Aviator Breaking Barriers
Bessie Coleman (1892-1926) was the first African-American woman to become a licensed airplane pilot. She persevered through discrimination and danger in order to fly in the early days of aviation. Like many aviators of the early 20th century, she made her living as a barnstormer, similar to today’s stunt pilots. People lined up to see […]
Nancy Harkness Love, WWII Pilot & Commander
Nancy Harkness Love was a trailblazing WWII pilot and commander who was instrumental in the founding of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of WWII, the first women in history trained to fly American military aircraft. We were in the air flying from Boston to Vassar College to visit friends when I noticed ugly clouds […]
Fe del Mundo, first female student at Harvard Medical School
Fe del Mundo was a Filipino pediatrician who was the first woman to be admitted to Harvard Medical School in 1936 — over ten years before the school officially began admitting women.
Cathay Williams, AKA William Cathay, American Civil War soldier
Cathay Williams (1844 – 1892), a.k.a. William Cathay, was the first known African American woman to enlist in the United States Army, and the only black woman documented to serve in the US army in the 19th century. Born a slave in Independence, Missouri in 1844, Cathay worked as a house servant on a nearby […]
Elizabeth Yates, the British Empire’s first female mayor
Elizabeth Yates (1845–1918) was the mayor of Onehunga in New Zealand in 1894, just two months after women gained the right to vote in New Zealand. This made her the first woman to be a mayor anywhere in the British Empire. Born Elizabeth Onan in Scotland, she was the older of two daughters. She moved […]
Elizabeth Blackwell, M.D., America’s first female doctor
Elizabeth Blackwell, M.D. (1821-1910), was the first woman to graduate from medical school in the United States and is often thought of as America’s first woman doctor. A dedicated public health advocate, social reformer, and prolific writer, Blackwell changed the course of modern medicine, founding hospitals and medical colleges for women in the United States […]
Queen Liliʻuokalani, first and last queen regnant of Hawaii
LiliÊ»uokalani (1838–1917), born Lydia LiliÊ»uokalani Loloku Walania Wewehi KamakaÊ», was the first female monarch of Hawaii to reign in her own right. Up until the 1890s, the Kingdom of HawaiÊ» was an independent sovereign state, officially recognized by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and Germany. During LiliÊ»uokalani’s reign, the Overthrow of the […]
Marguerite D’Youville, the First Canadian Saint
On December 9th, 1990 thousands of North Americans converged on St. Peter’s to celebrate the canonization of Marguerite d’Youville (1701–1771), the first Canadian-born saint. Born over 245 years ago outside Montreal, Marguerite d’Youville was an 18th century Mother Teresa who dedicated her life and work to the poor, the ill and the destitute. This foundress […]
Fanny Blankers-Koen, wife, mother, and four-time Olympic gold medalist
Fanny Blankers-Koen (1918–2004) was a Dutch Olympic athlete known as the Flying Housewife. In the 1948 Olympics in London, the 30-year-old mother of two won four gold medals and set world records — while pregnant with her third child. She was the first woman to win four Olympic gold medals, and the first one to […]
