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Famous Women and Some Not So Famous Women Who Fought and Paved the Way For You
Margaret Sanger (1879 – 1966) Margaret Sanger worked as a visiting nurse in the Lower East Side in New York City where she saw the devastating affect too many pregnancies had on a woman’s health. She published a newspaper advocating birth control which resulted in her being indicted for sending “obscene” materials through the mail. She fled to Europe . Returning to the United States , in 1916, she opened the first Family Planning clinic in Brooklyn where she distributed information on birth control. She was arrested and spent 30 days in jail, the first of many arrests and prosecutions. Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, made it her life’s work to lead the struggle for free access to birth control.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005) Born Rosa Louise McCauley, in Tuskegee , Alabama . Rosa Park’s refusal to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery , Alabama bus spurred a city-wide boycott and helped launch nation-wide efforts to end segregation of public facilities. On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks boarded a bus for the ride home after a long day at work. As the bus became crowded, she was told by the bus driver she had to give up her seat to a white male. She refused. The driver called the police and Rosa Parks was arrested and taken to the police station. She was released on bail later that night. In protest of Rosa Parks’ arrest, the African American community came together and agreed to boycott the buses on Monday, December 5, 1955. The very successful boycott continued for 382 days. In June of 1956, the court ruled that Alabama ’s racial segregation was unconstitutional. On November 13,1956, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling, forcing the City of Montgomery to remove the laws requiring segregation on public buses.
Maria Agnesi (1718 -1799) Maria Agnesi wrote the first mathematical text book ever written by a woman. The 2 volume text book included algebra, trigonometry, analytic geometry and calculus. She was the first woman appointed as a professor of mathematics at a university. She spoke Greek, Hebrew, Latin, French and Spanish in addition to her native language of Italian. She also studied philosophy and the sciences.
Ellen Ochoa (1958- ) In 1991, Ellen Ochoa became the world’s first Hispanic female astronaut. Born in Los Angeles California , Ellen Ochoa graduated from San Diego State University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics.. She then attended Stanford University where she received a Master of Science Degree and later a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering. Ellen Ochoa is a veteran of 4 space flights. She has spent more than 950 hours in space. Her numerous awards include NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal (1977), Outstanding Leadership Medal (1995) and Space Flight Medals, (2003, 1999, 1994, 1993). Besides being an astronaut, researcher and engineer, Ellen Ochoa is also a classical flutist. She lives in Texas with her husband and 2 children. Ellen Ochoa is currently the Director of Flight Crew Operations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston , Texas.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11, 1884. She was a very shy child who lost both her parents by age 10. Eleanor spent her teenage years attending school in England where she overcame her shyness. In 1905, she married Franklin D. Roosevelt who would be come president of the United States in 1933. Not content to remain in the background, Eleanor showed the world that the First Lady was an important part of American Politics, forever transforming the role of the First Lady. She held press conferences, gave lectures and radio broadcasts; and even had her own newspaper column called “ My Day” where she spoke out about human rights, women’s issues, children’s causes, the plight of the poor and the evils of racial discrimination. From 1945 to1953, Eleanor Roosevelt was delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, and the Chair person of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, helping to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed her delegate to the United Nations. In November of 1962, Eleanor Roosevelt died . She lived her life fighting for what she thought was right.
Florence Sabin ( 1871-1953) Florence Sabin was the first woman to graduate from John Hopkins Medical School in 1900 and the first woman to become a full professor at the John Hopkins Medical School in 1917. Physician, anatomist, medical researcher, writer, she is best known for her work on blood cells and the lymphatic system. She also conducted research on the brain, publishing the book called “Atlas of the Medulla and Midbrain in 1901. Florence Sabin was the first female president of the American Associations of Anatomists and was the first female member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Susan B. Anthony: Arrested for attempting to vote (1872) Elizabeth Cady Stanton: First woman to omit the word “obey” from her marriage vows (1840) Ann Teresa Mathews: First woman to receive a patent for an invention. It was granted to her husband (1715) Harriet Tubman: First woman to run an underground railroad to help slaves escape (1850) Madam C.J. Walker: First African-American female millionair (1919) Jane Addams: First woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (1931) Amelia Earhart: First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (1932) Sandra Day O’Connor: First woman Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1981) Nancy Pelosi: First woman to become Speaker of the House (2007) Halle Berry: First African American woman to win a Best Actress Oscar (2007)