GROUPS
Groundbreaking Women
What does it take to break new ground? For the women in this group, the answer is: refusing to take "no" for an answer.
Featured People
See all Groundbreaking Women (21)
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Pocahontas
Pocahontas
Political Leader / 1595 - 1617
Contrary to the Disney movie and other myths, Pocahontas, daughter of a Powhattan chieftain in 17th century Virginia, did not marry John Smith. She did, however, convert to Christianity and get baptized under the name "Rebecca," in order to become the wife of white colonist John Rolfe, who made a fortune as a tobacco grower.
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- In these groups:
- Groundbreaking Women
- Influential Women of Washington
- Famous Pisceans
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Supreme Court Justice / 1933 -
In 1959, armed with a Columbia University law degree, Ginsburg could not get work as a lawyer because she was, in her words, "a woman, a Jew and a mother to boot." She became director of the Women's Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union in 1972 and by August 1993, when President Clinton made her his first high court appointment, she had proven it was possible to dismantle many discriminations against women written into federal law.
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Dorothy Dandridge
- In these groups:
- Groundbreaking Women
- Famous Black Entertainers
- African-American Biopics
Dorothy Dandridge
Film Actress, Pin-up / 1922 - 1965
Until 1954, no African-American woman had received the coveted Oscar nomination for a starring role, but Dorothy Dandridge was a knockout in "Carmen Jones," an adaptation of Bizet's Opera, "Carmen." She lost to Grace Kelly. The first African-American to appear on the cover of Life magazine, Dandridge's fame sputtered into years of trouble and she died in 1965 at the age of 42 of a drug overdose the coroner deemed "undetermined" as accidental or purposeful.
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Sally Ride
- In these groups:
- Daring Female Adventurers
- Groundbreaking Women
- Girl Scouts
Sally Ride
Educator, Astronaut, Physicist / 1951 -
Women had been trying to enter the astronaut program since the 1960's, when NASA required them to wear high heels and hose during qualifying tests. Eventually, by 1983, astrophysicist Sally Ride broke the gender barrier, traveling as a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Challenger.
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Danica Patrick
- In these groups:
- Groundbreaking Women
- Famous Irish-Americans
- Famous Arians
Danica Patrick
Race Car Driver, Television Personality / 1982 -
Danica Patrick is a race car driver and has set several records for women drivers including becoming the first woman ever to lead the Indy 500.
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Shirley Chisholm
- In these groups:
- Notable Female Leaders
- Groundbreaking Women
- Famous Sagittarians
Shirley Chisholm
U.S. Representative / 1924 - 2005
In 1969, Chisholm became the first black woman elected to Congress, where one of her first actions was to introduce the Equal Rights Amendment on the House floor. She spoke out often about sexism and in support of reproductive rights and in 1972, campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination, which went to George McGovern.
profile name: Pocahontas profile occupation: Political Leader
profile id: 9542081
profile name: Dorothy Dandridge profile occupation: Film Actress, Pin-up
profile id: 9458284
profile name: Sally Ride profile occupation: Educator, Astronaut, Physicist
profile id: 9312041
profile name: Ruth Bader Ginsburg profile occupation: Supreme Court Justice
profile id: 201312
profile name: Danica Patrick profile occupation: Race Car Driver, Television Personality
profile id: 9247015
profile name: Shirley Chisholm profile occupation: U.S. Representative
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George Burns and Gracie Allen
View groupGeorge Burns met Gracie Allen in 1922, and they married in 1926. Their highly successful vaudeville act featured George as the straight man to Gracie's zany antics. The couple created its best-known sketch for radio, a situation comedy starring themselves as a working show-business couple. They carried the format to television in 1948, including next-door neighbors Harry and Blanche Morton, Gracie's infamous illogical logic, and the signature "Say goodnight, Gracie" at the show's close. The duo also made films, including an Oscar-nominated turn in A Damsel in Distress with Fred Astaire.
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