Women's History a to z

Some went where no man had gone before. Icons like Jacqueline Cochran, Mae C. Jemison, Annie Smith Peck and Zora Neale Hurston have held the torch for women to follow in the fields of anthropology, astronautics, aviation and mountain climbing. Take a look at some of the world’s top women adventurers and the terrains they’ve explored.

Explore our collection of featured famous female American directors, including Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), Julie Taymor (Across the Universe), Kathryn Bigelow and Nora Ephron. View full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com.

From actresses and comedians to journalists and anthropologists, famous women of all stripes have used their power, knowledge and influence to benefit animals. Sex kittens Brigitte Bardot and Pamela Anderson have spoken out against wearing real fur, while rockers Chrissie Hynde and Sarah McLachlan have put their famous voices behind PETA and other animal rights organizations.

Additionally, journalist Joy Adamson pioneered the movement to preserve African wildlife; body shop entrepreneur Anita Roddick was a trailblazer in cruelty-free beauty products; legendary actress Tippi Hedren created the Shambhala Preserve for lions, tigers and other big cats; funny lady Betty White and screen star Doris Day have lent their famous faces to causes that promote pet adoption and spay/neuter programs; and scientist Jane Goodall lived for years in the jungle for her pioneering study of chimpanzees. Browse our collection of inspiring famous female animal rights activists and learn how their contributions have improved the lives of every species.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

The output of prominent female artists over the centuries has showcased a wide range of ideas. The passionate, full-bodied paintings of Artemisia Gentileschi, the distinctive tribal masks of Lois Mailou Jones and the lush colors of Georgia O’Keefer’s floral works immediately call us to attention. Berthe Morisot’s pastoral serenity stands in contrast to the layered silhouettes of Kara Walker. These mythmakers and their contemporaries take us on unforgettable trips that touch on our dreams and desires.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

They've sprinted, kicked, backflipped, triple-lutzed, and TKO'd their way into sports history. Learn more about notable female athletes such as Bonnie Blair, Hope Solo, Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Whether it's a classic upright double bass or an electric bass guitar, this stringed instrument anchors a band's rhythm section. In the hands of these musical women, that rhythm has been kept strong—from Anita Carter's acoustical playing with her famous family to Tina Weymouth's new wave handiwork with the Talking Heads. Browse these and other female bass players who have set the tone for rock 'n' roll greatness.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

Women striving for social justice have often directed their efforts toward the most vulnerable in society, the world's children. From Princess Diana's charitable work on behalf of children to the efforts of activists like Joan Baez and Dolores Huerta, these famous female children's right activists have helped improve the lives of our youngest citizens.

Visit BIO's Women's History group for more biographies of the world's most fascinating women!

The quest for civil rights for people of all races and economic backgrounds has been a fundamental part of U.S. history. Those who have worked directly in community organizing and empowerment, such as Dorothy Height, Marian Wright Edelman and Dolores Huerta, inspire us with their vision and strength of character. Then there are those who use the arts to create poignant messages on justice. Whether using music, literature or sculpture, figures like Joan Baez, June Jordan, Miriam Makeba, Augusta Savage and Alice Walker have imparted wisdom to last through the ages.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

Chutzpah? Check. Self-deprecation? Check. Estrogen? Yes ma'am! Rollicking, quick-witted ladies like Lucille Ball, Joan Rivers, Tina Fey, and Ellen DeGeneres have boldly laughed their way into an industry which even today is still considered a boys' club. Talk about being ballsy.

A good editor has a keen eye for truth and the ability to strip away extraneous noise to let that truth shine through. In the pages of newspapers and magazines, female editors have spoken out on weighty issues like abolition and women's suffrage, and given us the literally weighty September issues of Vogue. Mary Ann Shadd Cary gave a voice to freed slaves in the weekly Provincial Freemen, Susan B. Anthony’s newspaper Revolution fueled just that, and Dorothy Day’s The Catholic Worker tackled important topics in an effort to improve society as a whole. Television’s 60 Minutes set new standards for investigative journalism, thanks to the Emmy-winning work of Lesley Stahl. From abolitionists and suffragettes to the religious and the radical, these female editors told their stories and shaped our worldview.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

Did you know that onscreen legend Ida Lupino was also one of film's pioneering female directors and producers? Or that visionary French filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché was among the first to create narrative fiction films and experiment with interracial casting? Female film directors amuse, terrify, delight and inspire us with their talent behind the camera for crafting memorable movies. Some began their career as actors, including former child stars Jodie Foster, Drew Barrymore and Laverne & Shirley star Penny Marshall. Other female directors are just as well-known for writing great scripts, including Nora Ephron, famous for the modern-day romantic classics Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail. Whatever their background, these famous female directors are known for their knack for delivering to the screen just what their audience wants.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

Female journalists and nonfiction writers have covered some of the world’s most pressing concerns, including ethnic civil rights, reproductive freedom, voting access and overall gender equality, with iconic thinkers like Simone de Beauvoir, Judy Chicago, Ida B. Wells and Dr. Ruth Westheimer having shaped forward-thinking conversations. These pioneers have often been joined in their efforts by the women who work in general news. Correspondents like Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Lisa Ling, Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters are known for insightful current-affair analysis and an inspiring breadth of vision, creating a more inclusive media landscape.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

Going beyond giving a mere book review, literary critics parse the language, dissect the symbolism and debate the theory of printed works. Who better to evaluate and interpret the output of the publishing world than successful authors like Booker Prize winners Margaret Atwood and Iris Murdoch? Browse these female literary critics and others whose considered opinions have had untold effects on readers both historic and contemporary.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

Philanthropy has come from women involved in an array of professional pursuits, including business, politics, social services and entertainment. With Melinda Gates spearheading multi-billion dollar health and education efforts, Audrey Hepburn serving as a UNICEF ambassador and Oprah Winfrey opening a school for girls in South Africa, these visionaries and their peers remind us of our connection to each other and the importance of caring.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

The art of photography can be used to document, inspire, rally for change or make a statement of a more personal nature. These female photographers created portfolios that accomplished all of the above—from Diane Arbus's black-and-white New York scenes to Dorothea Lange's iconic Depression-era image of the "Migrant Mother," to Cindy Sherman's bizarre, stereotype-challenging self-portraits.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

To devote oneself to a field of study is to become a part of the fabric of that field—be it language, medicine, politics or culture. Female scholars shine among these intellectuals, including pediatric trailblazer Virginia Apgar and anti-Communist crusader Jean Kirkpatrick. Mary Wollenstonecraft championed equal education rights for women, Angela Davis and Bell Hooks vastly contributed to the Civil Rights Movement, and feminist poet Adrienne Rich explored the complexities of marriage and motherhood. Browse full biographies of these and other great minds who paved the way for the female scholars of today to change the shape of the world of tomorrow.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

They've gone to space and back, taught us about the natural world, dug up the earth and discovered the origins of our species. The world of science wouldn't be the same without the pioneering efforts of famous female scientists like Mary Leakey, Sally Field, Jane Goodall, Mary Curie and others. We invite you to sit with their stories and enter new areas of understanding.

Taking on topics of politics, entertainment, women's issues and more, female talk show hosts have proven to be every bit as engaging, intelligent, and funny as their male counterparts. Oprah Winfrey's 25-year-reign as the queen of talk is unparalleled, but many other female talk show hosts have come into their own as well, including Tyra Banks, Ellen DeGeneres, Sally Jessy Raphael and Kelly Ripa.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

Women educators have played an indispensable role in helping us understand our humanity and the globe around us, often with a passion for specific interests. Prudence Crandall and Charlotte Hawkins Brown advocated for African Americans to receive equal education and Helen Keller used her life experience to become a staunch advocate for the blind. More recently Sally Ride implemented specialized programs to get girls involved in science and math and Temple Grandin shared innovative ideas on autism and animal treatment. These examples are barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the amount of information offered by the following group of stalwart thinkers.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

Did you know that since 1912, nearly 50 million girls in the United States have joined the Girl Scouts? Girl Scouts helped an amazingly diverse array of famous women develop a strong foundation of courage, confidence and character. It's no surprise then that quite a few famous women spent time in the sash. Celebrities who got their start selling cookies and earning merit badges include Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter and actress/writer Carrie Fisher; former first ladies Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Nancy Reagan; Olympic skaters Bonnie Blair and Peggy Fleming; astronaut Sally Ride; and iconic women's rights activist Gloria Steinem. Browse our collection of inspiring famous Girl Scouts who have certainly earned merit badges in their fields.

Despite all sorts of institutional obstacles, women have continued to reach stratospheric levels of success in a full gamut of professional pursuits, whether as scientists, scribes, educators, governmental leaders, athletes, designers, film directors or performers. Learn more about the plethora of triumphs obtained by our group of trailblazers.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

When the 19th Amendment was ratified, women were finally given the right to vote, and over the years many courageous women have stepped onto the national political stage as well. In 1916, Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to Congress and almost a century later Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina woman to serve on the Supreme Court. And within the last two decades, the esteemable Hillary Clinton has served as First Lady, a New York senator and Secretary of State. These women, and many more, are setting the stage for the future of female leaders in Washington.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women."

Aside from their gender, female leaders don't have much else in common. Some have brought peace to troubled lands, while others have strewn discontent. Some have been competent or brilliant, others inept or corrupt. They come from political positions ranging from arch-conservative to ultra-leftist and represent all the world's religions.

Visit BIO's Women's History group for more lists of the world's most fascinating women!

With Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony began working to establish women's right to vote in the mid-1800s. Unfortunately, Anthony never got to see the impact of her efforts—the 19th Amendment, granting women the righ to vote, was passed on August 26, 1920, more than a decade after Anthony's death—but hers remains one of the most important stories in women's history. Explpre this group to learn more about Anthony and other leading suffragettes, including Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Louisa May Alcott, Alice Paul, Dorothy Day, Amelia Bloomer and Jeannette Rankin.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

The wives of U.S. presidents are often important American figures in their own right. Although they have no official responsibilities, first ladies are a highly visible part of U.S. government. The role of the first lady has evolved over the centuries, from hostess of the White House to advocates for public policy. Learn about the different causes first ladies like Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama have championed over the years, from literacy to addiction to health care reform.

The DIY aspect of punk rock made it easier for a woman such as Siouxsie Sioux, Deborah Harry, Marianne Faithfull and Kim Deal to find a place in music. "That was the beuty of the punk thing," Chrissie Hynde later said. "[Sexual] discrimination didn't exist in that scene."

With rhythm coursing through their veins and larger-than-life voices that could move mountains, female music artists have held their own and have often become trailblazers in the worlds of jazz, soul, rock, punk, pop, country, and the like. 

Explore our Women Who Rock Group and set your sights on artists like: disco queen Donna Summer; rocker Janis Joplin, Joan Jett and Stevie Nicks; 'The Voice' Whitney Houston; princesses of pop Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Beyonce; and country crooners Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift. They may just rock your world.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.

Women and men have continued the call for full-fledged women’s rights in a number of venues, including voting access, fair treatment in the workplace and reproductive and sexual freedom. Find out more about this eclectic and electric group of global activists who include Shirin Ebadi, Coretta Scott King, Asra Nomani and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women.