"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!" The famous words spoken by Neil Armstrong in 1969, created one of the most unforgettable moments in U.S. history. Even before that first-ever landing on the moon, astronauts began navigating their way through the thrill and mystery that is outer space. From John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit the earth, to Sally Ride, the first American woman to enter space, these famous names have taken space exploration to new heights.
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.
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.
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.
Meet famous people who were born in May. John F. Kennedy, Adele, George Carlin, Audrey Hepburn, Mr. T, Bob Dylan are some of the people who share a May birthday.
In 2012, we said goodbye to many iconic figures—the first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong and the first American woman in space, Sally Ride. We lost writers such as Ray Bradbury, Maeve Binchy, Maurice Sendak and Nora Ephron. We said farewell to musicians and singers who left an indelible mark on the soundtrack of our times—among them Whitney Houston, Davy Jones, Donna Summer, Etta James, Robin Gibb, Kitty Wells, Adam Yauch and Ravi Shankar. We also lost great actors such as Ernest Borgnine, Larry Hagman, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jack Klugman and Sherman Hemsley, as well as TV personalities such as Andy Griffith, Phyllis Diller, Dick Clark and Don Cornelius.
Meet famous people such as Bruce Lee, Louis Armstrong, Marlon Brando, William Faulkner, Frida Kahlo, John F. Kennedy Jr., and Barry White, who died in the month of July.
Browse notable physicists such as Joseph Henry, Sheldon Glashow, and Gustav Kirchhoff.
Throughout history, the greatest scientific minds have not only demystified the world with their discoveries, but helped shape how we live in it with their ingenious inventions. From Sir Isaac Newton to Charles Darwin to Albert Einstein and many more brilliant minds, here is a group of famous scientists who have made major advances in the field of science.
Browse notable teachers such as Miguel de Unamuni, Ralph Ellison, and Augusta Savage.