International Women’s Day: Celebrating 18 Inspiring Women In History
We believe that women were created with the power to be incredible — to be influential, extraordinary, brilliant, loving, and unforgettable. There are countless such women in history to emulate, look up to, and be inspired by.
But we can only continue to honor these women by remembering them, their remarkable lives, and their admirable contributions. So today, on International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women in history who have continued to inspire generations of women, some of them long after their own lifetimes.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
The American activist is best known for her courageous act in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus for a white passenger in Alabama. This sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted over a year, and eventually led the U.S. Supreme Court to rule bus segregation unconstitutional. Since then, Parks has been regarded as a pivotal figure in the American Civil Rights movement.
Most memorable quote: “People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired… but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically… No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”
Jane Austen (1775-1817)
The renowned English novelist is well-known for her winsome, clever, and thoughtful novels, such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma. Her beloved stories explored love and marriage, familial issues, and social status, and have not only been adapted into films, TV shows, and spin-off novels countless times, but have also served as a blueprint for many a love story since.
Most memorable quote: “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” (from Northanger Abbey)
Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
The Roman Catholic nun and missionary left her mark on the world by selflessly dedicating her life to caring for the poor and suffering in India. She also founded The Missionaries of Charity, so as to take care of abandoned babies and children. Her astonishing life led to her canonization in 2016.
Most memorable quote: “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
The Polish-French physicist and chemist is best-known for being the first woman Nobel Prize winner (as well as the first person to be given Nobel honors twice), her groundbreaking research on radioactivity, and her major contribution in the search for cancer treatments – all despite not being permitted to attend the male-only University of Warsaw.
Most memorable quote: “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
Harriet Tubman (1822-1913)
The political activist and abolitionist lived a truly remarkable life. After being born into slavery, Tubman managed to escape, but longed to help others find freedom, too. She bravely carried out missions to rescue at least seventy people out of slavery, becoming a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad.
Most memorable quote: “When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.” (from Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman by Sarah Hopkins Bradford)
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
The German Benedictine abbess can’t be narrowed down into one category — she was a philosopher, composer, theologian, writer, mystic, and medical practitioner, among other things. Her staggering list of contributions include creating her own abbey, three theological books, writings about medicinal uses for plants, seventy-seven musical works, as well as plays and poetry. A woman truly ahead of her time, Hildegard of Bingen was canonized in 2012.
Most memorable quote: “Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of Earth’s greenings. Now, think.”
Madeleine L’Engle (1918-2007)
The author, most well-known for her beloved fantasy-fiction novel, A Wrinkle in Time, had almost given up her dreams of writing at forty years old after too many rejections. L’Engle’s eventual collection of sixty books explore spirituality, science, and the power of art with astonishing depth. Her incredible works continue to inspire many young writers, thinkers, and artists today.
Most memorable quote: “We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
The American poet, despite not gaining much popularity in her own lifetime, is now seen as one of the most influential female poets of all time. She is lauded today for her originality, experimental style, and her penchant for bucking the trends. Dickinson’s poetry continues to inspire younger generations of poets.
Most memorable quote: “I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and look at it, until it begins to shine.”
Malala Yousafzai (1997)
The Pakistani activist for female education, who is also the youngest person to ever be honored with a Nobel Peace Prize, garnered international attention when she was just fifteen, she was shot on a bus in an assassination attempt due to her activism. Since then, she’s written an international best-selling book (I Am Malala) and continued to advocate for the right to education.
Most memorable quote: “I truly believe the only way we can create global peace is through not only educating our minds, but our hearts and our souls.”
Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
Regarded as a national heroine of France, Joan of Arc was the daughter of a farmer who is remembered today as an incredibly courageous warrior that was driven by the voice of God, leading the French army to victory over the English at Orléans during the Hundred Years’ War. Her fate came just a year later, when she was captured and burned at the stake on a charge of heresy, but her legacy was one that would live on for generations to come, and she would eventually be canonized in 1920.
Most memorable quote: “One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.”
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)
The English mathematician and writer is known as being the first computer programmer. Her work on Charles Babbage’s ‘Analytical Engine’ led her to recognize that his proposed machine had purposes other than simply acting as calculators. Lovelace’s notes kept on the Analytical Engine contained what is now considered the first computer program, and her mathematical skills and understanding stretched far beyond what anyone had seen before.
Most memorable quote: “I never am really satisfied that I understand anything; because, understand it well as I may, my comprehension can only be an infinitesimal fraction of all I want to understand about the many connections and relations which occur to me, how the matter in question was first thought of or arrived at…”
Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
The American author, poet, and civil rights activist is widely recognized for her authentic writing style and powerful voice. Despite having grown up in a broken home, enduring abuse, and being mute for nearly five years, Angelou went on to become an incredibly respected and decorated memoirist, poet, spoken word artist, and was the first Black woman to be depicted on a U. S. quarter.
Most memorable quote: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
Anne Frank (1929-1945)
The German-Dutch diarist is one of the most widely recognized victims of the Holocaust. The teenager’s diary, now published as The Diary of a Young Girl, outlined her and her family’s life in hiding from 1942 to 1944. Frank’s eloquent and thoughtful writings touched the lives of any who came across them, offering the world a glimpse into a horrifying time in history through the eyes of a young, innocent, hopeful girl who deserved to live the full life she dreamed of. Her life was taken from her at the tender age of fifteen, but she still managed to make her mark on the world.
Most memorable quote: “It’s really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
Amelia Earhart (1897-1939)
The American aviator and author set multiple records, being the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, make a nonstop solo transatlantic flight, one of the first aviators to advocate for commercial flights, and for her involvement in The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots. She also debuted a clothing line in 1933 for women who lived “actively”. Sadly, Earhart disappeared on a flight during which she was attempting to fly around the world 1937.
Most memorable quote: “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.”
Mary Seacole (1805-1881)
The British-Jamaican nurse and businesswoman wasn’t one to let life pass her by; not only did she set up numerous hotels and shops throughout her life, but after the Crimean War broke out, she took it upon herself to open the British Hotel, just two miles from where the soldiers were stationed, in order to take care of wounded soldiers.
Most memorable quote: “I am not ashamed to confess that I love to be of service to those who need a woman’s help. And wherever the need arises – on whatever distant shore – I ask no greater or higher privilege than to minister to it.”
Sacagawea (1788-1812 or 1884)
The Shoshone woman is famous for her help with the Lewis and Clark expedition, acting as a guide and interpreter, traveling thousands of miles from Missouri to the Pacific Northwest while pregnant with her first child – being the only woman on the expedition. Her presence helped to establish peace between the explorers and the Native American tribes they encountered along the way. Oddly, there are conflicting theories about the time of her death.
Most memorable quote: “Amazing the things you find when you bother to search for them.”
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)
The British nurse, statistician, and social reformer is widely recognized as the founder of modern nursing, due to her determination to make hospitals a safer, cleaner place to be, and nursing a respected profession. Her work during the Crimean War, during which she assembled a team of over thirty nurses to care for soldiers and worked tirelessly, solidified her legacy.
Most memorable quote: “I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took an excuse.”
Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell (1812-1910)
The British physician, despite being rejected from numerous medical schools, broke through barriers for women in medicine and became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. She eventually founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, helping generations of women after her receive the education they desired.
Most memorable quote: “It is not easy to be a pioneer – but oh, is it fascinating!”