As part of Women’s History Month, I’m highlighting inspirational women throughout the decades. While there are countless women who have contributed greatly to the world, I want to showcase some trailblazers from 1950-2000. Here are a few exceptional ladies whose stories should be shared:
Rosalind Franklin
Born in London in 1920, Rosalind Franklin became a world renowned scientist best known for her contributions in discovering the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). She graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1941 and earned a fellowship to research physical chemistry at Cambridge. However, World War II changed her plans, so she served as an air raid warden and later researched the chemistry of carbon and coal for use in the war. Building upon this research, she obtained her doctoral degree from Cambridge in 1945. After joining King’s College as a research fellow in 1951, she discovered the density of DNA and determined that the molecule exists in a helical formation.
Bobbi Gibb
Bobbi Gibb is known for crushing gender stereotypes in athletics. In 1966, then-23-year-old Bobbi received a letter in the mail disqualifying her from running the Boston Marathon. At the time, the Amateur Athletics Union prohibited women from running races longer than 1.5 miles. Not deterred, Bobbi disguised herself in her brother’s shorts and a hoodie near the start line. Not only did she complete the Boston Marathon, but she finished ahead of two-thirds of the male competitors.
Katherine Johnson
If you’ve seen the movie Hidden Figures, you’re aware of the remarkable role that Katherine Johnson played in advancing our country’s dominance in space exploration. Johnson’s talents were apparent from early on, and she was chosen as one of just three Black students to integrate West Virginia’s graduate schools. She joined NASA (then NACA) in 1958 after providing calculations for the Notes on Space Technology document. Her most celebrated work includes running the calculations by hand for the orbital mission of John Glenn.
Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chishom made history by becoming the first Black woman in Congress. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1968, and her campaign slogan was “Unbought and unbossed” (which is also the title of her memoir). During her seven terms in Congress, “Fighting Shirley” garnered a reputation for advocating for women and minorities. She is responsible for introducing more than 50 pieces of legislation to Congress and co-founding the National Women’s Political Caucus.
Junko Tabei
Junko Tabei was born in 1939 near Fukushima, Japan. She discovered a love of hiking at a young age and founded a women’s mountaineering club shortly after graduating from college. In 1975, just twelve days after being buried by an avalanche, Tabei became the first woman to summit Mount Everest. And she didn’t stop there–she completed her quest to reach the peaks of the Seven Summits (the tallest mountains on each continent) in 1992.
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright served as the first female U.S. Secretary of State. She was born in what was then Czechoslovakia in 1937 and was the daughter of a Czech diplomat. After the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazis, her family fled to England and later settled in the United States. She began her political career as Ambassador to the United Nations in 1993 and was nominated for Secretary of State by Bill Clinton in 1997. Her nomination was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin has had a tenure spanning 25+ years at Colorado State University, where she’s a professor of animal behavior. Grandin was diagnosed with autism in 1950 and has noted that she connects so well with animals because she “thinks in pictures.” Throughout her expansive career as an animal behaviorist, she’s revolutionized livestock welfare and invented a restraining system for calming cattle. In addition to championing the humane treatment of livestock, she’s an advocate for those with autism and speaks on the topic often.
Patricia Schroeder
Pat Schroeder was the first woman from Colorado elected as a U.S. Representative, serving from 1973-1997. Known for shaking up the institution by forcing officials to acknowledge that women have a role in government, she was a true pioneer for women’s rights. She was a one-of-a-kind leader whose legacy will live on for generations to come.
The women highlighted here have contributed incredible accomplishments that we all benefit from. Curious about the next generation? To wrap up Women’s History Month, I’ll highlight noteworthy ladies from 2000 and onward. Be sure to check back to see the bright stars of our time.