This year for International Women's Day, we're honoring the women who have changed the world with their intelligence, bravery and countless contributions.
1. Sybil Ludington: The Female Paul Revere
It was April 26th, 1777, and Sybil was only 16 years old when a rider came to her family home in New York with information about an upcoming British attack in Danbury, Connecticut. With all the men on leave or unable to go, Sybil hopped on a horse to go warn the Patriots -- she was less than half of Paul Revere's age and rode twice as far to disperse the warning.
2. Claudette Colvin: Teenage Civil Rights Activist
Almost a year before Rosa Parks became famous for refusing to give up her seat, 15-year-old Claudette refused to move for a white passenger while on a bus on her way home from school. She told Newsweek, "I felt like Soujourner Truth was pushing down on one shoulder and Harriet Tubman was pushing down on the other -- saying, 'Sit down girl!' I was glued to my seat."
3. Jane Addams: Pioneer for Social Change
A feminist far before her time: Jane Addams said "no" to marriage and motherhood in favor of her commitment to social reform. She stood out by openly opposing World War 1 and for her sponsorship of legally abolishing child labor. She founded the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, which is why she's heralded today as the "mother of social work."
4. Hedy Lamarr: Helped Invent Wi-Fi
She was more than just "The Most Beautiful Woman in Film," Lamarr was also a creative inventor with a sharp mind. She worked with a composer to develop a method of "frequency hopping" as a Secret Communication System to help combat Nazis during World War 2. Her invention laid the ground work for wireless technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
5. Rosalind Franklin: Revealed the Structure of DNA
Rosalind Franklin knew no one wanted her to be a scientist, but she did it anyway. She got her doctorate in chemistry and studied X-ray techniques for years, even leading a research team in the topic. One of the people who worked on her research team betrayed her by showing James Watson and Francis Franklin Photo 51, which enabled them to determine the structure of DNA. The men were awarded a Nobel Prize and did not even mention Rosalind's efforts, which helped them get there.
6. Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias: First Female Sports Star
Mildred, or "Babe," as she was known, became a legend when she entered the 1932 U.S. women's track and field championship as the sole player on her team. She won five events and overall championship, sending her to the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, where she earned two gold and one silver medal. She later made history in golf as the first woman to play in the all-male PGA Tour event -- she still holds the record for the longest winning streak in golf history for male and female players. She was named "Female Athlete of the Year" six times by the Associated Press.
7. Jeannette Rankin: Voted On Behalf of Women Before It Was Legal
Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to Congress in 1916. She served two terms, where she was the only member of Congress to vote against U.S. participation in both World Wars. She was a member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and campaigned for child health care and regulation of hours and wages for all women workers.
8. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rae Rivera: LGBTQ Activists Who Dared to be Themselves
Marsha and Sylvia were two prominent drag queens in New York City's Greenwich Village in the '60s. When the 1969 Stonewall Riots began, Marsha is said to have been the first to throw a stone at police, which sparked a national LGBTQ movement. Together, the two women co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) and worked with runaway and homeless people working in the drag industry.
(History)