It’s no secret that women can do just as much as men, especially in fields like science, art, governance, politics, and academia. Yet, for centuries, women weren’t always seen as equally capable, often overshadowed in male-dominated spheres.
While many men are celebrated for advancing civilization, women often played instrumental roles behind the scenes, deserving far more recognition than they received. Let’s shine a light on ten incredible women who significantly impacted society but were largely ignored or forgotten in their time.
Here are the stories of ten remarkable women who worked alongside men and transformed the world, often without the credit they deserved.
Dorothy Vaughan
Dorothy Vaughan, born in 1910, was a brilliant mathematician who played a crucial role at NASA during and after World War II, and into the space race. As a Black woman, she faced significant challenges but excelled academically, earning a full scholarship to Wilberforce University.
During World War II, Vaughan joined the West Area Computing Unit in 1943, a group of Black female mathematicians at NACA (later NASA). She expertly computed complex mathematical equations for defense and spaceflight. Eventually, she became NASA’s first Black manager, a groundbreaking achievement in a male-dominated era.
Vaughan’s promotion marked her as the first Black person and woman to achieve such a role at NASA. She was also an early expert in FORTRAN, a precursor to modern computer programming, underscoring her technical competence and pioneering spirit.[1]
Ada Lovelace
Born in London in 1815, Ada Lovelace is celebrated as the world’s first computer programmer. Her groundbreaking work on Charles Babbage’s analytical engine set the stage for modern computing.
Lovelace analyzed Babbage’s conceptual computer and created a program for it, making her the first-ever computer programmer. In 1843, she translated a French paper about the engine and added her own annotations, significantly improving it and explaining how the machine could function under various conditions.
Babbage admired her work, which perfectly complemented his own. Lovelace’s ability to predict the engine’s function and potential uses was pioneering. Although Babbage never completed the analytical engine, Lovelace’s contributions are remembered through the computer programming language Ada, named in her honor, and Ada Lovelace Day, which celebrates women in STEM.[2]
Emmy Noether
Emmy Noether, a mathematician born in Germany in 1882, later became a prominent figure in the United States. Even Albert Einstein considered her the most important woman in mathematics, and for good reason!
Noether essentially invented abstract algebra and theoretical physics and developed ring theory. She tirelessly studied theorems and proofs in ways that her male peers had never done, often working without pay. She is best known for Noether’s theorem, which linked symmetry in nature with the universal laws of conservation of matter and energy.
Her theorem revealed deep connections between real-world physics and abstract mathematics. In 1932, at the International Congress of Mathematicians, she explained the significance of abstract algebraic concepts, including number theory and the relationship between commutative and non-commutative values in math and physics.
Noether passed away in 1935 after battling tumors, but her legacy endures. Her influence is evident in the mathematical concepts developed in recent decades, which build directly upon her groundbreaking research.[3]
Mary Anning
Mary Anning, born in 1799, was a significant fossil collector and paleontologist in the 19th century. She worked along the cliffs of the English Channel in Dorset, England, tirelessly collecting and cataloging fossils without pay or recognition.
Near Lyme Regis, she discovered a remarkable series of Jurassic marine fossil beds. Every winter, she would venture out after landslides exposed new fossils, carefully collecting them before the ocean washed them away. Her discoveries were truly remarkable.
At age 12, she found the first correctly identified ichthyosaur skeleton. Later, she discovered the first two nearly complete plesiosaur skeletons and the first pterosaur skeleton outside Germany. She also found numerous Jurassic-era fish fossils.
Anning’s discoveries helped scientists determine that coprolites were fossilized feces. She also discovered that belemnite fossils contained ink sacs, similar to modern cephalopods. Unfortunately, she was excluded from the Geological Society of London because she was a woman and struggled financially. Despite gaining some recognition in the early 1840s, she remained an outsider until her death in 1847. Only recently has she received the full credit she deserves.[4]
Shirley Chisholm
Born in Brooklyn in 1924 to immigrant parents from Barbados, Shirley Chisholm repeatedly made history in politics. After graduating from Brooklyn College and Columbia University, she worked in education before entering politics.
In 1968, she was elected to Congress, becoming the first Black woman ever to serve in the United States Congress. During her tenure, she worked on expanding the food stamp program and helped create the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
In 1971, Chisholm co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus. In 1972, she ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming the first Black candidate and the first woman to seek a major party’s nomination for president. Chisholm continued in Congress until 1983 and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 for her contributions to the United States.[5]
Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr was a famous actress from Hollywood’s Golden Age and the (kind of) inventor of Wi-Fi! In the early 1940s, she and her neighbor, musician George Antheil, sought ways to aid the American cause during World War II.
They became interested in radio technology and began tinkering, seeking to improve American communications. In 1942, Lamarr and Antheil developed “frequency hopping,” a method to switch between radio frequencies easily.
This invention had two major benefits: it prevented the jamming of radio signals and encrypted conversations to avoid eavesdropping. They patented the technology in 1942 and gave it to the U.S. government for military use.
Frequency hopping greatly aided the war effort, allowing Allied forces to call in targets without signal jamming. This “secret communications system” enabled encrypted transmission of troop movements and other vital information. Frequency hopping also became the basis for modern technologies like Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth, making Lamarr a crucial precursor to wireless internet.[6]
Junko Tabei
Junko Tabei, a Japanese mountaineer, was the first woman to scale Mount Everest. While she was only the 36th person to achieve this feat, being the first woman made her a true pioneer.
Tabei was also the first woman to ascend the Seven Summits—the highest peaks on each of the world’s seven continents. She remained humble, working as a teacher and writing seven books about climbing and adventure. She organized annual climbs up Mount Fuji with young people affected by disasters and led clean-up projects on Everest.
Tabei died in 2016, but her legacy lives on. A mountain range on Pluto is named Tabei Montes in her honor, and in 2019, an astronomer named Asteroid 6897 “Tabei” after her.[7]
Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson, a marine biologist, sparked the modern environmental movement with her 1962 book, Silent Spring. The book argued against the overuse of harmful chemicals like DDT and advocated for responsible consumption.
Carson wanted people to be more aware of how their consumption choices affected the environment. Sadly, she died in 1964, not seeing the full impact of her work. Her book became a bestseller and inspired young people to rally around environmental causes.
Environmentalism evolved into a major political and social force, influencing political parties worldwide. It all began with Carson’s Silent Spring, which anonymously hit bookshelves just over 60 years ago.[8]
Frances Oldham Kelsey
In 1960, Frances Oldham Kelsey was hired by the FDA to review chemicals and additives for food. During her first month, she was asked to evaluate thalidomide, a proposed sleeping pill.
She prevented its approval, citing insufficient testing and excessive corporate pressure. The FDA banned thalidomide in the United States. Tragically, thalidomide was used in Germany and the UK, leading to a surge in babies born with severe birth defects.
Kelsey’s actions protected the U.S. population from this tragedy. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy awarded her the President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service, recognizing her critical role in safeguarding public health.
Kennedy praised her exceptional judgment in preventing a major tragedy of birth deformities in the United States. Frances Kelsey deserves recognition for her vital contributions to public health.[9]
Elizabeth Blackwell
Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to receive a medical degree and practice medicine in the United States in the mid-19th century. Born in England in 1821, she moved to America with her abolitionist family at age 11. After her father’s death, Blackwell turned to teaching.
A dying friend’s remark ignited her passion: the friend believed she would have received better care from a female physician. Blackwell resolved to become a doctor to help other women.
In 1845, she convinced physician friends to tutor her in medicine. In 1847, she applied to medical schools and was accepted to Geneva Medical College in New York. The faculty jokingly voted “yes” to her admission, but Blackwell proved her dedication, studying there for two years.
In 1849, Blackwell graduated, becoming the first woman to earn an MD degree from an American medical school. She practiced medicine and improved the lives of countless patients. In 1857, she co-founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, paving the way for future generations of female doctors.[10]
These ten women made extraordinary contributions to society, often facing immense challenges and receiving little recognition during their lifetimes. Their stories inspire us to value and remember the unsung sheroes who shaped our world.
Share your thoughts in the comments below and let us know which of these stories resonates most with you!
