10 Female Icons Who Transformed History

From scientists to suffragettes, artists to activists, women throughout history have made their mark by transforming laws, shifting cultural norms, protesting injustice, and pursuing their passions against all odds. Though often overlooked, their impact reverberates into the present day across every sphere. Join us as we highlight ten amazing women who fundamentally changed the course of human events. You may know some names on this list, but others may surprise you. Each defied expectations and forged her own path to bring new ideas into the world.

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)  

The daughter of romantic poet Lord Byron, Lovelace became the world’s first computer programmer by writing algorithms for Charles Babbage’s proposed mechanical general-purpose computer. Her visionary work laid the foundations of modern computing.

“The Analytical Engine weaves algebraic patterns just as the Jacquard loom weaves flowers and leaves.”

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)  

On December 1, 1955, seamstress Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, sparking the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott that galvanized the civil rights movement across America.

Did you know? Prior to the boycott, Rosa Parks served as secretary of the Montgomery NAACP chapter.

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

The iconic Mexican painter channeled her physical and emotional pain into groundbreaking surrealist self-portraits tackling themes of identity, politics, sexuality and nature. She later became a feminist icon.

“I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.”

Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

Marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson sounded the alarm on pesticides in her seminal 1962 book Silent Spring, spurring the modern environmental movement and leading to a nationwide ban on DDT.

Did you know? Rachel Carson was the first woman awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005)

In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. She later became the first African American candidate to run for president from a major political party in 1972.

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)

Kenyan social, environmental and political activist Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, which has planted over 51 million trees across Africa to combat deforestation while empowering women. In 2004, she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

“You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they must protect them.”

Jane Goodall (1934)

Through her revolutionary chimpanzee research, Jane Goodall demonstrated that humans are not the only species to create and use tools, forcing scientists to reassess the relationship between humans and animals.

“Change happens by listening then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don’t believe is right.”

Malala Yousafzai (1997)

After being shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in 2012 for advocating for girls’ education, Malala Yousafzai went on to become the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate at age 17.

“One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.”

Jocelyn Bell Burnell (1943)

As a graduate student, Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered the first radio pulsars in 1967, mysterious signals from space that were later determined to be rapidly rotating neutron stars. Her supervisor won the Nobel Prize, though many feel she was unjustly overlooked.

“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”

Greta Thunberg (2003)

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg sparked a global youth environmental movement by protesting outside her parliament in 2018. Her blunt, impassioned demands for climate action have challenged world leaders and inspired youth activism.

“I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.”