A Year of Women's History

Happy International Women's Day! Let's celebrate by remembering a few of the great women of history, who have achieved great things and made lives easier for women today.

January 3, 1987 - Aretha Franklin inducted

Aretha Franklin became the first female artist to ever be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

February 15, 1820 - Susan B. Anthony was born

The American women's rights activist and social reformer played a crucial role in the women's suffrage movement.

February 25, 2018 - Norwegian athlete Marit Bjørgen

At the 2018 Winter Olympics, the Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen became the most successful winter athlete of all time, with her 15 medals.

March 9, 1959 - Barbie's debut

The toy doll Barbie made her debut at the American Toy Fair in New York City, and has since then had over a billion sold worldwide. She became a role model to girls and women, as finally a female was represented as being financially independent and living her own life, with interests outside of being a housewife.

March 12, 1994 - First female priests in England

The Church of England ordained its first ever 32 female priests at Bristol Cathedral.

April 19, 1909 - Joan of Arc was beatified

Joan of Arc, national heroine of France, received beatification by the Roman Catholic Church.

May 2, 1729 - Catherine the Great was born

Catherine the Great was empress of Russia for 34 years, making her their longest ever reigning female leader. Russia grew under her reign, she westernised and revitalised the country and it was recognised as one of Europe's great powers.

May 12, 1820 - Florence Nightingale was born

Known as “The Lady With the Lamp”, Florence Nightingale was a nurse whose huge efforts to reform healthcare lead to cleaner and safer hospitals, as well as greater quality of care.

May 20, 1932 -Amelia Earhart flew across the Atlantic

In 1932 Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. The flight took her 13 hours, and she played a big role in the advancement of women in aviation.

June 1 - Marilyn Monroe was born

Marilyn Monroe was born on the first of June in 1926, and went on to become one of the most famous people in history. She was an incredibly successful actress, and an iconic woman that is still fondly celebrated over 50 years after her death.

June 10 - Judy Garland was born

Judy Garland was born in 1922, and is remembered as one of the greatest actresses in history. She is famous for several huge movie successes, showing off her incredible talent. She is a person who without a doubt will continue to be celebrated for a long time.

July 5, 1946 - The bikini was introduced

The modern bikini was created by swimsuit designer Louis Réard, in a time of great fabric shortage. It was presented by nude-dancer Micheline Bernardini at a beauty pageant in Paris, and was immediately banned in several countries and states, and deemed scandalous by many. The bikini was worn in the first Miss World beauty pageant in 1951, but was then banned from the competition.

July 6, 1907 - Frida Kahlo was born

The great Mexican painter and political activist Frida Kahlo was born on this day. She embraced her Mexican culture in her paintings, and is known for expressing her sexuality and disregarding society's standards. People still cherish her for her female empowerment, strength and how she handled living with a disability.

August 1, 1944 - Anne Frank's last diary entry

"[I] keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would like to be, and what I could be, if...there weren't any other people living in the world."

August 18, 1920 - The 19th Amendment

On this day the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified. This granted all American women the right to vote.

August 23, 1850 - Women's Right Convention

The first ever US National Women's Rights Convention took place in Worcester, Massachusetts.

August 27, 1910 - Mother Teresa was born

Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, Yugoslavia (now North Macedonia). She founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, and spent her life working to help the poor and sick.

September 8, 1986 - The Oprah Winfrey Show was broadcast

The Oprah Winfrey Show was broadcast nationally for the very first time, receiving instant success and becoming the highest-rated talk show in history.

September 19, 1893 - Women can vote in New Zealand

New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant all women the right to vote. At the general election 28 November the same year, women voted for the first time in a national election.

October 22, 1978 - Grete Waitz world record

Norwegian runner Grete Waitz won the New York City Marathon in her race debut, setting a world record of 2:32:30.

November 1, 1896 - First photo of bare breasts

National Geographic Magazine featured a picture showing a woman’s bare breasts for the first time.

November 7, 1867 - Marie Curie was born

Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics, which she shared with her husband Pierre Curie for their work with developing the theory of radioactivity. In 1911 she received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering radium and polonium, making her the first person to win two Nobel Prizes.

November 8, 2005 - Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected the president of Liberia, and became the first woman to lead an African country.

November 22, 2005 - Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel became the first female chancellor of Germany.

November 25, 1999 - International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

The UN established the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

December 28, 1934 - Women's cricket internationals

In Australia, the first ever women's cricket international began, England vs. Australia.

December 12, 2015 - Saudi Arabia women elected

The first women ever were elected in Saudi Arabian municipal council elections.

This was just a snippet of the rich history of women and their accomplishments. There is a lot more to learn, appreciate and remember. Acknowledging history is an important part of moving forward, so let's never forget those who came before us.

*Of course, some of these things apply to more people than just women, but at the time they were traditionally considered "women things".

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