While the names Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and Susan B. Anthony ring a bell for most of us, the tapestry of history is woven with countless remarkable women who remain largely invisible. Whether the silence stems from the patriarchal bias of earlier scholars or simply because their deeds went unrecorded at the time, these 10 amazing women deserve a spotlight for their extraordinary contributions.
Why These 10 Amazing Women Matter
Each of these pioneers broke barriers, challenged conventions, and forged paths that later generations would follow. Their stories span continents, centuries, and fields—from journalism and politics to aviation and software engineering. Let’s dive into their unforgettable journeys.
10. Jovita Idar
Long before the United States even entertained the idea of women’s suffrage, Jovita Idar was already battling a patriarchal system that sought to silence her both for her gender and her Mexican heritage. Born in Laredo, Texas, to immigrant parents, she grew up in an environment that was far from welcoming to Mexican‑American families.
She initially pursued a career in teaching, but chronic shortages of supplies hampered her ability to educate effectively. Frustrated, she turned to journalism as a new platform for advocacy.
Through her pen, Idar exposed the rampant inequality and segregation afflicting her community, championed causes that amplified women’s political voices, and fearlessly condemned policies she deemed unjust.
While writing for the newspaper El Progreso, she publicly denounced President Wilson’s deployment of troops to the southern border, provoking the ire of both the U.S. Army and the Texas Rangers. When the Rangers arrived to shut down the paper, Idar physically blocked their entry, refusing to let them in. Though the newspaper was eventually forced to close, her courageous stand against armed authorities became an enduring symbol of resistance for Mexican‑American women everywhere.
9. Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm’s career is a catalog of historic firsts. She earned the distinction of being the first African‑American woman elected to the United States Congress, representing New York’s 12th District for seven consecutive terms from 1969 to 1983.
Never one to settle for the status quo, she also became the first Black candidate to seek a major party’s nomination for the presidency in 1972, and the first woman ever to vie for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.
In Congress, Chisholm championed legislation aimed at ending the draft, establishing a federal minimum wage for domestic workers, and advancing the Equal Rights Amendment. Her tenacious advocacy earned her a reputation as a true champion of the people.
Her legacy is often credited with paving the way for the 2008 Democratic primary showdown between an African‑American man and a woman, a contest that ultimately led to the election of the United States’ first Black president.
8. Sojourner Truth
Born Isabella Baumfree into slavery in 1797, Sojourner Truth escaped bondage after giving birth to a daughter in 1826. She later reclaimed her son, Peter, by successfully suing a white man for custody in 1828—a landmark case that made her the first Black woman to win such a lawsuit.
In 1843, she adopted the name Sojourner Truth and embraced Methodism, which propelled her onto the national stage as an outspoken abolitionist and advocate for women’s rights. She forged connections with leading reformers, most notably Frederick Douglass, whose influence helped shape her activism.Her 1851 memoir, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave, chronicled her life, and she delivered her iconic “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention the following year. The address resonated for decades, influencing both the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements.
Recognized as a pivotal figure behind the Nineteenth Amendment, Sojourner Truth’s legacy even earned her a place on the reverse side of the proposed $10 bill slated for release in 2020.
7. Huda Sha’arawi
Huda Sha’arawi entered the world in an affluent Egyptian family; her father, Muhammad Sultan, served as the inaugural president of the Egyptian Representative Council. While her upbringing afforded comfort, it also placed her squarely within the confines of 19th‑century Egyptian gender norms, which largely restricted women to domestic spaces or harems.
Following a marriage to her cousin that eventually ended in separation, Sha’arawi pursued education and, in doing so, embraced feminism. She became one of the earliest Egyptian women to publicly discard her veil, a bold act that inspired a wave of similar defiance among her compatriots within a decade.
She organized women’s gatherings at her home, bringing female voices into the public arena for the first time. In 1919, she led Egypt’s inaugural women’s street demonstration during the national revolution and subsequently was elected president of the Wafdist Women’s Central Committee.
Although many of her demands remained unmet during her lifetime, Sha’arawi’s pioneering activism laid essential groundwork for future Egyptian women’s rights advancements, cementing her status as a foundational feminist figure across the Arab world.
6. Lilian Bland
While Amelia Earhart enjoys widespread fame, Lilian Bland’s contributions to early aviation often slip under the radar. In 1910, spurred by a postcard from her Paris‑based uncle, she embarked on a quest to master flight, constructing a biplane glider she whimsically named “Mayfly.”
The glider proved successful, yet Bland yearned for powered flight. She ordered a two‑stroke engine, which arrived before the essential fuel tank. Undeterred, she ingeniously fashioned a makeshift tank from an empty whiskey bottle and her deaf aunt’s ear trumpet.
When the proper fuel tank finally arrived, Bland piloted the first aircraft flown by a woman in Ireland, marking a historic milestone. Her father, displeased with her aerial ambitions, offered to buy her a car—a vehicle she learned to drive herself. Later, she operated a car dealership in Belfast and became Ford’s inaugural agent for Northern Ireland.
Bland’s unconventional spirit and relentless determination not only broke gender barriers in aviation but also inspired countless women worldwide to pursue daring endeavors.
5. Margaret Hamilton
Most people readily associate the Apollo Moon landing with astronaut Neil Armstrong, yet few recognize Margaret Hamilton’s pivotal role in that triumph. As director of the Software Engineering Division at MIT’s Instrumentation Laboratory, she led the team that crafted the onboard flight software essential for the Apollo missions.
Without Hamilton’s groundbreaking software, NASA would have lacked the critical navigation capabilities needed to guide astronauts to the lunar surface. Her achievements earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2016.
Beyond Apollo, Hamilton founded Hamilton Technologies, Inc., steering the development of the Universal Systems Language—a framework that advanced system and software design across industries.
Credited with authoring over 130 scholarly papers, Hamilton also coined the term “software engineering,” a discipline historically dominated by men. Her influence endures as a cornerstone of modern computer science and space exploration.
4. Roza Shanina
Roza Georgiyevna Shanina emerged as a Soviet sniper during World War II, tallying 59 confirmed kills. She enlisted in 1941 after her brother’s death, volunteering for front‑line combat—a role rarely assigned to women at the time.
Although not the inaugural female sniper, Shanina distinguished herself through remarkable precision and the ability to fire doublets—two targets struck with a single bullet. During the Battle of Vilnius, she alone secured 12 kills, showcasing her lethal skill.
Her bravery earned her the Order of Glory, making her the first female Soviet sniper to receive the honor. Canadian newspapers in 1944 dubbed her “the unseen terror of East Prussia,” underscoring her formidable reputation.
Tragically, Shanina fell in combat while shielding a wounded artillery commander, sacrificing herself to protect her comrade. She is remembered in Russia as a heroic figure of the Soviet Union, exemplifying the vital yet often overlooked contributions of women in wartime.
3. Niloofar Rahmani
Before the 2001 U.S.-led invasion, Afghan women faced draconian restrictions: schooling ceased after age eight, public office was forbidden, and they could not leave home without a male escort. The fall of the Taliban opened new horizons, and Niloofar Rahmani seized the opportunity to become Afghanistan’s first female fixed‑wing air force pilot.
She also broke ground as the nation’s inaugural female military pilot, despite receiving death threats against herself and her family. Her perseverance earned her the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage Award in 2015.
Following heightened threats, Rahmani sought asylum in the United States in 2018. She now aspires to join the U.S. Air Force, continuing her trailblazing journey as a pioneering aviator.
2. Belva Ann Lockwood
Long before American women secured the right to vote, Belva Ann Lockwood championed gender equality through law. After graduating from law school, she became one of the nation’s earliest female attorneys.
In 1879, she achieved the historic milestone of being the first woman to successfully petition Congress for permission to argue before the United States Supreme Court—an unprecedented feat at a time when women could not even cast ballots.
Lockwood ran for the U.S. presidency in both 1884 and 1888 on the National Equal Rights Party ticket. Though she did not win, she became the first woman to appear on a national ballot, breaking new political ground.
Posthumously, her legacy endures: her likeness adorns ship figureheads, appears on U.S. Postal Service stamps, and graces the names of several naval vessels. In 1983, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, cementing her place in American history.
1. Hedy Lamarr
Most readers recognize Hedy Lamarr as a glamorous Hollywood star once dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world.” Yet her true legacy lies in her inventive genius. During World II, Lamarr co‑developed frequency‑hopping spread spectrum technology, initially intended to secure torpedo guidance against enemy jamming.
Although the Navy dismissed her concept at the time, the technique later resurfaced in the 1960s, forming the foundation for modern wireless communications—including cell phones, Bluetooth, CDMA, and Wi‑Fi.
Lamarr’s contributions earned her induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014. While her cinematic achievements remain noteworthy, her groundbreaking work in science and technology deserves equal, if not greater, recognition.