History is a fickle thing—sometimes the smallest footnote becomes legendary, while monumental deeds fade into obscurity. The internet gives us a chance to pull ten incredible women out of the shadows, give them the applause they deserve, and remind the world why their stories matter.
10 Incredible Women Who Changed the World
10 Valentina Tereshkova
In June 1963, Valentina Tereshkova vaulted into the cosmos, becoming the first woman to orbit Earth. Her background as an avid parachutist caught Soviet eyes, making her a natural fit for the demanding cosmonaut training program that opened its doors to women for the first time.
The Soviet leadership seized the moment, eager to claim a “first” over the United States in the fierce space race. Alongside four fellow female candidates, Tereshkova endured the same grueling regimen as her male peers, ultimately logging 70 hours and 50 minutes of weightless wonder above our planet.
Upon her triumphant return, she was showered with the USSR’s highest honors, most notably the Hero of the Soviet Union medal. Ironically, the United States would not send a woman into space for another two decades, underscoring the boldness of her achievement.
9 Margaret Hamilton
If the world had not heard Neil Armstrong’s iconic words on the Moon, Margaret Hamilton’s relentless software craftsmanship would have kept those words from ever being spoken. She commanded a colossal team—some 400,000 engineers—who built the flight software that guided Apollo 11 to the lunar surface.
Hamilton’s meticulous testing philosophy proved vital when the guidance computer chose to prioritize the landing over the mission’s original timeline. Her foresight saved the mission from potential disaster, and in 2016 President Barack Obama honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian accolade.
8 Caroline Herschel
Caroline Herschel blazed a trail for women in the sciences long before gender equity entered the lexicon. Educated by a supportive father, she eclipsed many of her contemporaries, ultimately becoming the first woman ever recorded to discover a comet—a feat she repeated eight times.
Her brother, the famed William Herschel, served as King George III’s personal astronomer, and Caroline assisted him, earning a wage and thus becoming the first woman officially recognized for scientific labor. Her contributions earned her a place as the inaugural female honorary member of both the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Irish Academy.
Later, after William’s death, she painstakingly catalogued their discoveries, a labor that secured her the prestigious Gold Medal of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences—an honor rarely bestowed upon women of her era.
7 Andree de Jongh
Andree de Jongh helmed the daring resistance network known as the Comet Line, shepherding stranded Allied airmen from Nazi‑occupied Belgium, through France, and ultimately to neutral Spain. Her covert safe houses became lifelines for dozens of escaped servicemen.
Estimates suggest she aided over a hundred airmen in their flight to freedom. Captured later, she endured imprisonment in a women’s concentration camp and a forced‑labor camp, while her father faced execution. Remarkably, the sheer disbelief that a woman could command such a network shielded her from the worst of the Nazis’ torture.
6 Bertha von Suttner
Bertha von Suttner earned the distinction of being the first woman ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Her 1889 treatise, Lay Down Your Arms, resonated throughout the 19th century, shaping pacifist thought across continents.
Friendship with Alfred Nobel deepened her influence; the two corresponded for years on the philosophy of peace. In 1891, she founded the Austrian Peace Society, emerging as a fierce, charismatic leader—so much so that contemporaries dubbed her the “generalissimo of the peace movement.”
5 Truus and Freddie Oversteegen
When sixteen‑year‑old Truus and fourteen‑year‑old Freddie Oversteegen were approached by a Dutch resistance operative, their mother gave them permission to join the fight against the Nazis. The sisters turned youthful charm into a lethal weapon.
They would lure German officers and collaborators into intimate settings, then guide the unsuspecting men into secluded woods where fellow resistance fighters lay in wait. The officers were silently dispatched, while the Oversteegen twins acted as vigilant lookouts, ensuring each ambush succeeded without a trace.
4 Dr. Mary Edwards Walker
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker broke barriers as both a Union nurse and surgeon during the American Civil War, later emerging as a fierce advocate for women’s rights. Her medical service earned her the Congressional Medal of Honor, a rare distinction for a civilian.
When Congress later questioned her eligibility and stripped her of the medal, Walker defiantly refused to return it. Decades after her death, the honor was reinstated in 1977, cementing her legacy.
Beyond the battlefield, Walker championed gender‑equal attire, adopting the Bloomer costume to protest restrictive women’s fashion and even wearing men’s clothing—a choice that led to multiple arrests for impersonation.
Unfazed by critics, Walker held her head high, continuing to fight for professional recognition of women and inspiring generations of female physicians and activists.
3 Lyudmila Pavlichenko
Lyudmila Pavlichenko remains the deadliest female sniper in recorded history, with 309 confirmed kills. As a youngster, she sparred with neighborhood boys in marksmanship contests, later honing her craft at a sniper school while pursuing a degree in education at Kiev University.
The German invasion of 1941 redirected her ambitions; she enlisted in the Red Army’s 25th Chapayev Rifle Division, confronting fear head‑on during her first battle when a comrade fell beside her, spurring her inaugural kill.
Her reputation grew so notorious that German forces broadcast her name over radio loudspeakers, attempting to bribe her into surrender. She amassed a hundred officer kills, spending weeks entrenched in sniper duels.
Promoted to major, Pavlichenko was withdrawn from combat and sent on a worldwide tour, befriending Eleanor Roosevelt and receiving gifts across continents. She used the platform to challenge sexist queries and rally support for a second front, eventually retiring with the Hero of the Soviet Union title.
2 Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut’s legacy vanished for centuries because her own stepson deliberately erased her images, attempting to rewrite history. Yet she stands as the first woman to wield the full authority of an Egyptian pharaoh.
Initially queen consort to her half‑brother, she served as regent for his infant son after his untimely death. Not content with a caretaker role, she proclaimed herself pharaoh, reshaping royal iconography to depict herself with a traditional male beard and muscular physique.
Her reign ushered in architectural marvels, most famously the Deir el‑Bahri temple—renowned as Egypt’s most exquisite sanctuary—demonstrating her sophisticated vision and political acumen.
Following her death, her stepson dismantled her monuments, believing that being forgotten would consign her to oblivion. It wasn’t until 1822, when scholars finally deciphered hieroglyphics, that Hatshepsut’s story resurfaced, restoring her place in eternity.
1 Zheng Shi
Zheng Shi, also known as Ching Shih, achieved a rare feat: she commanded a pirate empire for decades, turning the high seas into her domain. Captured and forced into prostitution, she married the fleet’s admiral, Zheng Yi, negotiating co‑command and half of his loot.
When Zheng Yi died, Zheng Shi seized control, instituting a ruthless code that demanded strict discipline, equitable loot distribution, humane treatment of female captives, and severe penalties—including execution—for rule‑breakers.
Under her iron fist, the fleet grew into an unrivaled maritime force, sinking 63 government ships in a single encounter and forcing Britain, China, and Portugal to acknowledge her supremacy.
Facing relentless pressure, the Chinese emperor offered amnesty; Zheng Shi accepted, retaining her treasure, retiring to run a gambling house, and living out her days peacefully until the age of 69.