A tradition that dates back approximately 40 years in the United States and nearly 100 years elsewhere, International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month is an annual celebration of all women, everywhere. Celebrated each year here in the U.S. during the month of March, it serves to commemorate all that women have contributed to society and will contribute in the future. In honor of Women’s History Month, here are some of history’s most notable women:
Marie Curie, 1867-1934
– Discovered and founded the study of radioactivity
– Her research helped develop effective cures for cancer
– She was the first woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize, and the first person to win a second one
Mother Teresa, 1910-1997
– A Roman Catholic nun who lived most of her life in India
– Founded the Missionaries of Charity group, which helped manage homes for people who were dying, started soup kitchens, orphanages, and schools
– Her charity work helped change the lives of many of the most impoverished people in the world
Rosa Parks, 1913-2005
– One of the Civil Rights Movement’s most prominent figures
– She refused to give up her seat to a white man on a public bus
– Her actions and arrest eventually led to the Montgomery bus boycott, a 13-month mass protest against public transportation that led to the U.S. Supreme Court declaring segregation on buses unconstitutional
Emmeline Pankhurst, 1858-1928
– A social reformer that founded the Women’s Social and Political Union in Britain
– She is accredited with rousing thousands of women to demand that they receive their democratic right to vote for parliament
– For her actions she was imprisoned 13 times
Maya Angelou, 1928-2014
– A well-known American author, poet, actress, and screenwriter
– She is also remembered as being an activist during the Civil Rights Movement
– Wrote I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings which made history as the first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American woman
– She also received several awards and honors throughout her career, including the NAACP Image Award for outstanding literary work (nonfiction) category in 2005 and 2009
For more information, please refer to the links below:
https://womenshistorymonth.gov/
https://www.historyextra.com/100-women/100-women-results/
http://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/womens-history-month/
http://www.sheheroes.org/2019/03/7-ways-to-celebrate-women%E2%80%99s-history-month/
