Historical Figures

• Belle Starr, Legendary Outlaw

  Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr ,known as Belle Starr (1848 – 1889) was a legendary American outlaw and a famous figure in the Conquest of the West. She dated, among others, the James brothers, the Younger brothers and the Starr clan. A classic education Born on February 5, 1848 in Carthage (Miss

• Hilma af Klint, discreet pioneer of abstract art

  Swedish artist, Hilma af Klint (1862 – 1944) was a discreet pioneer of abstract art. Having never shown her works to her contemporaries during her lifetime, it was only after her death that she would be recognized at her fair value. A gift for artistic creation Born October 26, 1862 in Stockholm,

• Nannerl Mozart, the sacrificed prodigy

  Maria Anna Mozart, elder sister of Wolfgang Amadeus and known by the affectionate nickname of Nannerl, was a young musical prodigy whose talent was thwarted. Two child prodigies Eldest daughter of Anna Maria Mozart and Leopold Mozart, Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart was born on July 30, 1751 in

• Ndaté Yalla Mbodj, heroine of the resistance to colonization

  Heroine of the fight against colonization, Ndaté Yalla Mbodj (1810 – 1860) was a great sovereign of Waalo, the historic region of present-day Senegal. Linguists Daughter of Fatim Yamar Khouriaye Mbodj and Amar Fatim Borso, Ndaté Yalla Mbodj was born in 1810 in the kingdom of Waalo, resulting from

• Annie Oakley, gunslinger

  Annie Oakley, born as Phoebe Ann Moses (1860 – 1926) , is a mythical character in the Conquest of the West. She stood out for her skill and great precision in shooting. An early talent for shooting Phoebe Ann, or Annie, was born on August 13, 1860 in a rural community on the Ohio border. His par

• Nana Asma'u, intellectual princess

  Nana Asma’u (full name Nana Asma’u bint Shehu Usman dan Fodiyo, 1793 – 1864) was a princess, poet and teacher of the Sokoto Caliphate in northern Nigeria. Influential intellectual Daughter of the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate Usman dan Fodio and half-sister of its second Sultan Mohammed Bello, N

• Prudence Crandall, right to education activist

  Crandall Caution (1803 – 1890) caused scandal by creating, in Connecticut, before the abolition of slavery, a school for African-American girls. Arrested, judged, imprisoned for a short period, she ended up abandoning her project in the face of physical attacks against her school. The Canterbury Fe

• Mariana Grajales, heroine of independence

  Mariana Grajales Coello (1808 – 1893) was a national figure in the Cuban struggle for independence in the 19th century. Alongside her husband and sons, she fought in the Ten Years War of Independence. The Wars of Independence in Latin America Mariana Grajales was born on June 26, 1808 in Santiago

• Anna Pavlova, prima ballerina

  Anna Pavlovna (Matveyevna) Pavlova (1881 – 1931) was a Russian ballerina, best known for her role in the ballet created for her, La Mort du cygne . Considered one of the best classical dancers of all time, she was the first to tour the world with her own company. Sleeping Beauty Anna Pavlovna (M

• Mary Fields, “Stagecoach Mary”

  Mary Fields, also known as Stagecoach (Diligence) Mary or Black Mary (c. 1832–1914) was the first black woman employed as a postwoman in the United States, the second woman to work for the United States Postal Service. A free spirit and a woman of guts, she holds this position in the midst of Conque

• Clara Schumann, virtuoso pianist

  Clara Wieck, who married Clara Schumann (1819 – 1896) was a German musician and composer. A young prodigy, she was largely overshadowed by the success of her husband. Fascinated by music Clara Wieck was born in Leipzig, Germany, on September 13, 1819, into a family of musicians. His mother, Maria

• Marie Durocher, pioneer in obstetrics

  Marie Josefina Mathilde Durocher (1808 – 1893) was a Brazilian gynecologist, midwife and doctor. First qualified midwife, she is the first woman to be admitted to the Brazilian Academy of Medicine. A new life in Brazil Marie Josefina Mathilde Durocher was born in Paris on January 6, 1808. From 18

• Zewditou, ruler of Ethiopia

  Zewditou (1876 – 1930) was a ruler of Ethiopia at the beginning of the 20th century, whose reign was marked by great changes for the country. Very early marriages Born on April 29, 1876, Zewditou is the daughter of the noble Abechi, companion of Sahle Maryam who later became Negus (king) of Ethiop

• Chennamma, rebel queen of Kittur

  Chennamma (1778 – 1829) was a queen of Kittur (or Kittoor, Kitturu), a province in southern India, in the state of Karnataka. For leading an armed revolt against the British East India Company, she became a symbol of the independence movement in India. A brave queen Chennama was born on October 2

• Lucy Parsons, tireless anarchist activist

  Lucy Eldine Gonzalez Parsons (1853 – 1942) was an American anarchist activist. A talented speaker, she also left articles and pamphlets denouncing racism and the living conditions of the workers, as well as a biography of her husband, executed in the case of the Haymarket Square bombing. The birth

• Lozen, Apache Fighter

  Lozen (circa 1840 – circa 1887) was an Amerindian fighter, considered a shaman, who participated in numerous campaigns against Mexicans and American settlers. Brave than most men Lozen was born in the 1840s to an Apache people, the Chiricahuas, living in the southwest United States and which also

• Nellie Bly, the first investigative journalist

  Elizabeth Jane Cochrane , known as Nellie Bly (1864-1922) was a pioneer of investigative journalism. She is also the first woman to circumnavigate the globe unaccompanied by a man (unlike Jeanne Barret a century earlier). “Pinky” Daughter of Mary Jane and Michael Cochran, Elizabeth Cochran was bor

• Lumina Sophie, insurgent against segregation

  Descendant of slaves, Lumina Sophie, known as Surprise (1848 – 1879), rose up against segregation and persistent racism in Martinique after the abolition of slavery. A youth marked by segregation Lumina Sophie was born as Marie-Philomène Sophie on November 5, 1848, in Vauclin, Martinique. His moth

• Bíawacheeitchish, Female Chef

  Bíawacheeitchish (in English Woman Chief , Female Chef, around 1806 – 1858) was bacheeítche (chief) of the Native American Crow tribe. A warrior without being a warmonger, she was considered Two-Spirit and married four wives. Two Spirits Bíawacheeitchish was born around 1806 into an Atsina (or Gr

• Susette La Flesche, Native American writer and activist

  Susette La Flesche, LaFlesche Tibbles Pacifier or Inshata Theumba is a writer, speaker, and artist of Native American descent, from the Omaha people, who has been an activist for Native American rights. Cultural assimilation Born 1854 in Nebraska, Susette, or Inshata Theumba (bright eyes) is the d