Japanese mountaineer, Junko Tabei (1939 – 2016) became the first woman to climb Everest in 1975. Ladies Climbing Club Junko Tabei was born on September 22, 1939 in Fukushima Prefecture. At ten years old, his teacher took him on an excursion to the summit of Mount Nasu and this expedition made a s
Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868 – 1921) was an American astronomer. His important discovery about the periodic brightness variations of Cepheid stars has allowed astronomers to measure great distances in the universe, including those separating the Earth from very distant galaxies. The “Harvard Comput
Daisy Lee Gatson Bates (1914 – 1999) was an American journalist, editor and lecturer. She is also a civil rights activist. [Warning:rape] The impunity of murderers Adopted daughter of Susie and Orle Smith, Daisy Lee Gatson Bates was born on November 11, 1914, in Huttig, a small city in souther
Gabrielle Petit (1893 – 1916) was a nurse who became a spy for the Allies during the First World War. Nurse for the Red Cross Daughter of workers, Gabrielle Alina Eugenia Maria Petit was born on February 20, 1893 in Tournai (Belgium). She has a sister, named Hélène. After the premature death of he
Bessie Coleman (1892 – 1926) was an American aviator. In 1921, she became the first black woman to earn a pilots license. A gifted student Daughter of Susan and George Coleman, Bessie was born in Atlanta (Texas) on January 26, 1892. She is the tenth of thirteen children. When Bessie was two yea
Known and recognized for her daring film career, Hedy Lamarr (1914 – 2000) also distinguished herself by inventing a transmission coding system. This transmission coding system is still used today for satellite positioning or Wi-Fi technology. A bold actress Daughter of Gertrud Lichtwitz, pianist,
Eleanora Fagan, known as Billie Holiday (1915 – 1959) is an American artist considered to be one of the greatest jazz singers in the world. [Warning:rape] A childhood marked by violence Eleanora Fagan was born in Philadelphia on April 7, 1915, to two teenage parents:Sarah Julia Sadie Fagan, her
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller, better known as Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976), is a British writer, specialist in detective novels. Nicknamed the Queen of Crime, she was of crucial importance in the development of the genre and is one of the most famous authors in the world. The Lonely Petit , first d
Mary Neta Snook, known as Neta Snook (1896 – 1991) was a pioneering American aviator; she is notably the first woman to own a business in the field of aviation. The difficult search for an aviation school Born on February 14, 1896 in Illinois (United States), Mary Neta Snook, nicknamed Snookie b
Suzanne Lévy became Suzanne Buisson (1883 – deported in 1943) is a resistance fighter and a French politician. The woman, the activist Suzanne Lévy was born on September 19, 1883 in Paris. Her modest family quickly moved to Dijon where Suzanne spent her childhood. In 1899, at the age of sixteen, s
Freda Josephine McDonald, known as Josephine Baker (1906 – 1975) was a singer, dancer, actress and conductor. Activist and member of the resistance during the Second World War, she was committed to the fight against racism . An artists childhood Freda Josephine Mc Donald was born on June 3, 1906 in
Rosalind Elsie Franklin (1920 – 1958) was a British molecular biologist who helped discover the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Chemistry studies Daughter of Muriel Frances Waley and Arthur Ellis Franklin, Rosalind was born on July 25, 1920 in Notting Hill (London ) in a very influential
Simone Jacob became Simone Veil (1927 – 2017) is a French politician, known in particular for having passed the law decriminalizing the voluntary termination of pregnancy. Deportation to Auschwitz-Birkenau Born in Nice on July 13, 1927, Simone Jacob is the fourth child of Yvonne Steinmetz, a chemi
Audre Geraldine Lorde (1934 – 1992) is an American woman of letters, committed against racism, sexism and homophobia. From Audrey to Audre Daughter of Linda Gertrude Belmar Lorde and Frederick Byron Lorde, Audrey Geraldine York was born on February 18, 1934 in Harlem, New York. Last of three daug
Phûlan Devi (aka Phoolan Devi, 1963 – 2001), known as the “Queen of Bandits”, was an Indian band leader who became a member of parliament. [Warning:rape, violence] Married at eleven Fourth and last child of Shrimati Mool Devi and Shri Devi Din, Phûlan Devi was born on August 10, 1963 in a small v
Madeleine Weill, later Madeleine Braun (1907 – 1980), was a French politician. She is the first to have been elected vice-president of the National Assembly. Peace and anti-fascist activist Daughter of Gabrielle Hirsch, painter, and Albert Weill, company director, Madeleine was born on June 25 190
Germaine Tillion ( 1907 – 2008), is a French ethnologist and resistance fighter. She has worked extensively on the Second World War and the Algerian War. Graduate in Ethnology Daughter of Émilie Cussac, writer, and Lucien Tillion, magistrate, Germaine Tillion was born on May 30, 1907 in Allègre (H
Marie Juliette Olga Boulanger , known as Lili Boulanger (1893 – 1918), is a French composer who, despite a short existence, left many works. Very precocious artist and composer Marie Juliette Olga Boulanger was born on August 21, 1893 in Paris, into a family of musicians. Her mother, Raïssa Myshet
Karen Christentze Dinesen, later Karen von Blixen-Finecke (1885 – 1962), was a Danish writer, best known for The African Farm . First attempts at writing Daughter of Ingeborg Westenholz and the writer Wilhelm Dinesen, Karen Christentze Dinesen was born on April 17, 1885 in the remains in Rungstedl
Ann Bancroft (born 1955) is an American polar explorer. She is the first woman to have led expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica, and to have explored both poles. Physical education teacher Born September 29, 1955 in Mendota Heights, Minnesota (United States), Ann Bancroft grew up in an environ
He is the last son of Henry II and Catherine de Medici. Small in stature, he was nevertheless baptized under the name of Hercules, before taking the name of his brother François, who died in 1560. A rebellious prince, he was particularly jealous of his brother Henri dAnjou, who was favored by his mo
Casanova (photo:public domain) Casanova (1725-1798) Owner Giovanni Giacomo Casanova, Knight de Seingalt. He was born in Venice as the eldest of six children in a family of actors. His father died when he was eight. When his mother played abroad, little Giovanni was under the care of his grandm
Belonging to an aristocratic family, Senghor studied in Senegal and obtained his baccalaureate. At the age of 22, he came to France for the first time to continue his studies in Paris, where he met Aimé Césaire. Passionate about French letters, he became a professor of classics and was the first Afr
Amalie Emmy Noether (1882 – 1935) was a genius German mathematician, whose discoveries revolutionized several fields of mathematics and physics. A brilliant child Amalie Emmy Noether was born on March 23, 1882 in Erlangen, Bavaria (Germany). She is the eldest of four children of Ida Amalia Kaufma