Songwriter, singer and innovative gospel and blues musician, Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915 – 1973) was instrumental in the creation of rock and roll and influenced many artists. Little Rosetta Nubin Rosether Atkins was born on March 20, 1915 in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, a state in the southern United
African-American activist, Ella Baker (1903 – 1986) fought for civil rights and human rights for more than five decades. A supporter of collective action and the involvement of those concerned in the struggle, she is one of the most important women in the civil rights movement. Descendant of slaves
A committed Dominican lawyer, Minerva Mirabal (1926 – 1960) stood up with her sisters María Teresa and Patria against the dictator Rafael Trujillo. All three will pay dearly for their commitment, and will become martyrs of freedom. The four Mirabal girls Born on March 13, 1926, María Argentina Mi
Lin Huiyin, also known as Phyllis Lin or Lin Whei-yin (1904 – 1955) is considered the first female architect in modern China. She leads with her husband an important work of census and safeguard of Chinese architecture. Study abroad Daughter of He Xueyuan and Lin Changmin, Lin Huiyin was born in
Pioneer architect and designer, Charlotte Perriand (1903 – 1999) dedicates itself to putting design at the service of a better society, by creating functional and innovative living spaces accessible to as many people as possible. First successes Charlotte Perriand was born on October 24, 1903 in
Kikuyu activist Mary Muthoni Nyanjiru (? – 1922) is known for speaking out against the arrest of Harry Thuku, father of Kenyan nationalism, and for her heroism during protests. British Colony Coming from the Kikuyus people, the majority people in Kenya, Mary Muthoni Nyanjiru was born in Weithaga,
Native American of the Kanien’kehá:ka people, Mary Two-Axe Earley (1911 – 1996) advocates for the rights of Indigenous women and children; after decades of struggle, she obtains the repeal of a discriminatory law. A childhood in reserve Daughter of Juliet Smith and Dominic Onenhariio, Mary Two-Ax
Feminist and separatist, Naziq al-Abid (1887 – 1959) was a pioneer in the struggle for independence and for women’s rights in Syria. Activist from a wealthy family Naziq Khatim al-ʿAbid Bayhum was born in 1887 to a wealthy family in Damascus, Syria, then part of the Ottoman Empire. Noble, his fat
A Chadian elite soldier, Rose Lokissim (1953 – 1986) opposed Hissène Habré and his political police in the 1980s. Arrested, she leaves many testimonies on the crimes committed at the time. Hissène Habré comes to power Of her life, of her own existence, Rose Lokissim has left few traces. What she l
American marine biologist, environmentalist and writer, Rachel Carson (1907 – 1964) was one of the first voices to warn of the dangers of excessive use of pesticides and DDT in particular. An avid reader Daughter of Maria Frazier and Robert Warden Carson, an insurance salesman, Rachel Louise Cars
(Warning:torture, sexual violence) Lawyer and Franco-Tunisian feminist activist, Gisèle Halimi (1927 – 2020) is an important figure in the fight for womens rights, particularly through the Bobigny trial and the Aix-en-Provence trial. A specific character Daughter of Fortunée Metoudi, Sephardic,
Tagish storyteller, an Indigenous people of Canada, Angela Sidney (1902 – 1991) leaves tales of traditional Tagish legends as well as valuable historical sources on the origins of place names in the Yukon. The First Nations Angela Sidney was born in 1902 near Carcross (originally called Caribou C
Daughter of former slaves, Lucile Berkelely Buchanan Jones (1884-1989) became, in the midst of racial segregation, the first black woman to graduate from the University of Colorado. Tenacious and determined, she will become a teacher herself. [Warning:suicide] Daughter of former slaves Daughter
Albanian feminist and professor, Urani Rumbo (1895-1936) worked to defend womens rights and notably created one of the first feminist organizations in the country, Lidhja e Gruas (womens union). A period of change Daughter of Athana and Spiro Rumbo, Urani Rumbo was born in December 1895 in Stegop
In 1921, Ada Blackjack was the only woman to participate in Vilhjalmur Stefanssons expedition to the Arctic Ocean; she will also be the only survivor, resisting for months alone on Wrangel Island in extreme conditions. A young abandoned mother Ada Deletuk was born in 1898 in Solomon, Alaska, beyo
Santomean writer and politician, Alda do Espírito Santo (1926 – 2010) distinguished herself by her struggle for the independence of Sao Tome and Principe. She is the author of the national anthem Independência total . Born in a Portuguese colony Daughter of Maria de Jesus Agostinho das Neves and
Aviation pioneer, Azellia White (1913 – 2019) was the first black woman to obtain her pilots license in the United States. She co-founded a flight school and an airport dedicated to the black community. Beginnings of aviation Azellia was born on June 3, 1913 in Gonzales, Texas, in the midst of ra
Gynecologist, Gisella Perl (circa 1900 – 1988) risked her life to try to save that of many women during her deportation to Auschwitz, performing thousands of abortions. (Warning:this article deals with torture, extreme abuse, experimentation inflicted on prisoners - especially pregnant - in Auschw
Kenojuak Ashevak (1927 – 2013) is a Canadian Inuit artist who practices drawing, printmaking and sculpture. She is known in particular for her depictions of stylized birds. A young orphan Daughter of Silaqqi and Ushuakjuk, a respected shaman, Kenojuak Ashevak was born on October 3, 1927 in an igl
Internationally known South African singer, Miriam Makeba (1932 – 2008), nicknamed “Mama Africa” is also an equality activist and a powerful voice against apartheid. She is committed all her life against racism and injustice. “You can only blame yourself” Daughter of Christina Makeba, a Swazi s
Maria Reiche-Grosse Neumann or Maria Reiche She was born in Dresden (a German city that was also the birthplace of Max Uhle) on May 15, 1903. She studied at the Polytechnic School in her hometown and at the University of Hamburg, graduating in Mathematics. She arrived in Peru in 1932 as a governess
Giambattista Vicos recognition as one of historys leading philosophers has come in the last two centuries. During his life, the fame and prestige that he enjoys today were repeatedly denied him and only in his native Naples did he gain some relevance, although not enough to leave behind his miserabl
He was born into a Rouen bourgeoisie family in 1954. After a law degree, he joined HEC before joining the Paris Institute of Political Studies. A graduate of the ENA in 1980, he is in the same promotion as Dominique de Villepin and Ségolène Royal. It was in 1979 that he joined the Socialist Party. C
Ngalifourou (1864 – 1956) is a queen of the Teke kingdom in Central Africa, the last ruler of black Africa. Queen of the Teke kingdom Daughter of Bokapa, Ngalifourou was born in 1864 in Ngabé, on the right bank of the Congo River. She is part of the Téké people, a Bantu population that lives in