Women of World, Unite! Remembering Prominent Female Figures on International Women's Day
Women of World, Unite! Remembering Prominent Female Figures on International Women's Day
Sputnik Africa
International Women's Day is celebrated annually on March 8 as a central moment in the women's rights movement. The holiday originated in the labor movements... 08.03.2024, Sputnik Africa
It is sometimes hard to imagine, but until relatively recently, most women did not have the same rights as men: they could not vote, attend universities, or even work. At one point in history, it was even debated whether women were human.From the end of the 19th century, however, women began to fight actively for their rights, especially the right to vote: this was the birth of the suffragette movement, which achieved significant successes.To commemorate the holiday, Sputnik Africa recalls the stories of ten outstanding women. It was difficult to choose just ten, though, as there are a huge number of women in the world whose stories deserve to be heard.1. Lyudmila PavlichenkoLyudmila Pavlichenko was a legendary Soviet sniper during the Second World War who scored 309 fatal hits on enemy soldiers and officers. A hero of the Battle for Sevastopol and the liberation of Odessa, she was personally invited to the United States by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and addressed the American people in Chicago.2. Kathrine SwitzerOn April 19, 1967, a woman ran the Boston Marathon from start to finish for the first time — she was 20-year-old American student Kathrine Switzer, whom the organizers tried to force off the course, even though there was no clause in the marathon rules about the gender of runners. In 2017, 70-year-old Switzer ran the marathon again.3. Junko TabeiTired of men's flippant attitude toward female climbers, Japanese Junko Tabei formed the Women's Mountaineering Club in 1969 with a group of like-minded women. Six years later, she became the first woman to set foot on the summit of the world's highest mountain, Chomolungma (also known as Everest). Tabei also climbed the 8,000-meter peaks of Annapurna and Shishabangma and was awarded the Order of the Kingdom of Nepal.4. Hedy LamarrA Hollywood star of the 1930s and 1940s, Hedy Lamarr was called the most beautiful woman in the world. But she saw her beauty as a curse: she was adored as an actress and a sex symbol, but not as a scientist. Nevertheless, Lamarr did not abandon her scientific endeavors, and thanks to her, not only Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but also the satellite communications system used by the US Armed Forces.5. Nadia ComaneciNadia Comaneci is a legendary Romanian athlete who became the first gymnast to receive the highest score at the 1976 Olympic Games. After her performance, the number "1.00" was displayed on the scoreboard, as the equipment could not display "10.00" - the highest score, as no one had ever received such a score at the Olympic Games, and the technicians simply turned off the number. Thanks to the Romanian athlete, a new chapter in the history of artistic gymnastics began. It is noteworthy that at these games Nadia received six more "tens."6. Eileen ChangEileen Chang was a Chinese writer generally considered one of the greatest Chinese literary figures of her time, known for her depiction of life in Shanghai and Hong Kong in the 1940s. The writer's works reflect the changing position of women in family and society in the 20th century. Chang's rich legacy helps us look at the problem of the women's movement in the mid-20th century from a different perspective.7. Valentina TereshkovaValentina Tereshkova became the world's first female cosmonaut in 1963. Tereshkova survived 48 orbits and spent almost three days in space, where she kept a logbook and took photographs of the horizon that were later used to detect aerosol layers in the atmosphere. She is also a hero of the Soviet Union, a Doctor of Technical Sciences, a professor, and the world's tenth cosmonaut.8. Bertha von SuttnerIn 1889, Bertha von Suttner published the book Lay Down Your Arms! (German: “Die Waffen nieder!”), in which she told about the life of a young woman whose fate was crippled by the European battles of the 1860s. Alfred Nobel himself read the book, contacted Bertha and promised her to create a new category for his prize — the Peace Prize. And it was Bertha who became the first recipient of this category and only the second woman in history to receive such a prestigious award.9. Maria Sklodowska-CurieMaria Sklodowska-Curie was a great Polish and French experimental scientist, teacher, and public figure. She was the first female Nobel laureate in history and the first double Nobel laureate in history (in physics and chemistry). She was also the first female member of the Paris Academy of Medicine and the first female teacher at the University of Paris. Together with her husband, Pierre Curie, and the French physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel, she discovered radioactivity, coined the term “radioactivity,” and discovered the elements radium and polonium.10. Gabrielle "Coco" ChanelCoco Chanel had a major influence on international fashion in the 20th century. She had a decisive influence on the recognition of fashion as a central phenomenon of the last century. Chanel introduced a new way of dressing for women. The clothes she popularized took much less time to put on and take off, were more comfortable and less expensive, yet still elegant.Check out Sputnik Africa's gallery to see these outstanding women!
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фото, international, photos, women, beauty, south africa women's day, war, world war ii, everest, sputnik africa, science, sport, romania, human rights, fashion, japan, china, asia, europe, soviet union (ussr), history
Women of World, Unite! Remembering Prominent Female Figures on International Women's Day
International Women's Day is celebrated annually on March 8 as a central moment in the women's rights movement. The holiday originated in the labor movements of North America and Europe in the early 20th century.
It is sometimes hard to imagine, but until relatively recently, most women did not have the same rights as men: they could not vote, attend universities, or even work. At one point in history, it was even debated whether women were human.
From the end of the 19th century, however, women began to fight actively for their rights, especially the right to vote: this was the birth of the suffragette movement, which achieved significant successes.
To commemorate the holiday, Sputnik Africa recalls the stories of ten outstanding women. It was difficult to choose just ten, though, as there are a huge number of women in the world whose stories deserve to be heard.
1. Lyudmila Pavlichenko
Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a legendary Soviet sniper during the Second World War who scored 309 fatal hits on enemy soldiers and officers. A hero of the Battle for Sevastopol and the liberation of Odessa, she was personally invited to the United States by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and addressed the American people in Chicago.
2. Kathrine Switzer
On April 19, 1967, a woman ran the Boston Marathon from start to finish for the first time — she was 20-year-old American student Kathrine Switzer, whom the organizers tried to force off the course, even though there was no clause in the marathon rules about the gender of runners. In 2017, 70-year-old Switzer ran the marathon again.
3. Junko Tabei
Tired of men's flippant attitude toward female climbers, Japanese Junko Tabei formed the Women's Mountaineering Club in 1969 with a group of like-minded women. Six years later, she became the first woman to set foot on the summit of the world's highest mountain, Chomolungma (also known as Everest). Tabei also climbed the 8,000-meter peaks of Annapurna and Shishabangma and was awarded the Order of the Kingdom of Nepal.
4. Hedy Lamarr
A Hollywood star of the 1930s and 1940s, Hedy Lamarr was called the most beautiful woman in the world. But she saw her beauty as a curse: she was adored as an actress and a sex symbol, but not as a scientist. Nevertheless, Lamarr did not abandon her scientific endeavors, and thanks to her, not only Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but also the satellite communications system used by the US Armed Forces.
5. Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Comaneci is a legendary Romanian athlete who became the first gymnast to receive the highest score at the 1976 Olympic Games. After her performance, the number "1.00" was displayed on the scoreboard, as the equipment could not display "10.00" - the highest score, as no one had ever received such a score at the Olympic Games, and the technicians simply turned off the number. Thanks to the Romanian athlete, a new chapter in the history of artistic gymnastics began. It is noteworthy that at these games Nadia received six more "tens."
6. Eileen Chang
Eileen Chang was a Chinese writer generally considered one of the greatest Chinese literary figures of her time, known for her depiction of life in Shanghai and Hong Kong in the 1940s. The writer's works reflect the changing position of women in family and society in the 20th century. Chang's rich legacy helps us look at the problem of the women's movement in the mid-20th century from a different perspective.
7. Valentina Tereshkova
Valentina Tereshkova became the world's first female cosmonaut in 1963. Tereshkova survived 48 orbits and spent almost three days in space, where she kept a logbook and took photographs of the horizon that were later used to detect aerosol layers in the atmosphere. She is also a hero of the Soviet Union, a Doctor of Technical Sciences, a professor, and the world's tenth cosmonaut.
8. Bertha von Suttner
In 1889, Bertha von Suttner published the book Lay Down Your Arms! (German: “Die Waffen nieder!”), in which she told about the life of a young woman whose fate was crippled by the European battles of the 1860s. Alfred Nobel himself read the book, contacted Bertha and promised her to create a new category for his prize — the Peace Prize. And it was Bertha who became the first recipient of this category and only the second woman in history to receive such a prestigious award.
9. Maria Sklodowska-Curie
Maria Sklodowska-Curie was a great Polish and French experimental scientist, teacher, and public figure. She was the first female Nobel laureate in history and the first double Nobel laureate in history (in physics and chemistry). She was also the first female member of the Paris Academy of Medicine and the first female teacher at the University of Paris. Together with her husband, Pierre Curie, and the French physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel, she discovered radioactivity, coined the term “radioactivity,” and discovered the elements radium and polonium.
10. Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel
Coco Chanel had a major influence on international fashion in the 20th century. She had a decisive influence on the recognition of fashion as a central phenomenon of the last century. Chanel introduced a new way of dressing for women. The clothes she popularized took much less time to put on and take off, were more comfortable and less expensive, yet still elegant.
Check out Sputnik Africa's gallery to see these outstanding women!
A woman, listed only as K. Switzer of Syracuse, found herself about to be thrown out of the normally all-male Boston Marathon when a husky companion, Thomas Miller of Syracuse, threw a block that tossed a race official out of the running instead, April 19, 1967 in Hopkinton, Mass.
This is a 1941 portrait of actress Hedy Lamarr who, along with composer George Antheil, designed and patented in 1942 a communications system that has become the underlying technology of the cellular phone.
Romanian champion Nadia Comaneci, 14, celebrates as the scoreboard shows a perfect score of 10 after her acrobatic routine on the uneven bars during the Olympic Games in Montreal on July 19, 1976.
Eileen Chang was a Chinese writer generally considered one of the greatest Chinese literary figures of her time, known for her depiction of life in Shanghai and Hong Kong in the 1940s.
Maria Sklodowska-Curie was a great physicist and chemist who became the only woman to win the Nobel Prize twice (for the discovery of radioactivity and for the discovery of the elements polonium and radium).
