Mae Jemison is the first African American woman to orbit the earth. She knew that she wanted to be a scientist since kindergarten. Not only did she grow up reading books about space, but she also loved science fiction books where black women were the heroes of the story. At 16, Jemison graduated from high … Read More
Rosalind Franklin was a groundbreaking scientist whose story is tied to the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. Franklin and her Ph.D. student used x-ray technology to photograph DNA that showed the molecule’s structure. However, when two other well-known scientists published a paper about the double-helix findings, they never gave Franklin credit for her … Read More
Vera Rubin was a powerhouse in astrophysics, though she rarely gets the credit she deserves. Rubin is responsible for discovering dark matter, which makes up 84% of the material that exists in the universe. Born in 1928, a young Vera became enthralled with space while staring at the stars outside her bedroom window. After receiving … Read More
Born in 1821, Elizabeth Blackwell did not intend to become a physician. In her book Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women, she shared that “the very thought of dwelling on the physical structure of the body and its various ailments filled me with disgust.” But the course of her life changed when … Read More
Born in 1908, Simone de Beauvoir was an influential writer, feminist, social theorist, and philosopher. She is best known for her 1949 book, The Second Sex, which upended traditional notions of the role of women in society. Beauvoir made the case that women have always been treated as an “other” and advocated for women’s liberation. … Read More
You have likely heard of Socrates and Plato, two of the most well-known ancient Greek philosophers. The names Pericles and Cicero may also ring a bell. But Aspasia, a little-known female philosopher with the gift of persuasion, is rarely mentioned in history books. However, she was one of the most influential philosophical figures in Athens. … Read More
Katherine Johnson was always passionate about mathematics. She started taking classes at West Virginia State College at 13 years old and started her career as a math teacher. Then in 1953, Johnson became a part of a group of Black women mathematicians known as “human computers” at the Langley Research Center. Her equations sent the … Read More
Scientist Jane Goodall always watched the world around her. As a child, she would spend hours watching jumping spiders and keep all kinds of pets. She also gave her parents quite a scare when she went missing as a child. But her parents eventually found her in the henhouse observing the chickens. Jane just wanted … Read More
Ada Lovelace is considered the world’s first computer programmer. In 1842, Lovelace translated an Italian publication about Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine into English. However, this was no ordinary translation. Lovelace added extensive notes of her own, suggesting ways the Analytic Engine could be programmed to calculate certain equations using a series of punch cards. Her … Read More
Marie Curie was a woman of firsts. Born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, she was a child prodigy in literature and mathematics. She worked as a governess until the age of 24 to save money for school, where she became the first woman in France to earn her Ph.D. She studied uranium, a radioactive element … Read More