Especially many proponents of feminism have argued that the achievements of women have been insufficiently represented in works of history up through the 20th century. Therefore, many historians and especially those who concentrate on women's studies have drawn attention to women who can be considered historically significant.

Contents

1 Rulers, consorts, heads of state: 2 Politicians, political figures 3 Activists and revolutionaries 4 Artists, writers, poets 5 Aviation and Space Exploration 6 Scientists and mathematicians 7 Medical notables 8 Musicians 9 Outlaws, pirates and criminals 10 Religious figures 11 Soldiers, agents, spies 12 Famous actors 13 Sportswomen 14 Famous models (most are female) 15 Other 16 See also 17 External links

Rulers, consorts, heads of state:

• Queen Elizabeth II (United Kingdom)
• Hatshepsut of Egypt, (c. 1504 BC-1458 BC), (Egypt)
• Arsinoe II of Egypt (Egypt)
• Cleopatra VII of Egypt, (69 BC-30 BC), (Egypt)
• Boudicca (England)
• Zenobia (Palmyra)
• Theodora, Byzantine empress
• Zoe, Byzantine empress
• Irene, Byzantine empress
• Theodora, Byzantine empress
• Wu Zetian, Empress of China
• Melisende of Jerusalem (Queen of Jerusalem)
• Sibylla of Jerusalem (Queen of Jerusalem)
• Isabella of Jerusalem (Queen of Jerusalem)
• Agnes of Courtenay (Queen of Jerusalem)
• Yolande of Jerusalem (Queen of Jerusalem)
• Yolanda of Flanders (Latin empress
• Isabella of Spain, (1451-1504)
• Eleonora di Arborea (Sardinia)
• Margaret I of Denmark and Norway, (1353-1412)
• Eleanor of Aquitaine, (died 1204), (France)
• Catherine de Medici, (1519-1589), (France)
• Jeanne d'Albret, (1572-1572), (France)
• Diane de Poitiers, (1499-1566), France
• Gabrielle d'Estrée, (1571-1599), (France)
• Agnès Sorel, (1421-1450), (France)
• Anne of Austria (France)
• Marguerite de Valois (France)
• Mary I of England, (1553-1558), (England) - (Bloody Mary)
• Mary, Queen of Scots, (1542-1587), (Scotland)
• Maria Theresa of Austria, (1717-1780), (Austria)
• Anna I of Russia (Anna I) (Russia)
• Catherine I of Russia, (1684-1727), (Russia)
• Catherine II of Russia, (1729-1796), (Russia) - (Catherine the Great)
• Elizabeth of Russia, (died 1762), (Russia)
• Christina of Sweden, (died 1689)
• Elizabeth I of England, (1558-1603)
• Queen Anne, (1665-1714)
• Mary II, (1662-1694), (Great Britain)
• Queen Victoria (United Kingdom)
• Anne Neville, (1456-1485), (England))
• Catherine of Valois (England)
• Diana, Princess of Wales, (1961-1997), (United Kingdom)
• Elizabeth Woodville (England)
• Margaret of Anjou (England)
• Mary of Teck, (1867-1953), (United Kingdom)
• Aleksandra Lisowska (Khourrem) (1510 - 1558), (Ottoman Empire/Poland)
• Marie Antoinette, (1755-1793), (France)

Politicians, political figures

• Madeleine Albright, (born 1937), – United States
• Corazon Aquino, (born 1933), – Philippines
• Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, (1879-1964), – United Kingdom
• Aung San Suu Kyi, (born 1945), – Myanmar
• Benazir Bhutto, (born 1953), – Pakistan
• Hattie Caraway, (1878-1950), - 1st woman elected to US Senate
• Sarah Churchill
• Tansu Çiller, (born 1946), 1st female prime minister of Turkey
• Helen Clark, (born 1950)
• Elisabeth Domitien, (born 1926), 1st female prime minister of an African country
• Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, (born 1930), – Iceland
• Indira Gandhi, (1917-1984), – India
• Sonia Gandhi – India
• Tarja Halonen, (born 1943), – Finland
• Petra Kelly, (1947-1992), (Germany)
• Alexandra Kollontai – Soviet Union
• Constance Markiewicz (née Gore-Booth) (1868-1927) - Ireland
• Golda Meir, (1898-1978), – Israel
• Eva Perón, (1919-1952), – Argentina
• Janet Reno, (born 1938), – United States
• Mary Robinson, (1990-1997), Ireland
• Eleanor Roosevelt, (1884-1962), United States
• Margaret Chase Smith, (1897-1995), – US congresswoman
• Margaret Thatcher, (born 1925), – United Kingdom
• The Valiant Five – Canadian politicians and activists

Activists and revolutionaries

• Susan B. Anthony, (1820-1906), – United States
• Annie Besant, (1847-1933)
• Marguerite Durand (1864-1936) - France
• Millicent Fawcett, (1847-1929)
• Emma Goldman, (1869-1940)
• Rosa Luxemburg, (1871-1919), – Germany
• Rigoberta Menchú, (born 1959) - Guatemala
• Lucretia Mott, (1793-1880)
• Madalyn Murray O'Hair – United States
• Christabel Pankhurst – United Kingdom
• Emmeline Pankhurst, (died 1928), – United Kingdom
• Rosa Parks, (born 1913), – United States
• Margaret Sanger, (1879-1966)
• Elizabeth Cady Stanton, (1815-1902)
• Gloria Steinem, (born 1935)
• Sojourner Truth, (1797?-1883)
• Tončka Čeč , (1896-1943), Slovene national heroine

Artists, writers, poets

• Emma Abbott, (1849-1891)
• Isabel Allende, (born 1942), (writer)
• Jane Austen, (1775-1817), (writer)
• Margaret Atwood, (born 1939), (writer)
• Mary Cassatt, (1844-1926), (painter)
• Anna Comnena, (writer)
• Alexandra David-Néel, (1868-1969)
• Régine Deforges (writer, 1st woman in France to own a Publishing company)
• Grazia Deledda, (1871-1936), (writer, Nobel prize)
• Karen Blixen, (1885-1962), (writer)
• Marguerite Duras (1914-1996)
• George Eliot, (1819-1880), (writer)
• Ninon de lEnclos
• Marie de France (troubador)
• Veronica Franco, (1546-1591), (poet)
• Artemisia Gentileschi, (1593-1651)
• Nina Hamnett, (1890-1956), painter, designer
• Sappho (poet)
• Ouida, (1839-1908), (writer; a.k.a. Marie Louise de la Ramee)
• Zora Neale Hurston, (1891-1960), (writer)
• Toni Morrison, (born 1931), (writer, Nobel prize)
• Mary Pickford, (1892-1979), actress, co-founder of United Artists
• Christine de Pizan, (circa 1365-circa 1430), (writer)
• Ayn Rand, (1905-1982), (writer)
• Murasaki Shikibu, (973?-1025?), (writer)
• Gertrude Stein, (1874-1946), (writer)
• Theano (writer, philosopher)
• Suzanne Valadon, (1865-1938), painter
• Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun, (1755-1842), painter
• Edna St. Vincent Millay, (1892-1950)
• Phillis Wheatley, (1753-1784), (poet)
• Virginia Woolf, (1882-1941), (author)

Aviation and Space Exploration

• Rosa Mustafa Abdulkhaleq (born 1976)
• Jacqueline Cochran (1906-1980)
• Bessie Coleman (1892-1926)
• Suzanne Upjohn DeLano
• Amelia Earhart (1897-1937)
• Sabiha Gökçen, (1913-2001) (1st female aviator of Turkey and 1st female combat pilot of the world)
• Nancy Harkness Love, (1914-1976)
• Amy Johnson (1903-1941)
• Hanna Reitsch (1912-1979)
• Sally Ride (born 1951)
• Mae Jemison
• Svetlana Savitskaya (born 1948)
• Valentina Tereshkova (born 1937)
• Harriet Quimby (1875-1912)

Scientists and mathematicians

• Hypatia of Alexandria, (died 415), (mathematician)
• Ruth Benedict, (anthropologist)
• Ada Byron, (1815-1852), Countess Lovelace
• Emilie du Chatelet, (1706-1749), studied with Voltaire
• Marie Sklodowska-Curie (Nobel prize)
• Irene Joliot-Curie, (1897-1956), (physicist)
• Dian Fossey, (1932-1985), (biology)
• Rosalind Franklin, (1920-1958), (DNA)
• Sophie Germain, (1776-1831), (mathematician)
• Dorothy Hodgkin (chemist)
• Grace Hopper, (1906-1992)
• Sofia Vasilyevna Kovalevskaya - (1850-1891), Russian mathematician
• Margaret Mead, (1901-1978), (anthropologist)
• Lise Meitner, (1878-1968), (physicist)
• Emmy Noether, (1882-1935), (mathematician)
• Helen Sawyer Hogg
• Maria Mayer

Medical notables

• Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (physician)
• Virginia Apgar, (1909-1974), (physician)
• Clara Barton, (1821-1912), (nurse, activist)
• Elizabeth Blackwell, (1821-1910), (physician)
• Jane Delano (1862-1919), founder of the American Red Cross Nursing Service
• Dorothea Dix, (1802-1887)
• Anna Maxwell, (1851-1929), (nurse, author)
• Florence Nightingale, (1820-1910), (nurse)
• Jennie Kidd Trout, (1841-1921), first licensed woman physician in Canada in 1875.
• Mary Edwards Walker, (1832-1919), (1st female U.S Army surgeon, only female ever awarded the Medal of Honor, activist)

Musicians

• Josephine Baker, (1906-1975)
• Maria Callas, (1923-1977)
• Ella Fitzgerald, (1918-1996)
• Aretha Franklin, (born 1942)
• Billie Holiday, (1915-1959)
• Mahalia Jackson, (1911-1972)
• Janis Joplin, (1943-1970)
• Fanny Mendelssohn, (1805-1847)
• Joni Mitchell, (born 1943)
• Alanis Morissette, (born 1974)
• Edith Piaf, (1915-1963)
• Clara Schumann, (1819-1896)
• Bessie Smith, (1894-1937)
• Lucinda Williams
• Sheryl Crow (born 1962)

Outlaws, pirates and criminals

• Phoolan Devi (1963-2001), the Bandit Queen
• Karla Homolka (born 1970), killer, kidnapper, and rapist
• Louise Lanctôt (born 1947), FLQ terrorist
• Grace O'Malley (a.k.a. Grainne Ni Mhaille) (1868-1927) (Ireland)
• Ulrike Meinhof, (1934-1976)
• Mary Read (168?-1721), pirate
• Cheng I Sao
• Aileen Wuornos (1956-2002), serial killer

Religious figures

• The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus
• Esther
• Ruth
• Eve
• Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891)
• Aimee Semple McPherson, evangelist
• Elise Rivet, French nun executed by the Nazis
• Mary Magdalene
• Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), writer, philosopher
• Guan Yin
• Julian of Norwich (writer)
• Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
• Táhirih (died 1852), Bahá'í heroine

Soldiers, agents, spies

• Sikelgaita (1040-1090), wife of Robert Guiscard
• Joan of Arc (1412-1431), military leader
• Denise Bloch (1915-1945), SOE agent
• Edith Cavell (1865-1915), World War I heroine
• Julia Child (born 1912), chef
• Tomoe Gozen , (original, not fictitious)
• Mata Hari (1876-1917), (spy)
• Marina Raskova (1912-1943), Russian aviator in World War II
• Odette Sansom (1912-1995), SOE agent
• Hannah Szenes (1921-1944), SOE agent
• Countess Krystyna Skarbek (1915-1952), SOE agent
• Violette Szabo (1921-1945), SOE agent
• Harriet Tubman, (1820-1913), rebel, spy, activist
• Nancy Wake, (born 1912), most decorated Allied servicewoman of WW II

Famous actors

• Lucille Ball, (1911-1989)
• Tallulah Bankhead, (1902-1968)
• Ingrid Bergman, (1915-1982)
• Sarah Bernhardt, (1844-1923)
• Bette Davis, (1908-1989)
• Judy Dench (born 1934)
• Catherine Deneuve (born 1943)
• Mia Farrow, (1945-1963)
• Jodie Foster, (born 1962)
• Greta Garbo, (1905-1990)
• Ava Gardner, (1922-1990)
• Katharine Hepburn, (born 1907)
• Helen Hunt, (born 1963)
• May Irwin (1862-1938)
• Grace Kelly, (1929-1982)
• Nicole Kidman, (born 1967)
• Vivien Leigh, (1913-1967)
• Sophia Loren, (born 1934)
• Marilyn Monroe, (1926-1962)
• Mary Pickford, (1892-1979)
• Isabella Rossellini, (born 1952)
• Lillian Russell (1861-1922)
• Meryl Streep, (born 1949)
• Julie Andrews
• Reese Witherspoon, (born 1976)

See list List of female actors

Sportswomen

• Dorothy Hamill, (born 1956)
• Laila Ali, (born 1977)
• Delia Gonzalez, (born 1970)
• Steffi Graf, (born 1969)
• Eliska Junkova, (1900-1994)
• Jackie Joyner-Kersee, (born 1962)
• Billie Jean King, (born 1943)
• Suzanne Lenglen, (1899-1938)
• Jeannie Longo
• Christy Martin, (born 1968)
• Shirley Muldowney
• Martina Navratilova, (born 1956)
• Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias, (died 1956)
• Renée Richards , M.D.
• Rebecca Rodriguez
• Laura Serrano
• Rebecca Lobo
• Mia Hamm

Famous models (most are female)

Other

• Gladys Aylward (missionary)
• Olave Baden-Powell, (1889-1977), Chief Girl Guide of the World
• James Barry, (1795?-1865), Victorian lady who worked as a male physician
• Dorothea Beale (pioneer of women's education)
• Margaret Bourke-White, (born 1906)
• Frances Buss (pioneer of women's education)
• Coco Chanel, (1883-1971), (fashion designer)
• Elfi von Dassanowsky, (born 1924), (film studio founder, producer, musician)
• Lillian Hellman, (1905-1984)
• Helen Keller, (1880-1968)
• Kathleen Kenyon, (1906-1978), (archaeologist)
• Maria Montessori, (1870-1952)
• Julia Morgan, (architect)
• Leni Riefenstahl, (1902-2003), (German movie director)
• Emily Warren Roebling (engineer)
• Billy Tipton, (1914-1989), (musician)
• Margaret Mead, (born 1901)

See also

• Category:British queen consorts
• Category:English queen consorts

External links

• FemBio - Notable Women International