Women's History

Sofonisba Anguissola, "Self-Portrait at the Easel Painting a Devotional Panel," 1556

Madrid’s Prado Museum Will Spotlight Pioneering Duo of Female Renaissance Artists

Lavinia Fontana is widely considered the first professional female artist, while Sofonisba Anguissola served as Philip II of Spain’s court painter

Now You Can View the Travel Sketchbooks of Françoise Gilot, Artist and Inspiration to Picasso

The sketches were made in the '70s and '80s, during Gilot’s journeys abroad

In the spring of 2018, Angeline Nanni revisited Arlington Hall, where the Venona team got cracking. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Women Code Breakers Who Unmasked Soviet Spies

At the height of the Cold War, America’s most secretive counterespionage effort set out to crack unbreakable ciphers

Michaelina Wautier, "The Triumph of Bacchus," ca. 1643-59

'Baroque's Leading Lady' Artist Michaelina Wautier Finally Gets Retrospective

The 17th-century painter mastered an array of genres at a time when most female artists were consigned to painting flowers

Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, Tainan city councilor Hsieh Lung-chieh and Huang Shu-jen, head of a local group established to commemorate "comfort women"

Taiwan Unveils Its First Statue Honoring ‘Comfort Women’

The monument has sparked diplomatic tensions with Japan

These Women Stepped In to Fill a WWII Pilot Shortage

When a shortage of pilots in WWII forced the U.S. Air Force to recruit women, America was captivated

Ad Astra per Astra by America Meredith

Meet the Little-Known Math Genius Who Helped America Reach the Stars

It’s time for Mary Golda Ross to be remembered as an aerospace pioneer

A plan for the Virginia women's monument

New Virginia Monument Will Pay Tribute to Hundreds of Historic Women

The monument features 12 bronze statues and a wall etched with 400 additional names of women who played an important role in shaping Virginia's history

Sold: A Rare Copy of Ada Lovelace’s Groundbreaking Computer Algorithm

The manuscript includes Lovelace’s translation of an Italian paper, her copious notes and a formula that is often recognized as the first computer program

The image on the left is a wood engraving that was likely commissioned by a popular magazine hostile to abolitionism and happy to render Angelina strangely distorted. This is the first time that it has been published next to the photo on the right, on which it was based and which was likely taken in the 1840s.

The South Carolina Aristocrat Who Became a Feminist Abolitionist

After moving to Philadelphia and joining the Quakers, Angelina Grimké rededicated her life to fighting for racial equality

Political cartoonist Thomas Nash lampooned Victoria Woodhull as "Mrs. Satan" in this 1872 sketch featured in Harper's Weekly

New York Museum Sorts Through Its Collections to Highlight 15 "Rebel Women" of the 1800s

Museum of the City of New York's latest exhibition puts the spotlight on these 19th-century women who defied Victorian ideals

Pictured at center, Yekaterina Budanova was one of the only women fighter pilots of World War II, and remains one of the most successful in history.

A Soviet Ace Shot Down Nazi Pilots With Great Skill, But Her Feats Are Mostly Forgotten Today

Yekaterina Budanova, who died in combat 75 years ago today, reveals a larger story about the complicated history of women soldiers in the Red Army

Socialists gather in New York City, but the crowd is conspicuously male-dominated considering the party's official stance on women's rights.

The Historical Struggle to Rid Socialism of Sexism

When it was founded, the Socialist Party of America proclaimed itself as the champion of women's rights. The reality was much more complicated

Before she tackled tuberculosis, Sabin helped rethink the lymphatic system and wrote an acclaimed anatomy textbook.

Florence Sabin Pioneered Her Way in Medical Science, Then Made Sure Other Women Could Do the Same

A scientist and so much more, she helped lay the groundwork for curing tuberculosis but still found time to promote women doctors

The Adventurous Writer Who Brought Nancy Drew To Life

Mildred Wirt Benson helped invent the fictional teen sleuth who became a generational role model

The Romeo and Juliet statue in Central Park. Only a handful of statues across New York City depict real women.

New York Is Building a New Monument to Women’s History—And It Wants the Public’s Help

A new initiative titled She Built NYC is asking New Yorkers to recommend potential subjects for the monument

Mission specialist Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space.

An Astronaut Reflects on Sally Ride's Legacy for Women in STEM

Ride encouraged girls to embrace science and engineering, helping democratize space for all. But more work is needed

The official photo of the first Miss America winner, Margaret Gorman.

Miss America Is Ditching Its Swimsuit Competition

The pageant was founded as a 'bathing beauty' contest. But even in its earlier days, contestants did not always conform to the swimsuit portion happily

No photos of Cole survive. Shown here is an anatomy lecture taught by pioneering female physician Elizabeth Blackwell at the Woman's Medical College of New York Infirmary, which she founded. Cole was the resident physician at the infirmary and later a sanitary visitor at Blackwell's Tenement House Service. Blackwell described Cole as “an intelligent young coloured physician [who] carried on this work with tact and care.”

The Woman Who Challenged the Idea that Black Communities Were Destined for Disease

A physician and activist, Rebecca J. Cole became a leading voice in medical social services

The bloomer costume

Amelia Bloomer Didn’t Mean to Start a Fashion Revolution, But Her Name Became Synonymous With Trousers

In the 1850s, women’s rights activists briefly adopted a new style in an effort to liberate themselves from heavy dresses

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