Women's History
Why Cokie Roberts Admired Dolley Madison
The legendary newswoman, who died at 75, appeared on a Smithsonian podcast earlier this summer to speak about a favorite topic, the first ladies
A New Monopoly Celebrates Women. But What About the Game’s Own Overlooked Inventor?
At the turn of the 20th century, Lizzie Magie created the Landowner’s Game, which sought to teach players about the injustices of wealth concentration
Wanted: The Missing Bones of a Scottish 'Witch'
Officials in Fife have put out a call for the remains of Lilias Adie, who died in prison in the early 1700s after being accused of witchcraft
Remembering Liane Russell, the Geneticist Who Studied Radiation's Harmful Effects on Embryos
Russell’s pioneering research led to careful guidelines for administering radiological procedures to women of child-bearing age
Documentary Explores Pioneering Woman Director Written Out of Film History
Alice Guy-Blaché directed more than 1,000 films including the world's first narrative film, but was expunged from the story of cinema
You Can Thank Chemist Stephanie Kwolek for Bulletproof Vests and Yoga Pants
The long-serving researcher at DuPont invented kevlar and contributed to spandex
The Actress Who Left the Stage to Become a Civil War Spy
Pauline Cushman, now featured in a Smithsonian photography exhibition, unexpectedly found herself spying for the Union after accepting a dare
The Pioneering Female Botanist Who Sweetened a Nation and Saved a Valley
One of India’s finest plant scientists, Janaki Ammal spurred her country to protect its rich tropical diversity
The Library of Congress Needs Your Help Transcribing Suffragist Papers
Nearly 16,000 pages of diaries, letters, speeches and other documents are available on the library’s crowdsourcing platform
Viking Woman Warrior May Have Been Slavic
A new analysis of female Viking warriors suggests one found in Denmark was actually from the area of present-day Poland
A Nellie Bly Memorial Is Coming to Roosevelt Island
The journalist famously wrote a six-part exposé cataloging the 10 days she spent at an asylum on Blackwell’s Island
How the Camera Introduced Americans to Their Heroines
A new show at the National Portrait Gallery spotlights figures including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Lucretia Mott and Margaret Fuller
Diary Sheds Light on Deborah Sampson, Who Fought in the Revolutionary War
Historians agree that Sampson dressed as a man and enlisted in the military, but many details of her extraordinary life remain unclear
At 21, Ann Montgomery Became a Lead Engineer at NASA, Managing the Cameras and Other Crucial Gear Used on the Moon
Montgomery worked closely with the Apollo astronauts to train them to use handheld tools and equipment on the moon
‘Life’ Magazine’s Earliest Women Photojournalists Step Into Spotlight
A new exhibition highlights images by Margaret Bourke-White, Marie Hansen, Martha Holmes, Lisa Larsen, Nina Leen and Hansel Mieth
Entrepreneur Mae Reeves' Hat Shop Was a Philadelphia Institution. You Can Visit It at the Smithsonian.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture recreated one of the first businesses in the city to be owned by a black woman
The Voting Machine That Displayed Different Ballots Based on Your Sex
In an era of partial suffrage, these inventions helped women cast their votes
Long-Forgotten Monument to Prison Reformer Will Be Reinstalled in New York Courthouse
Rebecca Salome Foster was known as the "Tombs Angel" in recognition of her work with inmates housed at a Manhattan prison known as "The Tombs"
The Woman Who Revealed the Missing Link Between Viruses and Cancer
Today, vaccinating against cervical cancer is routine. But before Sarah Stewart, scientists dismissed the idea of a cancer-preventing vaccine as ludicrous
Women Have Been Voting in Wyoming for 150 Years, and Here Is How the State Is Celebrating
To mark the anniversary, Wyoming is delivering an impressive lineup of events, from a reenactment of the first vote to female-focused exhibits and retreats
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