Women's History

Ellen Raskin designed the first-edition book cover; she later wrote The Westing Game, which won its own Newbery.

The Remarkable Influence of 'A Wrinkle in Time'

How the Madeleine L'Engle novel liberated young adult literature

In a survey of art experts, Thomas’ 2010 collage was named one of the most significant artworks of the 21st century.

How Mickalene Thomas Is Ushering in a New Wave of Contemporary Art

The celebrated portraitist’s glittering images of black women upend tradition

Women gleefully threw objects symbolizing oppression into the Freedom Trash Can, but they didn’t burn bras.

Fifty Years Ago, Protesters Took on the Miss America Pageant and Electrified the Feminist Movement

Miss America pageant is under new leadership after a sexist email scandal. But the pageant has a long history of controversy—including the 1968 protests

A YMCA gym in 1910.

The YMCA First Opened Gyms to Train Stronger Christians

Physical fitness was a secondary goal for the movement

Madame Pompadour, by Francois Boucher

Madame de Pompadour Was Far More Than a ‘Mistress’

Even though she was a keen politicker and influential patron, she’s been historically overlooked

A 2013 Romanian stamp features Cochran and her dishwasher.

This Time-Saving Patent Paved the Way for the Modern Dishwasher

Josephine Cochran just wanted to stop having broken dishes

Women dynamite workers at one of Alfred Nobel's factories in the 1880s.

The True Story of Mrs. Alford's Nitroglycerin Factory

Mary Alford remains the only woman known to own a dynamite and nitroglycerin factory

Before the 1840s, women had no choice but to deliver children without anesthetic.

It Didn’t Take Very Long For Anesthesia to Change Childbirth

The unprecedented idea of a painless delivery changed women's lives

Carry A. Nation with her bible and her hatchet not long before she died in 1911.

Three Things to Know About Radical Prohibitionist Carry A. Nation

Nation was convinced she was on a mission from God

Mami Johnson photographed on February 14, 1998, at the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore.

Remembering Mamie ‘Peanut’ Johnson, the First Woman to Take the Mound as a Major-League Pitcher

The Negro Leagues trailblazer has died at 82. Barred from trying out for a segregated female league, she made her mark playing alongside men

Kono Yasui at Tokyo University.

How a Pioneering Botanist Broke Down Japan’s Gender Barriers

Kono Yasui was the first Japanese woman to publish in an academic journal, forging a new path for women in her country

Two early Rose Marie Reid designs.

How Swimsuits Became Fashion Items

Rose Marie Reid's vision for beachwear helped shape the modern swimsuit

In World War II America, Female Santas Took the Reins

Rosie the Riveter wasn’t the only woman who pitched in on the homefront

The Ten Best Children's Books of 2017

Our picks are full of silly words, weird animals and unknown histories

Monir in her studio in 1975

Inside the First Museum in Iran Devoted to a Female Artist

The new museum houses 50 works by the acclaimed artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian

Pearls have been a symbol of extreme wealth for thousands of years.

Here's Why Pearls No Longer Cost a Fortune

Coming up with ways to lower the price of pearls—either through culturing or by out-right fakery—took centuries

Maria Telkes, known as the "Sun Queen" for her focus on solar energy.

This 1940s Solar House Powered Innovation and Women in STEM

As far back as the 1940s, people were worried about running out of fuel. The sun seemed like a feasible alternative

The Ten Best History Books of 2017

From presidential biographies to a look at the long rise of fake news, these picks will surely interest history buffs

You may know the woman depicted here as Rosie the Riveter, but she wasn't originally called that.

The Riveting Story of an American Icon

Rosie has a surprising history

'Alice's Wild West Show' was actress Virginia Davis's favorite role in the 'Comedies'

Walt Disney’s First ‘Princess’ Was A Spunky Four-Year-Old

The silent ‘Alice Comedies’ ran from 1924 through 1927, predating Mickey

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