Let’s be blunt — both history and the present have been dominated by stories of cis white men. What the history books fail to tell you about, though, are the kick-ass women that should be celebrated just as much as their male counterparts. So, we’ll do it for them. Here are eight women who need some more recognition in history.
- Mary Kenner
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Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner was an African-American inventor whose greatest invention was the first model of the sanitary napkin. She created it in the 1920s, but wasn’t given a patent offer until the 1950s. Once her race was revealed, however, the offer was rescinded — but we know to put credit where it’s due.
- Jocelyn Burnell
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Jocelyn Burnell created one of the most significant scientific achievements when she co-discovered the first radio pulsars in the late 1960s. What are radio pulsars, you may ask? Well, they’re a system used to subsequently confirm the existence of gravitational radiation, allowing us to further study stars and space.
- Neerja Bhanot
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Neerja Bhanot was a braveheart flight attendant, who in 1986, died saving passengers on Pan Am Flight 73. She saved nearly the entire crew and passengers from terrorists who hijacked the plane.
- Sarla Thakral
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We’ve all heard of Amelia Earhart, but we need to know more about Sarla Thakral. She was the first Indian woman to fly an aircraft and flew a Gypsy Moth plane solo after obtaining her pilot’s license at 21. Badass.
- Susanna Salter
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Susanna Madora Salter was the first woman elected mayor in the U.S. She was the mayor of Argonia, Kansas, to be exact. She was also one of the first women elected to any political office in the US. Do you think Leslie Knope has a picture of Susanna on her desk?
- Florence Howe
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Florence Howe is considered a leader of the contemporary feminist movement and started teaching women’s studies back before it was even recognized as a possible major. At 91 years old, she’s still making feminist moves and maintaining her career(s) as an author, publisher, literary scholar and historian.
- Rachel Carson
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Rachel Carson was a marine biologist and conservationist whose written works basically changed the environmental game. In her published study, Silent Spring, she challenged both the practices of agricultural scientists and the government. This, among her other works, rallied an immediate call to action for the global environmental movement.
- Anne Dagg
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Anne Dagg was the first person to study wild giraffes. Her first novel inspired many research careers surrounding giraffes. A recent documentary, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, shed light on not only her research but her feminist movements. It’s a must-watch.
Feeling inspired yet?