March is Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the past and share women’s achievements. As modern women, sometimes it’s easy to forget the centuries of stigma, struggle and hard work that went into reaching where we are today — but remembering the influential, iconic women in our history can only inspire and strengthen us to become even better in the future.
Women’s success stories and accomplishments have made the here and now possible. Thanks to the amazing female figures in our past, women can vote, hold public office, go to college and chase their dreams. This month, we celebrate them — and continue their legacy ourselves.
- Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female MD
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Ever wonder who the first woman was to graduate from medical school?
Elizabeth Blackwell was a British woman who moved to the US with her family as a young girl. After initially working as a teacher, she decided to pursue a medical degree, and in 1849, she became the first woman to graduate medical school in America — plus, she came in first in her class!
Early in her medical career, she faced discrimination in London and Paris hospitals, where doctors relegated her to midwifery or nursing, but she didn’t let that stop her. Returning to New York a few years later, she became the first female doctor in the contemporary US. Blackwell later went on to open a medical college and a clinic for poor women in her home country of England.
Not only was Elizabeth Blackwell intelligent, motivated and well-traveled, but her work paved the way for millions of women to enter the medical field — not just as nurses, but as doctors.
- Anne McLaren helped to develop modern IVF techniques
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Another powerhouse in the world of women’s history and achievements, Dame Anne McLaren also worked in STEM, and was a leading figure in developmental biology. Her work included studying mouse embryonic transfer, which helped develop techniques that doctors now use to perform in vitro fertilization. Thanks to her, hundreds of thousands of people have been able to bear children that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
In 1975, at 64, McLaren became the first woman to join and hold office in the Royal Society, the United Kingdom’s learned national academy of sciences. She received many honors for her scientific contributions and often debated with both men and women on scientific ethics regarding IVF, abortion and consent — issues that are all too relevant now. Thank you, Dame McLaren!
- Marie Curie became the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize
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Born in Poland in 1867, Marie Curie conducted pioneering research on radioactivity in a world that was barely even aware such a thing existed. At 31, Curie announced the existence of new elements that she named polonium and radium. In the course of her research, she also coined the term “radioactivity” and presented her discoveries to the Academy of Science.
In 1903, Curie became the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize, although she was initially only rewarded half the Nobel Prize in Physics alongside Henri Becquerel, who first discovered the radioactivity phenomenon. In 1911, she received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, this time all on her own. In addition to being the first female Nobel Prize winner, she was also the first person to receive two.
Curie’s work extended to the use of radium for treating battle injuries during World War I. In addition to her Nobel Prizes, she was the first woman to earn a doctoral degree in France, and she was the first woman professor at the Sorbonne in Paris — talk about a resume.
- Katherine Stinson took the aviation world by storm
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In addition to the medical and scientific world, women also made significant contributions to early aviation. Before Amelia Earhart took to the skies, Katherine Stinson flew through barriers to clear the way for those who would follow her path through the clouds.
Stinson earned her pilot’s license at 21 and became the first woman to fly in Asia. She was also the first woman authorized to fly the U.S. mail and perform a loop-de-loop in an airplane. She set several speed and distance records and never suffered any serious injuries — unlike the many others who tried and failed to do the same tricks. We could call her one of the first women to stretch her wings to her full potential.
- Kamala Harris became the first Black, South Asian, and Female Vice President
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This year was especially groundbreaking for women in America — and everywhere. Kamala Harris shattered the glass ceiling and became the first Black and South Asian woman to become the vice president of the United States. I think we can all agree with and take heart from her words — she may be the first, but she certainly won’t be the last.
Before her inauguration, Harris also served in the Senate and became the first Black attorney general for California. She was also the first graduate from a historically Black college to hold such a high level of office. As a woman of color in the White House, Harris will provide the fresh perspective we need in office after the damage of the Trump administration.
As we’re all too aware, women still face blatant discrimination both in and out of the workplace (despite proving their intelligence and competence time and time again), and as long as sexism exists, we’ll continue to fight it. As we continue to rise to positions of power and make our mark on the world, women will keep paving the way for our sisters, daughters, granddaughters and all the amazing future women of the world.