It’s no question that the following five women are famous, but did you know just how totally badass they were?
1. Josephine Baker
Not only one of the most recognizable names of all time, but also a spy and activist. After being billed as the “highest-paid chorus girl in Vaudeville,” making her a big name during the Harlem Renaissance, she spent the majority of her career in France where she was known for her erotic dances.
During World War II, Baker was recruited by the French military intelligence as a correspondent. She would collect and report information she got about German troop locations from officials she would meet at parties. She also housed people and supplied them with visas when Germany invaded France. Back in America, Baker supported the Civil Rights Movement, pressing charges on those who refused service to her based on her skin, refusing to perform for segregated crowds and working with the NAACP.
2. Audrey Hepburn
Hepburn has gone down in history for her acting career, beauty and fashion sense. However, there’s much more to her than that. When Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, her mother moved Hepburn to the Netherlands hoping they’d remain neutral, but they were invaded by Germany. As a trained ballerina, Hepburn silently performed dances to raise money for the Dutch Resistance.
She witnessed traumatic events such as family members being deported and going into hiding, Dutch Jews being sent to concentration camps, and developed malnutrition, which resulted in her famous, tiny waistline. Later in life, she became an ambassador for UNICEF and made many trips with the group involving bringing food, immunizations and clean water to those in need.
3. Coco Chanel
Sent to an orphanage by her own father as a child led to her learning the art of sewing and becoming a seamstress at a very young age. Later, she was able to open a boutique financed by a man she was having an affair with. She had her sister and aunt model the designs for her, which were made out of fabrics like jersey and tricot–primarily used for men’s fashion at the time. This was just the beginning of her empire.
Chanel was incredibly ambitious, which led to her being offered a chance to design costumes for MGM stars. Although Chanel’s political views were… “in contradiction” to the women above, she did make a large impact on women’s fashion. She promoted casual and sporty wear, ending the corseted female silhouette that was popular before her time. You have her to thank for bell-bottom pants, crew-neck sweaters and striped shirts, which were traditionally only worn by sailors. She also made suntans and tweed suits popular and started the idea of the “little black dress”.
4. Elizabeth Taylor
Famous for her acting career and – like most of the women on this list – her style (and extravagance in it), Taylor was actually a very important activist. Frustrated that HIV/AIDS was being discussed widely, yet nothing was being done about it, she was one of the first celebrities to participate in fixing the situation. She raised over $270 million for the cause.
She hosted the first AIDS fundraiser, was co-founder of the National AIDS Research Foundation, founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, helped expand these organizations into other countries, testified before the House and Senate for the Ryan White Care Act, openly criticized presidents who didn’t show interest in combatting the disease, founded her own medical center that offers free HIV/AIDS testing and care, and formed the Elizabeth Taylor Endowment Fund to help in UCLA’s research and education center for the disease.
5. Jackie “Moms” Mabley
She was the first famous, female stand-up comic. Besides this, she came out as gay at the age of 27 and often appeared in androgynous clothing during her stand-up routines. She was one of the most successful performers in the Chitlin’ circuit – a segregated theatre organization Mabley was apart of until it was dissolved during the Great Depression.
In the 60s, after decades of performing, white audiences began to “discover” her. She made performances at The Apollo, Carnegie Hall and on the Smother Brothers Comedy Hour on CBS. She recorded more than 20 albums of comedy routines and appeared in movies and TV shows as well as performing in clubs. She used her popularity to cover and bring attention to what were considered edgy topics at the time, such as her gayness and racism.