Biographies generously sponsored by Susan D. Whiting.

Biographies

Women have always played an active role in history. Explore some of the historical pioneers and contemporary newsmakers that continue to impact the world. New biographies are added regularly, so check back to discover inspiring new stories!

Featured Biographies

A dedicated public health advocate, Antonia Novello made history as the first female and first Hispanic U.S. Surgeon General in 1990.

Antonia Novello

The founder of the Mississippi Health Project and the Southeast Neighborhood House, Dr. Dorothy Ferebee provided healthcare to the most vulnerable members of the African American community.

Dorothy Boulding Ferebee

Karikó’s research and perseverance proved that mRNA vaccines were possible and paved the way for the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to end the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Kati Karikó

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Phillis Wheatley

Despite spending much of her life enslaved, Phillis Wheatley was the first African American woman to publish a book of poems.

Biography

Anna May Wong

Appearing in over sixty movies throughout her career, Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood.

Biography

Most known for her work on the top-secret Manhattan Project during World War II and her Cobalt-60 experiment that contested the law of conservation of parity, Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu’s pioneering work is regarded as a standard among physicists today.

Biography

Malala Yousafzai

At age eleven, Malala Yousafzai was already advocating for the rights of women and girls.

Biography

Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias

One of America’s foremost female athletes, Mildred "Babe” Didrikson Zaharias broke world records in multiple sports and cofounded of the LPGA.