Biographies

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

Biography

Betsy Ross

Considered essential to the American Revolution, Betsy Ross is credited with sewing the first United States flag.
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Biography

Loretta Ross

Loretta Ross is an academic and activist who has dedicated many years to advocating for women’s rights and reproductive justice.
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Biography

Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph relentlessly pursued her dreams becoming an international track and field star.
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Biography

Marla Runyan

Legally blind since childhood, Olympic track and field athlete and marathon runner Marla Runyan never let her vision loss stand in the way of her athletic dreams.
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Biography

Sacagawea

Sacagawea is best known for joining Louis and Clark on their expedition westward from the Mississippi to the Pacific Coast.
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Biography

Deborah Sampson

Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man and joined the Patriot forces during the American Revolution. She was the only woman to earn a military pension for participation in the Revolutionary army.
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Biography

Bernice Sandler

Known as the “Godmother of Title IX,” Bernice Sandler fought for women’s rights in education.
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Biography

Margaret Sanger

Margaret Sanger founded the birth control movement and became an outspoken and life-long advocate for women’s reproductive rights.
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Biography

Phyllis Schlafly

Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist, commentator, and author, led a successful campaign against the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s.
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Biography

Hazel Scott

Jazz pianist and singer Hazel Scott was not only the first African-American woman to host her own television show, but she also bravely stood up to the House Un-American Activities Committee and the Hollywood studio machine.
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Biography

Nina Simone

“The High Priestess of Soul,” Nina Simone was a singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist.
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Biography

Olympia J. Snowe

Olympia Snowe was the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of State Legislature and both houses of Congress.
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Biography

Sonia Sotomayor

As the first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the Supreme Court, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor has made an impact in and out of the courtroom.
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Biography

Anne Spencer

Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer lived her entire life in Virginia, where she tended her garden, worked as a librarian and teacher, hosted luminaries of Black intellectual and cultural life, and fought for equal rights for African Americans. 
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Biography

Lilian St. Cyr (“Red Wing”)

On February 23, 1914, Lilian St. Cyr, performing under the name “Princess Red Wing,” became the first Native American actress to appear in a silent film. During her 15-year acting career, she performed in more than 70 films.
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Biography

Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem is an acclaimed journalist, trailblazing feminist, and one of the most visible, passionate leaders and spokeswomen of the women’s rights movement.
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Biography

Lucy Stone

A leading suffragist and abolitionist, Lucy Stone dedicated her life to battling inequality on all fronts.
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