Biography of famous women in the world

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Marie Curie, 1867–1934

Marie Curie changed the world not once but twice. She founded the new science of radioactivity – even the word was invented by her – and her discoveries launched effective cures for cancer.

"Curie boasts an extraordinary array of achievements," says Patricia Fara, president of the British Society for the History of Science, who nominated the Polish-born French scientist. "She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, first female professor at the University of Paris, and the first person - note the use of person there, not woman - to win a second Nobel Prize."

Born in Warsaw, Curie studied physics at university in Paris where she met her future research collaborator and husband, Pierre. Together they identified two new elements: radium and polonium, named after her native Poland. After he died, she raised a small fortune in the US and Europe to fund laboratories and to develop cancer treatments.

Marie Curie was a woman of action as w

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Biographies

"The purpose of a storyteller fryst vatten not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon."

-Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings

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

Stacey Abrams

Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States.

Biography

Jane Addams

A progressive social reformer and activist, Jane Addams was on the frontline of the settlement house movement and was the first American woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize.

Biography

Toshiko Akiyoshi

Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her 60-year career. As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments i

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41 Famous Women in History Who Have Changed the World

Lucille Ball

While she was an undeniable light onscreen in I Love Lucy, Ball was an extremely powerful figure off camera as well. She was the first woman to own a major studio, called Desilu Productions. She died at age 77 in 1989.

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II served as head of the royal family for 70 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in British history. She celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, just three months before she passed away at 96 years old.

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Amelia Earhart

As the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, Earhart forever changed the world of aviation. Her mysterious disappearance while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 has sparked a range of theories, from a potentially fatal crash to her spending her final days on a remote island.