Special Report
40 of History's Greatest Women
Published:
Last Updated:
March is Women’s History Month, and in honor of the occasion 24/7 Wall St. set out to compile a list of 40 of history’s greatest women. This was no easy task, as there are thousands of potential candidates that deserve to be recognized.
We looked back in history at women from all over the world and from all walks of life. Age is no barrier to achievement either — our list includes two teenagers, Joan of Arc and Anne Frank, and women such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gloria Steinem, and Jane Goodall, who are still actively making a difference in their eighties.
We focused on individuals who were not only accomplished in their time but whose influence is felt today. We also considered the obstacles they encountered because of their gender, race, or background, which made their achievements all the more remarkable. We were especially mindful of this issue because of the #MeToo movement, which has shown that despite all the progress women have made, they still face huge challenges solely because of their gender. We also considered women across different eras, geographies, backgrounds, and fields of endeavor.
Our list includes heads of state and government — some were the first women to hold such office — activists and athletes, entertainers and entrepreneurs, politicians and pioneers, and even a pirate. We do not claim it is definitive, nor is it exhaustive. Whatever women we may have left out, we are confident that the 40 on our list are truly great.
Click here to see 40 of history’s greatest women.
1. Alice Paul (1885-1977)
> Birthplace: Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey
> Known for: Suffragist, women’s rights activist
Alice Paul was an integral part of the women’s suffrage movement. Born and raised in New Jersey, Paul was well educated. She received her degree in biology from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts degree in sociology from New York School of Philanthropy (which is now Columbia University). She also studied social work in England and received a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Paul became active within the women’s suffrage movement in England, where she met Lucy Burns, another key figure in the push for the 19th Amendment.
Back in the United States, Paul and Burns formed the National Woman’s Party, protested, picketed, and led other women in the fight for equality. Perhaps one of the most heroic endeavors Paul faced was spending seven months in jail after being arrested for peacefully protesting at the White House. While in jail, she organized a hunger strike in protest for being arrested under such frivolous charges.
[in-text-ad]
2. Alice Walker (b. 1944)
> Birthplace: Putnam County, Georgia
> Known for: Novelist, activist
Alice Walker is an African American novelist, essayist and poet. Her work has been translated into more than two dozen languages, and her books have sold more than 15 million copies. Walker is best known for writing “The Color Purple.” She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983 and the National Book Award. “The Color Purple” was made into a film by Steven Spielberg and starred Oprah Winfrey, another prominent woman on our list.
3. Althea Gibson (1927-2003)
> Birthplace: Silver, South Carolina
> Known for: Tennis player, broke color barrier
Althea Gibson was an African American tennis player who overcame institutional racism in sports in the 1950s to win 50 national and international titles. She won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (precursor to the U.S. Open) in 1957 and again in 1958, and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years. She won a total of 11 Grand Slam tournaments, and as if that wasn’t enough, she also had a successful career as a professional golfer.
4. Amelia Earhart (1897-1939)
> Birthplace: Atchison, Kansas
> Known for: Record-setting pilot
Amelia Earhart was an aviation pioneer and wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences. She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and set a series of speed and altitude records. Earhart wanted to be the first woman to circumnavigate the globe but disappeared while flying between Papua New Guinea and Howland Island. Over the years, there has been much speculation about her fate. However, a study published recently in the Journal of Forensic Anthropology said that bones found on a remote island in 1940 were almost certainly Earhart’s.
[in-text-ad-2]
5. Anne Frank (1929-1945)
> Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany
> Known for: Diarist, Holocaust victim
Anne Frank is the youngest person on our list and only became known after her death. Anne was born in Germany to a Jewish family who moved to Amsterdam after Adolf Hitler came to power. When the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, Frank and her family went into hiding. Unfortunately, they were discovered, arrested, and sent to a concentration camp. Frank’s father was the only survivor. After the war he had her diary published and it became an international bestseller. “The Diary of a Young Girl” has been hugely influential and has been the basis for plays and films.
6. Bell Hooks (b. 1952)
> Birthplace: Hopkinsville, Kentucky
> Known for: Author, feminist, activist
Bell Hooks is the pen name of Gloria Jean Watkins, an author, feminist, and social activist. Hooks derived the name from her maternal great-grandmother, Bell Blair Hooks. She received a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work has explored the impact of sexism and racism on black women. Hooks is known for pioneering the intersectional feminism movement. In 2014, the Bell Hooks Institute was founded, which showcases the acclaimed author’s life-long work of critiquing feminist theory and social change.
[in-text-ad]
7. Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007)
> Birthplace: Karachi, Pakistan
> Known for: Former prime minister of Pakistan
Benazir Bhutto was prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996. She was the first woman to head a democratic government in a Muslim majority nation and was described as the leading stateswoman in the Islamic world. She was assassinated in 2007 while campaigning for elections. Nobody was ever convicted of her killing. A liberal and secularist, Bhutto was disliked by many in Pakistan’s military establishment and hated by Islamic fundamentalists.
8. Beyoncé (b. 1981)
> Birthplace: Houston, Texas
> Known for: Pop star
Prominent singer and songwriter Beyoncé Knowles started her career in the girl group Destiny’s Child. Knowles released her first solo album called “Dangerously in Love” in 2003 before the group split in 2006. Since her debut solo album, Knowles has released six other albums. After countless tours, two Super Bowl appearances, and 22 Grammys, the renowned pop star was the highest-paid woman in music in 2017.
9. Catherine the Great (1729-1796)
> Birthplace: Szczecin, Poland
> Known for: Empress of Russia
Catherine was Empress of Russia from 1762 until 1796, making her the country’s longest-ruling female leader. During her reign, Russia expanded and modernized and became recognized as one of the great powers of Europe.
[in-text-ad-2]
10. Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855)
> Birthplace: Thornton, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
> Known for: Novelist
Charlotte Brontë is one of the most famous Victorian writers of all time. Unsatisfied as a school teacher, Brontë wanted nothing more than to be a published writer. She sent in a sample of her work to England’s poet laureate at the time, Robert Southey, who was quick to squash her ambitions. In a letter back, he wrote, “Literature cannot be the business of a woman’s life, and it ought not to be.” Rather than letting the eminent poet’s negative feedback deter her from pursuing a career in writing, Brontë continued to master the art until she composed one of the greatest literary works of all time, “Jane Eyre.”
11. Ching Shih (1775-1844)
> Birthplace: Shi Xianggu, China
> Known for: Pirate
Ching Shih was a Chinese prostitute-turned-pirate in the early 19th century. She commanded a fleet of junks manned by tens of thousands of sailors and took on major powers such as the British and Portuguese empires and the Qing dynasty. Ching Shih is regarded as one of the most successful pirates in history, and her exploits have been featured in books, video games, and films, including “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”
[in-text-ad]
12. Cleopatra (69 B.C.-30 B.C.)
> Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
> Known for: Queen of Egypt
Cleopatra was the last ruler of Egypt before it became a province of the Roman Empire. She had intimate relations with both Julius Caesar and his supporter Mark Antony, and committed suicide with Antony when his forces were defeated by rival Octavian. She has been an enduring figure in literature and popular culture — she was a subject of a Shakespearean tragedy, “Antony and Cleopatra,” and the highest-grossing movie of 1963, “Cleopatra,” in which she was played by Elizabeth Taylor.
13. Dorothy Height (1912-2010)
> Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia
> Known for: Civil rights leader
Dorothy Height was a civil rights leader who focused mainly on women’s rights. She was president of the National Council of Negro Women for over 50 years and campaigned on such issues as drugs, education, unemployment, and voter awareness. She received numerous honors in her lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. In 2017, the United States Postal Service marked Black History Month by issuing the Dorothy Height Forever stamp honoring her civil rights legacy.
14. Dorothy Hodgkin (1910-1994)
> Birthplace: Cairo, Egypt
> Known for: Pioneer in X-ray crystallography
Dorothy Hodgkin was a British chemist who developed protein crystallography, a technique used to investigate the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal. She confirmed the structure of penicillin and of vitamin B and spent 35 years deciphering the structure of insulin, which improved treatment for diabetics. In 1964, Hodgkin won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry — the third woman to do so at the time.
[in-text-ad-2]
15. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
> Birthplace: New York, New York
> Known for: First Lady, diplomat, activist
Eleanor Roosevelt was the longest-serving First Lady as her husband Franklin Roosevelt was elected to four terms between 1933 and 1945. She was a strong advocate for racial equality and took a brave stance in defense of Japanese-American citizens after Pearl Harbor. She served as the United States Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952. She was an active supporter of the civil rights movement and chaired the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women.
16. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902)
> Birthplace: Johnstown, New York
> Known for: Suffragist, abolitionist
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the organizers of the Seneca Falls Convention, held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. The convention is considered by many to mark the beginning of the women’s rights movement. Stanton co-wrote the Declaration of Sentiments, which was presented at the convention and introduced the demand for votes for women. It was modeled after the Declaration of Independence but opened with: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.” Stanton was also an abolitionist, and together with her friend Susan B. Anthony, founded the Women’s Loyal National League in support of the abolition of slavery.
[in-text-ad]
17. Eva Perón (1919-1952)
> Birthplace: Los Toldos, Argentina
> Known for: First Lady of Argentina
Eva Perón was First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She campaigned for her husband Juan Perón and became immensely popular with the Argentinian public, who knew her as Evita. When he was elected, she undertook a diplomatic tour of Europe and became well known internationally. She had been born into poverty and established the Eva Perón Foundation to help the underprivileged. In the years since her early death from cancer she has become a cultural icon, inspiring numerous books and the musical and film “Evita.”
18. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)
> Birthplace: Florence, Italy
> Known for: Founder of modern nursing
Florence Nightingale was an English social activist, and made modern nursing practices what they are today. During the Crimean War, her work to improve the treatment of wounded soldiers brought about a dramatic decline in the death rate. In 1860, she established St. Thomas’ Hospital and the Nightingale Training School for Nurses. International Nurses Day, observed on May 12, commemorates her birth and celebrates the important role of nurses in health care.
19. Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)
> Birthplace: Coyoacán, Mexico
> Known for: Artist, feminist
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is known for her self-portraits, which did not attempt to hide her unibrow or facial hair, and for works inspired by indigenous culture and nature. She is also known for her tumultuous marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera, and is celebrated by feminists for the honesty of her work. Kahlo’s tends to fetch higher prices than any other Latin American artist. One of her paintings fetched more than $8 million at auction in New York.
[in-text-ad-2]
20. Gloria Steinem (b. 1934)
> Birthplace: Toledo, Ohio
> Known for: Women’s rights activist, journalist
Gloria Steinem is one of the most renowned women’s rights activists of all time. Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, Steinem attended Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts where she studied government, a nontraditional field for women at the time. After graduation, Steinem began her professional career as a freelance writer, and by the late 1960s, she helped create the iconic New York magazine. While Steinem was always an advocate for women’s rights, her work was in full-swing in the early 1970s. She joined forces with other influential feminists of the time to form the National Women’s Political Caucus, an organization that recruits, trains, and supports women in government. Steinem is also the co-founder of feminist publication Ms. magazine and an author of several books.
21. Harriet Tubman (1820-1913)
> Birthplace: Dorchester County, Maryland
> Known for: Abolitionist
Harriet Tubman was born in Maryland into slavery but escaped to Philadelphia, where she became active in the Underground Railroad, the secret network that helped slaves escape to free states and Canada. Tubman returned to the South numerous times to rescue friends and other slaves. She later helped abolitionist John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry and served as a scout and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War. In later years, she was active in the struggle for women’s suffrage.
[in-text-ad]
22. Ida Tarbell (1857-1944)
> Birthplace: Amity Township, Pennsylvania
> Known for: Pioneering investigative reporting
Ida Tarbell is one of the many women on this list who had to overcome significant barriers to make a difference. Tarbell is known for spearheading investigative journalism. As a reporter for McClure magazine, she entered the limelight with her article on the Standard Oil Company, a groundbreaking piece that exposed the company as a monopoly. What was originally supposed to be a three-part series turned into a 19-part masterpiece that ultimately led to the company’s demise.
23. Indira Gandhi (1917-1984)
> Birthplace: Allahabad, India
> Known for: Former prime minister of India
Indira Gandhi was the first and, so far, only female prime minister of India. She was the daughter of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and not related to her namesake Mahatma Gandhi. She was a strong leader — described by some as ruthless — and led India in a war with Pakistan. In 1984, she ordered the Indian army to attack Sikh militants in the Golden Temple, which was badly damaged in the operation. She was subsequently assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards, who were outraged by her actions.
24. Jane Goodall (b. 1934)
> Birthplace: London, England
> Known for: Primatologist, conservationist
Jane Goodall traveled to Tanzania in 1960 at the age of 26 to work as a chimpanzee researcher. When she first began her studies, she did not have any formal scientific training. But despite this, her observations of chimpanzees in the Gombe National Park using and making tools shattered scientists’ long-held belief that only humans engaged in this kind of behavior. Goodall’s groundbreaking work introduced the world to our closest living relatives in the animal kingdom. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, a global wildlife and environmental conservation organization. Now in her 80s, she continues to promote the work of the institute.
[in-text-ad-2]
25. Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
> Birthplace: Domrémy, France
> Known for: Military leader, saint
Joan of Arc led the French army to victory over the English during the Hundred Years’ War — at the age of 18. Although she was born into a peasant family she was inspired by mystical visions to offer her services to the French king. She was later captured and burned at the stake by the English. She was canonized as a saint in 1920.
26. Madeleine Albright (b. 1937)
> Birthplace: Prague, Czech Republic
> Known for: First female U.S. Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright was the first woman U.S. Secretary of State, serving from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. She has a background in academia and serves as a professor of International Relations at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She also published in 2003 a memoir titled “Madame Secretary.” In 2012, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
[in-text-ad]
27. Madonna (b. 1958)
> Birthplace: Bay City, Michigan
> Known for: Singer, songwriter, actor
Known as the “Queen of Pop,” Madonna has been described as the most influential female recording artist of all time. More than a singer-songwriter, she has also had success as an actress and entrepreneur, and has sustained her career through regular reinvention. Madonna is also a material girl — she is the richest woman in the music industry and has a valuable art collection that includes works by Frida Kahlo.
24/7 Wall St.
28. Malala Yousafzai (b. 1997)
> Birthplace: Mingora, Pakistan
> Known for: Activist, youngest person to win Nobel Peace Prize
Malala Yousafzai’s life changed abruptly at the age of 15 when a member of the Taliban tried to assassinate her on her way home from school. After recovering from a gunshot to the head, Yousafzai refused to live in fear and continued to advocate for girls’ education. Just one year after the tragic and near-fatal attack, she wrote and published an autobiography, “I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.” In 2014, Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize, the youngest person in history to win such an accolade.
29. Marie Curie (1867-1934)
> Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
> Known for: First woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize
Marie Curie conducted pioneering research on radioactivity with her husband Pierre. She wasn’t just the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, she did so twice and in different sciences — physics and chemistry. Born in Poland she did most of her work in France and was the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris. She has appeared on banknotes, coins, and stamps around the world.
[in-text-ad-2]
30. Mary Lou Retton (b. 1968)
> Birthplace: Fairmont, West Virginia
> Known for: Olympic gymnast
Mary Lou Retton was a gymnast who won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles — the first American woman to do so. She also won two silver medals and two bronze medals. The popularity of the sport took off in America after Retton’s — and the rest of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team — performance at the Olympics. She was named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated that year. In 1993, she was voted the Most Popular Athlete in America in a national survey. She has inspired generations of young American gymnasts.
31. Meryl Streep (b. 1949)
> Birthplace: Summit, New Jersey
> Known for: Award-winning actress
Meryl Streep is one of the most highly regarded actresses in history. She has been nominated for a record 21 Academy Awards, and has won three. She attended the Yale School of Drama after Vassar College and began her career in theatre in New York. She had a breakthrough role in the 1978 film “The Deer Hunter” and became an established star in the following decade. President Barack Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts in 2010 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.
[in-text-ad]
32. Oprah Winfrey (b. 1954)
> Birthplace: Kosciusko, Mississippi
> Known for: Talk show host, entrepreneur, and philanthropist
Oprah Winfrey is one of the highest-paid entertainers and richest women in the world. She has had success as a talk show host, actress, producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. She started early — at the age of 19, she was the youngest person and the first African American woman to anchor the news at a local television station in Nashville. She achieved international fame as host of the hugely successful “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which ran for 25 seasons from 1986 to 2011. She also launched her own magazine, television network, and a book club that had a huge impact on the publishing world. She has donated millions of dollars to various charities, including the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa and efforts to rebuild after hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
24/7 Wall St.
33. Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603)
> Birthplace: Greenwich, England
> Known for: Queen of England
Elizabeth I was Queen of England from 1558 until her death in 1603. The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth never married — she was called the Virgin Queen — and was the last monarch of the House of Tudor. She presided over what has been called England’s Golden Age. The Elizabethan era is associated with some of the greatest names in English literature, including William Shakespeare, and with seafaring exploits, including the defeat of the Spanish Armada. It was also a time of relative stability and growth. Elizabeth was considered a diplomatic ruler and calmed tensions between England and France.
34. Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
> Birthplace: Tuskegee, Alabama
> Known for: Civil rights activist
Rosa Parks has been described as “the first lady of civil rights.” In 1955, Parks, who was secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus. This led to a bus boycott and a legal case that resulted in the desegregation of Montgomery’s public transportation system. She continued her activism after moving to Detroit, campaigning on such issues as housing, education, and political prisoners. In 1999, she was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal inscribed with the legend, “Mother Of The Modern Day Civil Rights Movement.”
[in-text-ad-2]
35. Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958)
> Birthplace: London, England
> Known for: Nobel-winning chemist
Rosalind Franklin was an English scientist whose work contributed enormously to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Tragically, she died of ovarian cancer at an early age and her achievements were only fully recognized afterwards. Her work was all the more remarkable considering the sexism that pervaded the fields of science at the time, even more so than today. James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins shared a Nobel Prize in 1962 for the discovery of the DNA double helix. It was suggested that Franklin should also have won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry, but the Nobel Committee does not make posthumous nominations.
36. Ruth Bader Ginsburg (b. 1933)
> Birthplace: New York City, New York
> Known for: Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Ruth Bader Ginsburg wasn’t the first female Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court — that honor belongs to Sandra Day O’Connor — but she is perhaps the only justice to have become a pop culture icon. Nicknamed the Notorious R.B.G (inspired by the rapper The Notorious B.I.G.) she has been portrayed regularly on Saturday Night Live. She is generally viewed as belonging to the liberal wing of the Supreme Court — she was the first justice to officiate a same-sex wedding — and is known for her forceful dissents.
[in-text-ad]
37. Serena Williams (b. 1981)
> Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan
> Known for: Professional tennis player
Serena WIlliams is one the highest paid athletes in the world and the highest paid female athlete with a net worth of $27 million. To say Williams is unstoppable is an understatement — she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals thus far in her career. She may be the greatest female tennis player of all time. Another quality of hers that’s just as admirable as her physical ability and accumulation of accolades is her tenacious spirit in overcoming adversity. For decades, she has been slapped with both sexist and racist remarks from the public, having her body compared to that of a man’s and even a gorilla’s. Such comments have yet to bring Williams down. Her muscular build represents years of intensive training and an unwavering commitment to being the best at her practice. And it has clearly paid off.
24/7 Wall St.
38. Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)
> Birthplace: Esopus, New York
> Known for: Abolitionist, women’s rights activist
Sojourner Truth was an African American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree, she escaped to freedom in 1826. She later went to court to recover her son, who had been illegally sold to a plantation owner in Alabama. She became the first black woman to win a case like this against a white man. She changed her name in 1843 and devoted her life to campaigning for emancipation and women’s suffrage. During the Civil War she helped recruit black troops for the Union Army. Truth is most known for her improvised speech on racial inequalities at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in 1851, which would later be referred to as, “Ain’t I a Woman?”
39. Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906)
> Birthplace: Adams, Massachusetts
> Known for: Suffragist, women’s rights activist
Susan B. Anthony was a key leader of the women’s rights movement in the 19th century and was instrumental in women gaining the right to vote. Born into an activist Quaker family, Anthony also campaigned for the abolition of slavery. She has been commemorated in numerous ways. She was the first woman to appear on a circulating coin — the Susan B. Anthony Dollar — and also appeared on a stamp. Her home in Rochester is now a National Historic Landmark.
[in-text-ad-2]
40. Wilma Rudolph (1940-1994)
> Birthplace: Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee
> Known for: Olympic track athlete
Wilma Rudolph was the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympics Games. Rudolph earned a reputation as the fastest woman in the world in the 1960s, but her journey to becoming one of the country’s most renowned athletes is what makes her stand out among other tremendous athletes. Rudolph contracted polio, scarlet fever, and pneumonia twice as a child. By the age of six, she lost the ability to use her left leg due to polio. Rudolph’s siblings spent the next three years diligently massaging her crippled leg until inexplicably she regained use of her leg. By 1960, she established a new world record at the Olympics, becoming the first woman in the world to run the 200 meter dash in under 23 seconds.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
