7 Exceptional Women from History You’ve Never Heard Of, But Should Have

There are so many famous men from history that we’ve all learned about in school, but what about the women?

Surely, there were more women than Joan of Arc and Marie Curie, who contributed to history. Well, there were, but unfortunately, many people have never heard of them. Today, we’re going to shed some light on these heroines from history.

Here are 7 women from history you’ve never heard of, but should have:

1. The Midnight Ride of Sybil Ludington

She went twice the distance of Paul Revere to gather militiamen to ward off an attack by the British, yet few people know anything about Sybil Ludington’s midnight ride in 1777. This fearless 16-year-old rode from 9 PM until dawn the next morning, carrying nothing but a stick to keep bandits at bay and a message for the militia to get moving.

2. The Real First Computer Programmer

One of the most famous poets in history, Lord Byron, had a daughter by the name of Ada Lovelace. Her mother had her tutored extensively in math and science, and when her tutor Charles Babbage asked for her help with the first “computing machine” in 1842, she wrote what is now considered the very first computer code, making her the first computer programmer at the age of 17.

3. Freeing Women From Fashion Trends

Amelia Bloomer may very well be responsible for the fact that it’s socially acceptable for women to wear pants today. What we know for sure is that she started the first newspaper that was by and for women, and that she helped women in Ohio earn the right to vote in 1873.

She popularized women’s fashion trend known as bloomers which were essentially loose-fitted pants for women.

4. China’s Only Female Ruler

During the Tang Dynasty and throughout all of China’s long history, there has been precisely one woman who made it to the top ruling position. Her name was Wu Zetian, and although there’s a lot of conflicting information on how much blood she may have shed to get to that place, there’s no doubt that she was an incredible ruler that deserves a lot more credit.

5. Ignoring Social Norms and Sexist Laws

During the early 1600’s, women were trapped in precise roles by both laws and social norms, which kept them dressing a certain way and kept them from doing things like performing in plays, smoking, or even talking too loudly. But, Mary Frith set out to challenge those norms and did everything she wasn’t supposed to. She dressed like a man, swore and smoked, and frequently ended up on stage.

6. Around the World in 72 Days

In 1889, Elizabeth Cochran set a world record when she traveled around the world in just 72 days. She was also an incredible journalist whose hard-hitting investigative journalism helped reform the way mental hospitals operated.

After her successful career as a journalist, she decided to become an inventor and had several patents registered.

7. Writer of the Most Brilliant Astronomy Thesis

It took years for her work to be recognized for what it was and for Cecilia Payne to be given the position she deserved. However, that didn’t change the fact that she was the first person to correctly theorize that stars are made primarily of hydrogen and helium, and to determine their temperatures. She was also the first woman to be made a full professor and later the department head at Harvard.

Hopefully, you’ve been inspired by at least one of the fantastic women on this list to keep chasing your dreams no matter what! Although these women didn’t get the recognition they undoubtedly deserved, they still had an impact on history, each in their way.

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About the Author: Originally from Michigan, Melody now enjoys working as a freelance writer from her home in Nicaragua, which she shares with her amazing husband and their crazy cat that was raised on goat’s milk from the time her mother abandoned her at just ten days old. They’re excited to be expecting their first baby, who they thought was a girl, were told was a boy, and then was told was a girl. She also recently finished her first novel and is working on making a cat coloring book.