70 Famous Women who Changed the World

A list of famous and influential women, including women’s rights activists, poets, musicians, politicians, humanitarians and scientists.

A list of women in chronological order

sappho Sappho (circa  570 BCE) One of the first known female writers. Much of her poetry has been lost but her immense reputation has remained. Plato referred to Sappho as one of the great 10 poets.

cleopatra Cleopatra (69 BCE–30 BCE) The last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt. Cleopatra sought to defend Egypt from the expanding Roman Empire. In doing so she formed relationships with two of Rome’s most powerful leaders, Marc Anthony and Julius Caesar.

mary-magdalene Mary Magdalene (4 BCE–40BCE) Accounts from the Gospels and other sources suggest Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ most devoted followers. Mary Magdalene stood near Jesus at his crucifixion and was the first to see his resurrection.

boudica Boudicca (1st Century CE) Boudicca was an inspirational leader of the Britons. She led several tribes in revolt against the Roman occupation. Initially successful, her army of 100,000 sacked Colchester and then London. Her army was later defeated.

hildegard-von-bingen Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) Mystic, author and composer. Hildegard of Bingen lived a withdrawn life, spending most of her time behind convent walls. However, her writings, poetry and music were revelatory for the time period. She was consulted by popes, kings and influential people of the time. Her writings and music have influenced people to this day.

eleanor Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122–1204) The first Queen of France. Two of her sons Richard and John went on to become Kings of England. Educated, beautiful and highly articulate, Eleanor influenced the politics of western Europe through her alliances and influence over her sons.

joanJoan of Arc (1412–1431) The patron saint of France, Joan of Arc inspired a French revolt against the occupation of the English. An unlikely hero, at the age of just 17, the diminutive Joan successfully led the French to victory at Orleans. Her later trial and martyrdom only heightened her mystique.

mirabai Mirabai (1498–1565) Indian mystic and poet. Mirabai was born into a privileged Hindu family, but she forsook the expectations of a princess and spent her time as a mystic and devotee of Sri Krishna. She helped revitalise the tradition of bhakti (devotional) yoga in India.

Teresa_of_AvilaSt Teresa of Avila (1515–1582) Spanish mystic, poet and Carmelite reformer. St Teresa of Avila lived through the Spanish inquisition but avoided being placed on trial despite her mystical revelations. She helped to reform the tradition of Catholicism and steer the religion away from fanaticism.

elizabeth Elizabeth I (1533–1603) Queen of England during a time of great economic and social change, she saw England cemented as a Protestant country. During her reign, she witnessed the defeat of the Spanish Armada leaving Britain to later become one of the world’s dominant superpowers.

catherine-great Catherine the Great (1729–1796) One of the greatest political leaders of the Eighteenth Century. Catherine the Great was said to have played an important role in improving the welfare of Russian serfs. She placed great emphasis on the arts and helped to cement Russia as one of the dominant countries in Europe.

mary-wollstonecraft Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) English author, Wollstonecraft wrote the most significant book in the early feminist movement. Her pamphlet “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” laid down a moral and practical basis for extending human and political rights to women. She was a pioneer in the struggle for female suffrage.

jane-austen Jane Austen (1775–1817) One of the most famous female authors of all time, Jane Austen wrote several novels, which remain highly popular today. These include Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen wrote at a time when female writers were not encouraged, helping pave the way for future writers.

Sojourner_truth Sojourner Truth (1797 – 1883) African-American abolitionist and women’s rights campaigner. In 1851, gave a famous extemporaneous speech “Ain’t I a woman?” which explained in plain language how women were equal to men.

harriet-beecher-stoweMargaret Fuller (1810–1850) An American women’s rights advocate. Her book Women in the Nineteenth Century (1845) was influential in changing perceptions about men and women, and was one of the most important early feminist works. She argued for equality and women being more self-dependent and less dependent on men.

harriet-beecher-stowe Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896) A lifelong anti-slavery campaigner. Her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a bestseller and helped to popularise the anti-slavery campaign. Abraham Lincoln later remarked that her books were a major factor behind the American civil war.

elizabeth-cady-stantonElizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902) American social activist and leading figure in the early women’s rights movement. She was a key figure in helping create the early women’s suffrage movements in the US. She was the principal author of Declaration of Sentiments in 1848.

queen-victoria Queen Victoria (1819–1901) British Queen. Presiding over one of the largest empires ever seen, Queen Victoria was the head of state from 1837 – 1901. Queen Victoria sought to gain an influence in British politics whilst remaining aloof from party politics. She came to symbolise a whole era of Victorian values.

florence-nightingale Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) British nurse. By serving in the Crimean war, Florence Nightingale was instrumental in changing the role and perception of the nursing profession. Her dedicated service won widespread admiration and led to a significant improvement in the treatment of wounded soldiers.

susan-b-anthonySusan B. Anthony (1820–1906) American Campaigner against slavery and for the promotion of women’s and workers rights. She began campaigning within the temperance movement and this convinced her of the necessity for women to have the vote. She toured the US giving countless speeches on the subjects of human rights.

Elizabeth_Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) Born in Britain, Blackwell was the first woman to receive a medical degree in America and the first woman to be on the UK medical register. Blackwell helped to break down social barriers, enabling women to be accepted as doctors.

Clara_Barton Clara Barton (1821-1912) – Barton was a pioneering nurse in the American civil war. She overcame stiff opposition to lead medical units close to the front lines. She was the founder president of the American Red Cross society and spent her life serving others in need. Barton was supportive of women’s suffrage and broke many gender barriers during her lifetime.

emily-dickinsonEmily Dickinson (1830–1886) One of America’s greatest poets, Emily Dickinson lived most of her life in seclusion. Her poems were published posthumously and received widespread literary praise for their bold and unconventional style. Her poetic style left a significant legacy on 20th Century poetry.

millicent-fawcettMillicent Fawcett (1846–1929)  A leading suffragist and campaigner for equal rights for women. She led Britain’s biggest suffrage organisation, the non-violent (NUWSS) and played a key role in gaining women the vote. She also helped found Newnham College, Cambridge.

emily-pankhurstEmmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928) A British suffragette, Emily Pankhurst dedicated her life to the promotion of women’s rights. She explored all avenues of protest including violence, public demonstrations and hunger strikes. She died in 1928, 3 weeks before a law giving all women over 21 the right to vote.

marie-curieMarie Curie (1867–1934) Polish/French scientist. Curie was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize and the first person to win the Nobel Prize for two separate categories. Her first award was for research into radioactivity (Physics, 1903). Her second Nobel prize was for Chemistry in 1911. A few years later she also helped develop the first X-ray machines.

emily-murphy Emily Murphy (1868–1933) The first woman magistrate in the British Empire. In 1927 she joined forces with four other Canadian women who sought to challenge an old Canadian law that said, “women should not be counted as persons.”

Helen Keller Helen Keller (1880–1968) American social activist. At the age of 19 months, Helen became deaf and blind. Overcoming the frustration of losing both sight and hearing she campaigned tirelessly on behalf of deaf and blind people.

Coco-Chanel Coco Chanel (1883–1971) French fashion designer. One of the most innovative fashion designers, Coco Chanel was instrumental in defining feminine style and dress during the 20th Century. Her ideas were revolutionary; in particular she often took traditionally male clothes and redesigned them for the benefit of women.

eleanor-roosevelt Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) Wife and political aide of American president F.D.Roosevelt. In her own right Eleanor made a significant contribution to the field of human rights, a topic she campaigned upon throughout her life. As head of UN human rights commission she helped to draft the 1948 UN declaration of human rights.

annie-besantAnnie Besant (1847–1933) British campaigner for social justice, an advocate of women’s rights and later member of the Theosophist society. She also actively campaigned for Indian independence.

 

Margaret-Sanger Margaret Sanger (1879-1966) – Sanger was a leading pioneer in offering contraception and health care services to women. Controversial at the time, Sanger is credited with playing a leading role in legalising both contraception and publishing information about family planning. She founded the American Birth Control League and encouraged the development of the contraceptive pill.

katherine-hepburn Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003) American actress. An iconic figure of twentieth Century film, Katharine Hepburn won four Oscars and received over twelve Oscar nominations. Her lifestyle was unconventional for the time and through her acting and life, she helped redefine traditional views of women’s roles in society.

Rachel Carson (1907 – 1964) American conservationist. Rachel Carson was a pioneering environmentalist. Her work, Silent Spring (1962) highlighted the dangers of unregulated pesticide use. It played an important role in creating the modern ecological movement.

beauvoir Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986) French existentialist philosopher. Simone de Beauvoir developed a close personal and intellectual relationship with Jean-Paul Satre. Her book “The Second Sex” depicted the traditions of sexism that dominated society and history. It was a defining book for the feminist movement.

mother-teresaMother Teresa (1910–1997) Albanian nun and charity worker. Devoting her life to the service of the poor and dispossessed Mother Teresa became a global icon for selfless service to others. Through her Missionary of Charities organisation, she personally cared for thousands of sick and dying people in Calcutta. She was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1979.

dorothy-hodgkin Dorothy Hodgkin (1910–1994) British chemist. Hodgkin was awarded the Nobel prize for her work on critical discoveries of the structure of both penicillin and later insulin. These discoveries led to significant improvements in health care. An outstanding chemist, Dorothy also devoted a large section of her life to the peace movement and promoting nuclear disarmament.

rosa-parksRosa Parks (1913–2005) American civil rights activist. Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, indirectly led to some of the most significant civil rights legislation of American history. She sought to play down her role in the civil rights struggle but for her peaceful and dignified campaigning she became one of the most well respected figures in the civil rights movements.

Queen Elizabeth II rosa-parks(1926–2022) Elizabeth II was Britain’s longest-serving monarch (70 years) She witnessed rapid social and economic change and was been a unifying and stabilising influence for Britain and the Commonwealth.

billie-hollidayBillie Holiday (1915–1959) American jazz singer. Given the title “First Lady of the Blues” Billie Holiday was widely considered to be the greatest and most expressive jazz singer of all time. Her voice was moving in its emotional intensity and poignancy. Despite dying at the age of only 44, Billie Holiday helped define the jazz era and her recordings are still widely sold today.

indira-gandhi Indira Gandhi (1917–1984) First female prime minister of India. She was in power from between 1966–77 and 1980–84. Accused of authoritarian tendencies she only narrowly avoided a military coup by agreeing to hold an election at the end of the “emergency period” of 1977. She was assassinated in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards, in response to her storming of the Golden Temple.

eva-peron Eva Peron (1919–1952) Eva Peron was widely loved by the ordinary people of Argentina. She campaigned tirelessly for both the poor and for the extension of women’s rights. She died aged only 32 in 1952.

Rosalind_Franklin Rosalind Franklin (1920 – 1958) British Chemist who made significant contributions to understanding the structure of DNA and RNA, which led to the discovery of the DNA double helix. Franklin also worked on the chemistry of coal and viruses.

betty-frieden Betty Friedan (1921–2006) American social activist and leading feminist figure of the 1960s. She wrote the best-selling book “The Feminine Mystique.” Friedan campaigned for an extension of female rights and an end to sexual discrimination.

margaret-thatcher Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013) The first female Prime minister of Great Britain, she governed for over 10 years, putting emphasis on individual responsibility and a belief in free markets.

marilyn-monroe Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962) American actress who became one of the most iconic film legends. Her films were moderately successful, but her lasting fame came through her photogenic good looks and aura of glamour and sophistication.

anne-frankAnne Frank (1929–1945) Dutch Jewish author. Anne Frank’s diary is one of the most widely read books in the world. It reveals the thoughts of a young, yet surprisingly mature 13-year-old girl, confined to a secret hiding place. “Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.”

audrey-hepburn Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993) British actress. Influential female actor of the 1950s and 60s. Audrey Hepburn defined feminine glamour and dignity and was later voted as one of the most beautiful women of the twentieth century. After her acting career ended in the mid-1960s, she devoted the remaining period of her life to humanitarian work with UNICEF.

germaine-greer Germaine Greer (1939– ) Australian feminist icon of the 1960s and 1970s, Germaine Greer enjoys raising contentious issues. In particular her book “The Female Eunuch” was a defining manifesto for the feminist movement, which proved influential in the 1960s.

maathaiWangari Maathai (1940–2011 ) Kenyan-born environmentalist, pro-democracy activist and women’s rights campaigner. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to prevent conflict through the protection of scarce resources.

betty-williamsBetty Williams (1943– ) Together with Mairead Corrigan, Betty Williams campaigned to bring an end to the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. They founded the Community for Peace and were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 (post dated for 1976).

billie-jean-king Billie Jean King (1943– ) American tennis player. Billie Jean King was one of the greatest female tennis champions, who also battled for equal pay for women. She won 67 professional titles including 20 titles at Wimbledon.

billie-jean-kingShirin Ebadi (1947– ) An Iranian lawyer, Ebadi has fought for human rights in Iran, representing political dissidents and founding initiatives to promote democracy and human rights. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003.

bhutto Benazir Bhutto (1953–2007) The first female prime minister of a Muslim country. She helped to move Pakistan from a dictatorship to democracy, becoming Prime Minister in 1988. She sought to implement social reforms, in particular helping women and the poor. She was assassinated in 2007.

Oprah Oprah Winfrey (1954– ) American talk show host and businesswoman. Oprah Winfrey was the first woman to own her own talk show. Her show and book club are very influential, focusing on issues facing American women.

diana Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997) British Royal princess who was noted for her humanitarian charity work. Despite her troubled marriage to Prince Charles, she was popular for her natural sympathy with the poor and disenfranchised.

j.k.rowling J.K.Rowling (1965– ) British author of the phenomenal best selling Harry Potter series. The volume of sales was so high, it has been credited with leading a revival of reading by children. She wrote the first book as a single mother, struggling to make ends meet, but her writing led to her great success.

j.k.rowling Tegla Loroupe (1973– ) Kenyan athlete. Loroupe held the women’s marathon world record and won many prestigious marathons. Since retiring from running, she has devoted herself to various initiatives promoting peace, education and women’s rights. In her native Kenya, her Peace Race and Peace Foundation have been widely praised for helping to end tribal conflict.

malalaMalala Yousafzai (1997– ) Pakistani schoolgirl who defied threats of the Taliban to campaign for the right to education. She survived being shot in the head by the Taliban and has become a global advocate for women’s rights, especially the right to education.

ardern Jacinda Ardern (1980 – ) Youngest female Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2018. Her style of leadership which emphasises kindness and empathy has received substantial praise. She has called for global action on climate change and universal recognition of human rights.

Greta_ThunbergGreta Thunberg (2003 – ) Swedish schoolgirl who has become a global leader for environmental issues and leading protests against global warming. Thunberg has spoken at events across the world – making it clear we face a real environmental crisis unless we make wholesale changes to the way we live.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Women who changed the world”, Oxford, UK. www.biographyonline.net. Last updated 11 November 2021. Originally published 18 April 2010.

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106 Comments

  • I first noticed this quite egregious error over a decade ago:

    Emily Murphy (1868–1933) The first woman magistrate in the British Empire. In 1927 she joined forces with four other Canadian women who sought to challenge an old Canadian law that said, “women should not be counted as persons.”

    But no Canadian law said any such thing. I believe someone has us mixed up with the provision in the USAmerican constitution about counting persons for congressional representation purposes, wherein persons who were not free were to be counted as a fraction (which, in turn, is not what it is so often misrepresented as saying: that a black person was considered to be 3/5 of a person).

    What is now called the Constitution Act, 1867 contained this provision:
    24. The Governor General shall from Time to Time, in the Queen’s Name, by Instrument under the Great Seal of Canada, summon qualified Persons to the Senate…

    It was policy, and subsequently judicial interpretation, that held that women were not persons for the purpose of appointment to the Senate.

    I imagine that USAmericans would not like their own history and law misrepresented like this, so I would be grateful if this could be revised.

    Instead of:

    *an old Canadian law that said, “women should not be counted as persons.”*

    please enter:

    *an interpretation of the Canadian constitution that held that women could vote and be elected and appointed to various public offices but were considered not to be persons for the purpose of appointment to the Senate, since at the time the constitution was drafted, this possibility was not contemplated. The decision that Murphy and her colleagues won became the basis for interpreting the constitution to reflect changing social conditions and values.*

    It would be much appreciated.

  • what about Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton she fought against slavery and started an orphanage that is still running to this day. The Private Orphanage Eliza Hamilton Helped Start Still Provides Counseling And Services To 5,000 Families A Year. Eliza Hamilton Also Established The First School In The Washington Heights Neighborhood Of Manhattan.

  • great website tho

  • I agree with Jack, I also really enjoy Helen Keller, but…. who else it team Cleopatra 😀

  • A BIG NAME MISSING IS MARIA MONTESSORI

  • Another vote for helen keller here 🙂

    Great website by the way

  • I think there is plenty women were you unable to add, please next time add them.

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