Pioneers: 20 Women Who Broke Down All Kinds of Barriers

Enheduanna lived in ancient Mesopotamia around 2300 B.C.; she is generally considered the first known female author. A high priestess and poet, her religious writings were linked to devotion, authority, and public life.

Sobekneferu reigned over Egypt toward the end of the 12th Dynasty, officially assuming the role of pharaoh rather than appearing merely as a queen alongside a king. Her reign was brief, and the sources that have survived are scarce, making certain details difficult to ascertain. Nevertheless, her place in history is beyond doubt. She exercised royal power in one of the major kingdoms of the ancient world, and she did so in her own right.

Wu Zetian rose through the ranks of the Tang court before proclaiming herself empress in 690. She remains the only woman in Chinese history to have reigned under that title in her own right. Her reign was ambitious, authoritarian, and often controversial. Subsequent historians have not always been lenient toward her, which speaks volumes about the unease caused by a woman in power. 

In the 1850s, Elizabeth Smith Miller helped make women’s clothing a social reform issue. Her shorter skirt and loose-fitting pants were practical and comfortable, but they still shocked those who believed that women’s clothing should adhere to certain standards.

Hélène de Pourtalès competed in the sailing event at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, the year women made their debut in the modern Olympic Games. As a member of the winning Swiss crew, she became the first female Olympic champion.

Charlotte Cooper won the Olympic title in women’s singles tennis at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris. This victory made her the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual event. She was already an accomplished tennis player, but this Olympic victory added a new chapter to her career.

Alice Coachman won the high jump at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, becoming the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She grew up in the American South, where segregation was rampant and Black athletes often lacked access to adequate training facilities and the necessary support.

Kathrine Switzer ran the 1967 Boston Marathon as an officially registered participant, listing her initials on the registration form. During the race, an official tried to force her off the course. She crossed the finish line anyway, making that moment one of the most memorable images in the history of running.

In the 1840s, Ada Lovelace worked on concepts for a proposed calculating machine. Her notes described a step-by-step procedure that the machine could follow, which is why she is often considered the first computer programmer.

Elizabeth Blackwell received her medical degree in 1849, becoming the first woman in the United States to achieve this feat. Her admission to medical school had initially been met with skepticism, almost as if it were a joke, which makes her achievement all the more remarkable. After graduating, she paved the way for other women in the field of medicine.

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler received her medical degree in 1864, becoming the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. After the Civil War, she treated former slaves in Richmond, Virginia, at a time when such care was desperately needed.

Arabella Mansfield was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 1869, even though the law had been drafted with male candidates in mind. This admission made her the first woman to be admitted to the practice of law in the United States.

Jeannette Rankin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916, even before many American women had the right to vote guaranteed. A suffragist and pacifist, she later became known for voting against both world wars. Whether people admired her or disagreed with her, she paved the way for women to carve out a place for themselves among national lawmakers.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike became Prime Minister of Ceylon—now Sri Lanka—in 1960. She was thus the first woman in the world to hold that office. Her rise to power followed her husband’s assassination, but her political career took on a much greater scope than that initial start. She served several terms and proved that a woman could lead a modern government.

Bessie Coleman wanted to fly, but American flight schools refused to train her. To overcome this obstacle, she went to France, where she earned her pilot’s license in 1921.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart flew solo across the Atlantic, completing the journey from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland in about 15 hours. This flight made her the first woman to make this solo crossing.

Sabiha Gökçen trained as a military pilot in Turkey in the 1930s and is recognized as the world’s first female fighter pilot. At the time, aviation was still a new, dangerous field largely dominated by men. Her career paved the way for women to make their mark in one of the most exclusive fields imaginable.

Valentina Tereshkova flew aboard Vostok 6 in 1963, becoming the first woman to go into space. She spent nearly three days in orbit around Earth. Before being selected, she had worked in a textile factory and trained as an amateur skydiver.

Junko Tabei reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1975, becoming the first woman to set foot on the world’s highest peak. She led an all-female expedition and survived an avalanche during the climb. Junko Tabei went on to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents.

Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize when she shared the prize in physics in 1903. She later won a second Nobel Prize, in chemistry, becoming the first person to receive two. Her research helped transform modern science, particularly through her study of radioactivity.