The Woman Who...

Daughter of poet, Lord Byron, Ada Lovelace studied mathematics from age four. Ada's lineage and natural brilliance put her in the company of prominent scientists. She became a colleague of mathematician Charles Babbage, who developed a computer called the Analytical Engine. Ada provided an algorithm that is considered the first computer program. Ada is seen as the first computer programmer.

Maria Mitchell was America's first professional female astronomer. In 1847, she discovered "Miss Mitchell's Comet," which won her a gold medal from the King of Denmark and instant fame. During her illustrious career, Maria added immensely to the field of astronomy, was hired as the first professor at Vassar College in 1865, and opened doors to women in science and in life.

Mary Shelley wrote the Gothic/Horror novel, Frankenstein, when she was nineteen. Although the book is one of the most famous novels ever published, Shelley long lived under the shadow of her famous poet husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mary Shelley's life was filled with triumph, love, and horrible loss. She has emerged in modern times as a gifted writer and original genius in her own right.

In 1884, Ida B. Wells was removed from a train for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman. She wrote a newspaper article reporting on her mistreatment. As an investigative journalist, Wells exposed the occurrences and causes of the lynching of black citizens in the post-Civil War South. She worked relentlessly as a crusader to improve the lives of African Americans in the United States.

Sacagawea traveled five thousand miles through wilderness with her infant son as a member of Lewis and Clark's exploration of the Louisiana Territory and trailblazing to the Pacific Ocean. Her natural skills, knowledge, and resourcefulness ensured the survival and success of the Expedition. Sacagawea is a face of the women's rights movement and one of the most honored women in American history.

Upon graduation from college, Patsy Takemoto Mink was refused admission to medical school because she was a woman. So, she went to law school. No law firm in Honolulu would hire her because she was a woman, so she ran for Congress. She was the first Asian-American woman and the first minority woman to serve. In her 14 terms, she helped pass major legislation, including the Title IX Amendment.

When Sister Plautilla Nelli entered a convent in 1548 at age 14, the friar encouraged her to paint devotional works of art. She was the first known Renaissance woman painter in Florence, Italy. Florence has the richest tradition in the world of paintings of The Last Supper. In the 1570s, Nelli added her masterwork, as the first woman to paint the subject. Giorgio Vasari called Nelli a virtuosa.