Encyclopedia Womannica

Olympians: Fanny Durack

Fanny Durack (1889-1956) was the first female swimmer to earn a gold medal.

Olympians: Alice Coachman

Alice Coachman (1923-2014) was the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

Olympians: Ethelda Bleibtrey

Ethelda Bleibtrey (1902-1978) was a rule breaker who overcame polio to become a three time gold medalist in swimming.

Spies: Jane Whorwood

Jane Whorwood (1612-1684) was a complicated character who repeatedly risked her life for her convictions.

Spies: Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman (c. 1820-1913) helped more than 70 people escape to the North along the Underground Railroad, then became a Union army spy and recruiter -- a hero of the Civil War.

Spies: Policarpa Salavarrieta

Policarpa Salavarrieta (c. 1795-1817), also known as "La Pola," used her position as a seamstress to spy on Spanish Royalists and send vital information to her revolutionary compatriots.

Spies: Claire Philips

Claire Philips (1907-1960) was spurred to action after seeing the horrible Japanese treatment of American prisoners of war during World War II. She used her skills as a night club hostess and entertainer to gain information and funds to help ...

Spies: Juanita Moody

Juanita Moody (1924-2015) was a cryptographer, intelligence analyst and National Security Agency executive who helped save the Western hemisphere from nuclear disaster.

Spies: Noor Inayat Khan

Noor Inayat Khan (1914-1944) was a British spy operating behind enemy lines in World War II. She also happened to be a children’s writer, pacifist, and princess.

Spies: Nancy Hart

Nancy Hart (1735-1830) was a fiery, sharp-shooting frontierswoman who outsmarted the British Loyalists at every turn.

Spies: Virginia Hall

Virginia Hall (1906-1982) was one of the most important members of the Allied efforts during World War II, though the public has only known about her exploits since the 1980s. During her most active years, she was known by German ...

Spies: Andrée de Jongh

Andrée de Jongh (1916-2007) deceived enemies with her youth and returned hundreds of Allied soldiers to their homes, repeatedly putting her life in danger to give others a chance at freedom.

Spies: Belle Boyd

Belle Boyd (1844-1890) was a Confederate spy. Nicknamed the Siren of Shenandoah and the Secesh Cleopatra, she preyed on a culture of chivalry to obtain Union secrets.

Spies: Vera Atkins

Vera Atkins (1908-2000) was a no-nonsense, skillful interrogator and spymaster. She recruited and trained hundreds of British agents to descend into enemy territory to collect intel during World War II. Through her affinity for languages and her meticulous attention to ...

In the Driver's Seat: Maggie Lena Walker

In the Driver's Seat: Elisabeth Samson

Elisabeth Samson (1715-1771) was a barrier-breaking Surinamese businesswoman who challenged nearly all of the racial and gender norms of her day.

In the Driver's Seat: Sylvia Robinson

Sylvia Robinson (1936-2011) was an American singer, record producer, and music executive, topping the R&B charts in her early years, before founding the legendary hip-hop label Sugar Hill Records.

In the Driver's Seat: Mary Ellen Pleasant

Mary Ellen Pleasant (1814-1904) was an inventive entrepreneur during the California Goldrush. A staunch abolitionist, she secretly financed one of the most famous uprisings in the lead up to the Civil War.

In the Driver's Seat: Eliza Lucas Pinckney

Eliza Lucas Pinckney (1722-1793) was an innovative businesswoman who launched a new agricultural industry.

In the Driver's Seat: Rosalía Mera

Rosalía Mera (1944-2013) was a Spanish businesswoman and entrepreneur who navigated her way from working as a child seamstress to becoming the world’s richest self-made woman and the head of a global fashion empire.

In the Driver's Seat: Fredericka Mandelbaum

Fredericka Mandelbaum (1825-1894) was one of the most well-connected illicit entrepreneurs and criminal financiers of her day.

In the Driver's Seat: Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder (1906-2004) was an undeniable titan in the cosmetics industry who built an enduring brand through innovative marketing.

In the Driver's Seat: Juanita Morris Kreps

Juanita Morris Kreps (1921-2020) was the first female director of the New York Stock Exchange and the first woman Secretary of Commerce; she dedicated her career to holding corporations to higher standards.

In the Driver's Seat: Ruth Handler

Ruth Handler (1916-2002) was the genius behind the creation of the best selling children’s toy of all time: the Barbie doll.

In the Driver's Seat: Ruth Fertel

Ruth Fertel (1927-2002) made a name for herself in the world of meat, best known as the founder of Ruth's Chris Steak Houses.