The History Chicks : A Women's History Podcast

Grace Hopper started out as a curious kid who took apart every clock in the house just to see how they worked - and then carried that same energy into adulthood, where she became the woman who helped invent modern programming languages, making it possible for computers to be used by the general public.
Her work on English-based computer languages and early compilers didn’t just solve problems; it changed the direction of computer history.
She became famous all over the world as the "Queen of Code" and "Amazing Grace", and though her inventions shaped the modern digital age, she always said that her proudest achievement was all the young people that she had mentored along the way.

Join us on our Field Trip to Japan, October 1-20, 2027! For more information and to register, visit Like Minds Travel! We hope to see you there!

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This week's episode will be ready for your ears in a couple of days, but this is a quick note to let you know that the History Chicks Field Trip to Japan, October 1-10, 2027 is now open for registration! Join us as we start in Tokyo, then take the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Along the way, we'll be introduced to Japanese culture, learn about the Suffragist movement of Japan, Geisha life, sushi making, and so much more. Head to Like Minds Travel for more details and to register. We hope to see you there!

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We just got back from a brand new field trip that we have nicknamed “Helleaux Chateaux!”

Along with dozens of friends, we went on an excursion across the Loire Valley where we visited castle after castle… and met many women that we have talked about on the show: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, Catherine de medici, Marie Antoinette, and so many more… learning about others from experts as we traveled. 

A special shout out to King Francis the First who seemed to appear wherever we went - and also to Leonardo da Vinci whose home provided an afternoon of adventure.

The travelers join us for this episode to tell you about our trip! 

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Gertrude Jekyll could turn her hand to anything; deeply involved with the Arts and Crafts movement, she mastered dozens of specialties in her quest to explore the relationship between human lives and their environments.

As her eyesight failed, she turned to large scale endeavors, and changed how the world thought about gardens; turning them from formal displays into living, breathing works of art. She used color, texture, and shape like a painter on a large, ever-changing canvas.

Gertrude’s innovations within her finished gardens - and decades of written work - made her an inspiration for generations of gardeners and landscape architects. And she became one of the most influential garden designers of all time.

Registration is now open for both our September 2027 Field Trip to San Francisco, and the final night Dinner Cruise! For more information and to register, please visit Like Minds Travel! We hope to see you there!

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In this revisit from 2019, we wonder: was Annie Londonderry a flim-flam artist or a true pioneer? Maybe both? Her trip around the world on a bicycle may have been controversial - but she was always up for both an adventure and a tall tale.

For information and to register for the recently opened spots on our upcoming (as in early October, 2026, it's coming up fast) Field Trip to Italy, or any of our upcoming Field Trips, visit ⁠Like Minds Travel!⁠

For links and codes to all our generous advertisers, please visit our website, ⁠TheHistoryChicks.com⁠

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Virginia Hall wanted to be a diplomat, but the State Department kept shutting doors in her face …and then she lost her leg in a hunting accident, which seemed like she’d reached a dead end. Never one to accept defeat, she learned how to walk again on a wooden leg nicknamed “Cuthbert,” and headed straight into the world of espionage.
Once she got to France, she ran circles around the Nazi intelligence services during WW2. The Gestapo actually called her “the most dangerous Allied agent in France”; her actions, and those of her compatriots, changed the course of the war.

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Rosa Bonheur was a wild, animal‑obsessed kid who drew before she could read, and knew she was meant for the world of art from an extremely young age.

She didn’t set out to shock anyone; she simply refused to be anything but herself, and the world eventually had to adjust to her. She famously wore trousers (with official police permission) so that she could study horses in stockyards and slaughterhouses, and in order to to venture up rugged mountain ranges to collect more inspiration.

She turned that dedication to pure research into some of the most influential paintings of her time.

Registration is now open for our June 2027 Field Trip to Scotland! Visit Like Minds Travel for more information and to register! We also have some openings left for our April 2027 Field Trip to Paris!

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Mercy Otis Warren’s life is one long argument for the idea that political courage isn’t just found on battlefields or in legislatures; it’s found in writing, in conversations, in friendships, and in the willingness to speak plainly (and loudly) when power grows dangerous. She believed deeply that liberty required constant vigilance, and that ordinary people, especially women, have a role to play in creating the nation’s conscience.

Join us on our April 2027 Field Trip to Paris! For more information and to register, visit Like Minds Travel. We hope to see you there!

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This is one of our favorite subjects ever! In this, we've combined both parts that originally ran in 2020 to revisit Wonder Woman, mega-episode style!

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Fifty-six travelers met in the Windy City to visit some of the subjects we've covered over the years: Bertha Palmer, Frances Glessner Lee, Anne Frank, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jane Addams, and so many more. We took a good look at our favorite history hub - the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, got up close and personal with Tiffany glass, stayed in opulent splendor at the Palmer House, and ate our weight in Chicago dogs and deep dish pizza.

We've learned a lot, and made memories we'll never forget, but the most important thing the city gave us was the friends we made along the way.

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