Hypathia | c. 350–370 – March 415 AD | Egypt | Philosophy

Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician.

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Makeda Queen of Saba | Approx. 1013 BCE to 982 BCE or roughly 960 BCE – 982 BCE / 960 BCE | Ethiopia / Yemen | Politics

The Queen of Sheba, named Bilqis in Arabic and Makeda in Geʽez, is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she brings a caravan of valuable gifts for Solomon, the fourth King of Israel and Judah. Modern historians and archaeologists identify Sheba as one of the South Arabian kingdoms which existed in present-day Yemen. However, because no trace of her has ever been found, the Queen of Sheba's existence remains disputed among historians.

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Empress Taytu Betul (1853–1918) | 1853 – 1918 | Ethiopia | Society

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Ruth William Khama | December 9, 1923 – May 22, 2002 | Botswana | Politics

She was the wife of Botswana's first president, Sir Seretse Khama, Paramount Chief of the Bamangwato tribe. She served as the inaugural First Lady of Botswana from 1966 to 1980.

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Cesaria Ebora | August 27, 1941 – December 17, 2011 | Cape Verde | Music

Cesária Évora was a singer from Cape Verde, specializing in morna, a representative genre of music from that country.

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Golda Meir | May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978 | Israel | Politics

Fourth Prime Minister of Israel.

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Indira Gandhi | November 19, 1917 – October 31, 1984 | India | Politics

5th Prime Minister of India.

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Sonia Gandhi | December 9, 1946 – Present | India | Politics

Italian-born Indian politician who married Rajiv Gandhi and later led the Indian National Congress.

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Gayatri Devi | April 2, 1905 – July 1, 2009 | India | Society

The glamorous third Maharani consort of Jaipur. Renowned as a global style icon, she was famously named one of the world's most beautiful women by Vogue and Life magazine. She was also a prominent politician and educator who championed women's rights in India.

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Forgotten Women of Malaysia | n/a | Malaysia | Society

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Shirin Ebadi | June 21, 1947 – Present | Iran | Society

Iranian Nobel laureate, lawyer, writer, teacher and former judge. Founder of the Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran.

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Sattareh Farman Farmaian | April 4, 1905 – July 4, 2012 | Iran | Society

A member of the Qajar royal family who championed social welfare and education in Iran.

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Tehmina Durrani | February 18, 1953 – Present | Pakistan | Society

A Pakistani author known for her bestselling book My Feudal Lord, artist, and women's and children's rights activist.

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Malala Yousafzai | July 12, 1997 – Present | Pakistan | Society

Pakistani education activist and youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She gained international recognition after surviving a Taliban assassination attempt in 2012 and now advocates globally for girls' education.

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Victoria Gouramma | July 4, 1841 – March 30, 1864 | India | Society

An Indian princess from the former Kingdom of Kodagu in South India and daughter of the last ruler, Vira Rajendra.

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Empress Dowager Cixi | November 29, 1835 – November 15, 1908 | China | Politics

A Manchu noblewoman who controlled the government of the late Qing dynasty as Empress Dowager and Regent.

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Anita Mui | October 10, 1963 – December 30, 2003 | Hong Kong, China | Music

Hong Kong singer and actress regarded as the "Queen of Cantopop" and one of Hong Kong's most iconic performers.

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Soong Ai-ling (宋靄齡) | July 15, 1889 – October 20, 1973 | China | Society

Wife of H. H. Kung. Together they played major roles in China's politics and foreign relations during the early twentieth century.

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Soong Ching-ling (宋慶齡) | January 27, 1893 – May 29, 1981 | China | Society

Wife of Sun Yat-sen and an influential figure in modern Chinese politics.

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Soong Mei-ling (宋美齡), Madame Chiang | March 4, 1898 – October 23, 2003 | China | Society

Wife of Chiang Kai-shek who played a major role in Chinese and Taiwanese political and diplomatic affairs.

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Amy Margaret Moore | September 4, 1908 – November 30, 2005 | Australia | Society

Australian missionary who lived and worked in Shanxi, Australia and Malaysia.

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Noor Al-Hussein, Queen of Jordan | August 23, 1951 – Present | Jordan | Society

American-born Jordanian philanthropist and activist who served as Queen of Jordan from 1978 until King Hussein's death in 1999.

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Benazir Bhutto | June 21, 1953 – December 27, 2007 | Pakistan | Politics

Pakistani politician and former prime minister. She was the first female prime minister of an Islamic nation.

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The Daughters of Genghis Khan | April 20, 1903 – September 29, 1903 | Mongolia | Politics

Daughters and nieces of Genghis Khan whose stories have largely been erased from history.

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Tsuda Umeko | December 31, 1864 – August 16, 1929 | Japan | Medicine

Japanese educator who founded Tsuda University and became one of the pioneers of women's education in Japan.

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Natsuko Higuchi (Higuchi Ichiyō) | May 2, 1872 – November 23, 1896 | Japan | Literature

Japanese writer of the Meiji era and Japan's first professional female writer of modern literature.

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Queen Parandzem and Other Queens of Armenia | n/a | Armenia | History

Collection of biographies documenting Armenian queens and noblewomen.

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Aung San Suu Kyi | June 19, 1945 – Present | Burma (Myanmar) | Politics

Leader of Myanmar's democracy movement, former parliamentarian, former State Counsellor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

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Theodora | c. 490/500 – June 28, 548 | Eastern Roman Empire | Politics

Wife of Emperor Justinian I and one of the most influential political figures of the Byzantine Empire.

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Diana Apcar | October 17, 1859 | Armenia | Politics

Author and diplomat who served as Honorary Consul to Japan and is believed to have been the first Armenian woman to hold a diplomatic post.

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Hōjō Masako (北条 政子) | 1157 – August 16, 1225 | Japan | Politics

Japanese female samurai and politician, often known as the "Nun Shogun."

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Đặng Thùy Trâm | 1942 – June 22, 1970 | Vietnam | Society

Vietnamese doctor and battlefield surgeon whose wartime diaries gained international attention after their publication in 2005.

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**Cheng Lei (*)** | 1975 – Present | Australia | Journalism

Chinese-born Australian television news anchor and business reporter who worked for CGTN and previously served as a China correspondent for CNBC.

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Ching Shih | c. 1775 – January 17, 1844 | China | Society

Chinese pirate leader who commanded one of the largest pirate fleets in history and dominated the South China Sea in the early nineteenth century.

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Empress Michiko | October 20, 1934 – Present | Japan | Society

Member of the Imperial House of Japan and Empress Emerita since May 2019. She was Empress of Japan during Emperor Akihito's reign.

Sofía, Queen of Spain | November 2, 1938 – Present | Spain | Society

Former Queen Mother of Spain.

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Maria Adelaide of Braganza | January 31, 1912 – February 24, 2012 | Portugal | Society

Princess of Braganza and member of the House of Braganza. She worked as a nurse and social assistant in Vienna. During World War II, she aided victims of bombardments and participated in anti-Nazi resistance activities, for which she was sentenced to death by the Gestapo before diplomatic intervention secured her release.

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Joan of Arc | c. 1412 – May 30, 1431 | France | Religion

French saint and national heroine.

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Angela Merkel | July 17, 1954 – Present | Germany | Politics

Former Chancellor of Germany.

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Raisa Gorbacheva | January 5, 1932 – September 20, 1999 | Russia | Society

Wife of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

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Diana Spencer | July 1, 1961 – August 31, 1997 | United Kingdom | Society

Former Princess of Wales.

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Elizabeth II | April 21, 1926 – September 8, 2022 | United Kingdom | Society

Former Queen of the United Kingdom.

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Joan, the She-Pope | 822 – 855 | Vatican | Religion

Alleged female pope and head of the Catholic Church according to medieval legend.

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Maria Montessori | August 31, 1870 – May 6, 1952 | Italy | Education

Founder of the Montessori method of education.

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Elena Ceaușescu | January 20, 1919 – December 25, 1989 | Romania | Society

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Romania and wife of Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu.

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Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova | June 6, 1872 – July 17, 1918 | Russia | Society

Last Empress of the Russian Empire.

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Queen Victoria | May 24, 1819 – January 22, 1901 | United Kingdom | Politics

Queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901.

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Marie José of Belgium | March 20, 1906 – January 27, 2001 | Italy | Politics

Queen Consort of Italy.

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Maria Teresa Farina Canivet | 1927 – 1982 | Italy | Archaeology

Archaeologist who discovered the Pilate Stone during excavations at Caesarea Maritima in 1961.

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Margaret Hilda Thatcher | October 13, 1925 – April 8, 2013 | United Kingdom | Politics

First female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, widely known as the "Iron Lady."

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Svetlana Alliluyeva | February 28, 1926 – November 22, 2011 | USSR | Society

Later known as Lana Peters, she was the only daughter of Joseph Stalin and Nadezhda Alliluyeva.

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Vita Sackville-West | March 9, 1892 – June 2, 1962 | United Kingdom | Literature

British poet, novelist, and writer. She was married to Sir Harold Nicolson.

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Lady Mary Wortley Montagu | May 15, 1689 – August 21, 1762 | United Kingdom | Literature

British aristocrat and writer known for her "Letters from Turkey," which documented Ottoman society.

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Lady Diana Cooper | August 29, 1892 – June 16, 1986 | United Kingdom | Acting

English silent-film actress, aristocrat, and prominent social figure in London and Paris.

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Sister Maria Celeste Galilei | August 16, 1600 – April 2, 1634 | Italy | Religion

Born Virginia Gamba, she was the daughter of Galileo Galilei. Her surviving letters provide valuable insight into Galileo's life and work.

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Oriana Fallaci | June 29, 1929 – September 15, 2006 | Italy | Journalism

Italian journalist, author, and political interviewer.

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Lucrezia Borgia | April 18, 1480 – June 24, 1519 | Italy | Society

Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia and former governor of Spoleto.

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Anne Frank and Margot Frank | June 12, 1929 – 1945 | Netherlands | Society

Jewish-German sisters remembered through Anne Frank's diary and as victims of the Holocaust.

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Grace Patricia Kelly | November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982 | Monaco | Society

Princess of Monaco and former American actress.

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Eva Braun | February 6, 1912 – April 30, 1945 | Germany | Society

Wife of Adolf Hitler. She married him one day before their joint suicide in Berlin in 1945.

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Marianna de Leyva y Marino (The Nun of Monza) | December 4, 1575 – January 17, 1650 | Duchy of Milan | Society

Italian nun whose controversial life inspired literary works including The Duchess of Malfi.

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Lilli Gruber | April 19, 1957 – Present | Italy | Journalism

Italian journalist, television presenter, former politician, and former Member of the European Parliament.

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Edda Mussolini Ciano | September 1, 1910 – April 8, 1995 | Italy | Politics

Daughter of Benito Mussolini and wife of Galeazzo Ciano.

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Renata Viganò | March 14, 1905 – May 23, 1976 | Italy | Literature

Italian writer and participant in the Italian Resistance, best known for L'Agnese va a morire.

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Virginia Woolf | January 25, 1882 – March 28, 1941 | United Kingdom | Literature

English writer and one of the most influential modernist authors of the twentieth century.

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Luisella von Schönberg | 1888 – 1970 | Austria | Society

Survived imprisonment in a Soviet Gulag after disappearing behind the Iron Curtain in 1945.

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Marlene Dietrich | December 27, 1901 – May 6, 1992 | Germany | Performing Arts

German-American actress and singer whose career spanned nearly seven decades.

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Sosipatra of Pergamum | First Half of the 4th Century AD | Greece | Philosophy

Greek Neoplatonic philosopher and mystic whose life was recorded by Eunapius in Lives of the Sophists.

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Women of Shakespeare's Life | n/a | United Kingdom | Society

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Giovanna d'Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi | 1478 – 1510 | Italy | Society

Italian aristocrat whose tragic life inspired literary works including The Duchess of Malfi.

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Agatha Christie | September 15, 1890 – January 12, 1976 | United Kingdom | Literature

English author renowned for her detective novels featuring Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She remains one of the best-selling authors in history.

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Alice of Battenberg | February 25, 1885 – December 5, 1969 | United Kingdom | History

Great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

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Isabella d'Este | May 18, 1474 – February 13, 1539 | Duchy of Mantua (Italy) | Politics

Marchioness of Mantua and one of the leading women of Renaissance Italy.

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Maria Callas | December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977 | Greece | Music

Greek-American soprano widely regarded as one of the greatest opera singers of the twentieth century.

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Sarah Ferguson | October 15, 1959 – Present | United Kingdom | Society

Former Duchess of York, author, spokesperson, and television personality.

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Caterina Scappi | n/a – June 20, 1643 | Malta | Society

Philanthropist who founded Malta's first hospital dedicated exclusively to women.

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Emilia Lutti | June 29, 1815 – January 7, 1882 | Italy | Literature

Italian educator who assisted Alessandro Manzoni in revising I Promessi Sposi.

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Saint Toscana of Verona | 1280 – July 14, 1343 | Italy | Society

Noblewoman and local saint who devoted her wealth and life to charitable work among the poor and sick.

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Saint Ubaldesca Taccini of Calcinaia | 1136 – 1206 | Italy | Society

Italian nun of the Order of Saint John renowned for her charitable service to the poor and sick. Numerous miracles are attributed to her.

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Fausta Terni Cialente | November 29, 1898 – March 11, 1994 | Italy | Literature

Italian novelist, journalist, and anti-fascist political activist. Winner of the Strega Prize in 1976.

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Isabella Bird | October 15, 1831 – October 7, 1904 | United Kingdom | Society

English explorer, writer, photographer, and naturalist. She was the first woman elected as a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

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Hannah Riddell | October 17, 1855 – 1932 | United Kingdom | Society

British medical missionary in Japan who devoted her life to caring for patients with Hansen's disease and founded Kaishun Hospital.

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Mary Delany | May 14, 1700 – April 15, 1788 | United Kingdom | Society

English artist, writer, and botanist best known for her paper mosaics and extensive correspondence.

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Anna Lavatelli | May 30, 1953 – Present | Italy | Literature

Italian children's author whose works have been translated into several languages. Winner of the Andersen Prize in 2005.

Women of the Sierra | n/a – Present | United States | Society

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Marina, Malintzin, Malinche | c. 1500 – c. 1529 | Mexico | Society

Interpreter, advisor, and intermediary for the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.

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Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard | December 28, 1816 – July 25, 1897 | United States | Society

Also known as E. P. W. Packard, she was an American advocate for the rights of women and people perceived to have mental illness. She was wrongfully committed to an asylum by her husband, who claimed that she had been insane for more than three years.

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Anna Anderson (Franziska Schanzkowska) | December 16, 1896 – February 12, 1984 | United States | Society

She claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia. Anastasia, the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra, was executed with her family during the Russian Revolution, though uncertainty surrounding her remains fueled Anderson's claim for decades.

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**Tara Westover (*)** | September 27, 1986 – Present | United States | Literature

American memoirist, essayist, and historian. Westover was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2019.

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Madeleine Korbel Albright | May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022 | United States | Politics

American politician and diplomat who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton. She was the first woman to hold the position and became known as the "Titanium Woman."

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Doris Kearns Goodwin | January 4, 1943 – Present | United States | Journalism

American biographer, historian, former sports journalist, and political commentator. She has written numerous biographies of U.S. presidents.

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**Grace Moore (*)** | December 5, 1898 – January 26, 1947 | United States | Music

American operatic lyric soprano and actress known as the "Tennessee Nightingale." Her films helped popularize opera by bringing it to a wider audience. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in One Night of Love. Moore died in a plane crash in 1947. Her autobiography, You're Only Human Once, was published in 1944, and a film based on her life, So This Is Love, was released in 1953.

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Margaret MacDonald | February 26, 1873 – September 7, 1948 | Canada | Society

Canadian military nurse who served during the Second Boer War and the First World War. As Matron-in-Chief of the Canadian Army Medical Corps Nursing Service, she became the first woman in the British Empire to be promoted to the rank of major and received both the Royal Red Cross and the Florence Nightingale Medal.

Evita Perón | May 7, 1919 – July 26, 1952 | Argentina | Politics

Former First Lady of Argentina.

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Eliza Alice Lynch | November 19, 1833 – July 25, 1886 | Uruguay | Society

Irish-born companion and wife of Francisco Solano López, President of Paraguay.

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**Isabel Allende (*)** | August 2, 1942 – Present | Chile | Literature

Chilean writer and one of the most widely read Spanish-language authors in the world.

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Anita Garibaldi | August 30, 1821 – August 4, 1849 | Brazil | Society

Brazilian revolutionary and heroine of the Italian unification movement.

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Rigoberta Menchú Tum | January 9, 1959 – Present | Guatemala | Society

Guatemalan human rights activist, feminist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

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Juana del Pino y Vera | December 28, 1786 – December 14, 1841 | Argentina | Society

Daughter of Joaquín del Pino, Viceroy of the Río de la Plata, and wife of Bernardino Rivadavia, the first President of Argentina. She became the first First Lady of Argentina.

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Manuelita Rosas | May 24, 1817 – September 17, 1898 | Argentina | Society

Commonly known as Manuelita de Rosas, she was an Argentine personality and political activist, and the influential daughter of Juan Manuel de Rosas and Encarnación Ezcurra.

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Regina Pacini de Alvear | January 6, 1871 – September 18, 1965 | Argentina | Music

Portuguese lyric soprano and First Lady of Argentina as the wife of President Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear.

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María Estela Martínez de Perón | February 4, 1931 – Present | Argentina | Politics

Argentine politician who served as President of Argentina from 1974 to 1976.

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Encarnación Ezcurra | March 25, 1795 – October 20, 1838 | Argentina | Politics

Argentine political activist and wife of Juan Manuel de Rosas. She was one of her husband's strongest supporters and played a central role in Argentine politics during his absence. She was the driving force behind the Revolution of the Restorers and became associated with the Mazorca, a political organization that functioned as a secret police force.