Throughout history, there have been many successful and amazing men, but what about all the amazing women? Here are 8 women all the way from 500 BC to modern day that you probably haven't heard of!
1. Beatrice de Luna
Gracia Mendes Nasi was a businesswoman and one of the wealthiest Jewish women in the 16th century. She single-handedly saved hundreds of other Jews from the Inquisition by creating an escape network. She also helped her family have dealings with not only the King of France, but also the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and multiple Popes.
2. Katherine Johnson
The awesome African-American woman whose mathematical genius shaped the first manned space flight. Before she worked for NASA, she taught in African-American dominated schools. She decided to pursue mathematics and became a very influential person in NASA.
3. Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) was an amazingly talented woman who was known as the "Lady with the Lamp" during the Crimean War, where she saved the lives of many wounded soldiers. She changed how women in nursing roles were viewed. She also led social reform in areas like: prostitution laws, health care for British society, hunger relief in India, and females in workplaces.
4. Agnes Smedley
Agnes Smedley was an American journalist who published six books in her lifetime. She was the lover of a Soviet spy, and was believed to be a spy herself in China. During her life, she also worked on many things like birth control, women's rights, and children's welfare.
5. Margaret Cavendash
Margaret Cavendish was an extremely talented writer of the 17th century, as well as an aristocrat, philosopher, and scientist. She wrote one of the earliest science-fiction books; she also published her books under her own name, unlike the vast majority of women writers in her time.
6. Hurrem Sultan
Hurrem Sultan was the favorite wife of Sultan Süleyman I, and she used his love for her to gain political power and influence in the court. She acted as her husbands Chief Adviser and helped him run the Ottoman Empire. She was one of the most influential women in the entire Empire.
7. Ching Shih
Ching Shih was a powerful pirate in the early 19th century who led around 20,000 to 40,000 men, women, and children. When her husband died, she took his leadership position on the 'Red Flag Fleet' and personally antagonized the British Empire, Portuguese Empire, and Qing Dynasty.
8. Xi Shi
Xi Shi was one of the most beautiful women in the history of China, known as the 'Four Beauties of China'. There is a tale of her being so beautiful, that when fish saw her, they were so enticed by her beauty that they swam to the surface and died from looking at her so long. She was trained as a weapon by the King of Yue and sent to the harem of the King of Wu. There, she tricked the King of Wu with her beauty, making him forget all about his kingdom and eventually making it fall under the kingdom of Yue.
