25+ Women Who Shattered Stereotypes and Changed the World

Women in the United States have a rich history of advocating for equality, from Abigail Adams’ plea to her husband to remember women in governance to modern milestones like Hillary Clinton’s historic nomination for president. While progress has been made, barriers remain, and the fight for equality continues.

March 31, 1776: A Bold Letter

In a letter to her husband, Founding Father John Adams, future first lady Abigail Adams urges him and the Continental Congress to prioritize the rights of women, warning against unchecked power for husbands and emphasizing the need for female representation in lawmaking. She asserts that if women continue to be disregarded, they will take action, refusing to abide by laws in which they have no say.

July 19-20, 1848: The Declaration of Sentiments

The Seneca Falls Convention, the inaugural women’s rights assembly led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott in New York, gathers 300 participants. Among them, 68 women and 32 men, including Frederick Douglass, sign the Declaration of Sentiments. This pivotal document ignites a wave of activism, culminating in the eventual ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote.

January 23, 1849: Elizabeth Blackwell’s milestone

Elizabeth Blackwell achieves a historic milestone as the first woman to graduate from medical school and practice as a doctor in the United States. Born in Bristol, England, she earns her medical degree from Geneva College in New York, graduating with top honors in her class.

May 29, 1851: “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Sojourner Truth, a former enslaved worker turned abolitionist and women’s rights activist, delivers her powerful “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. In her address, she challenges the audience to recognize her humanity and womanhood, recounting her experiences of hard labor, motherhood, and suffering under slavery. Though contemporaneous reports did not include the specific phrase “Ain’t I a Woman?”, it later became associated with Truth’s speech, despite her being a New Yorker and not having a Southern accent as falsely portrayed.

Dec. 10, 1869: Wyoming passes suffrage law

The Wyoming Territory legislature passes the first woman suffrage law in the United States, granting women the right to vote and hold office. When Wyoming becomes the 44th state to join the Union in 1890, it also becomes the first state to officially allow women to vote.

May 15, 1869: The National Woman Suffrage Association

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton establish the National Woman Suffrage Association, a pivotal organization in coordinating the national suffrage movement. Later, in 1890, they merge their group with the American Woman Suffrage Association to form the influential National American Woman Suffrage Association.

October 16, 1916: The first birth control clinic

Margaret Sanger inaugurates the first birth control clinic in the United States, situated in Brownsville, Brooklyn. However, due to the prohibition of birth control under the “Comstock Laws,” the clinic faces legal challenges, leading to its closure after being raided on October 26, 1916. Despite subsequent closures due to legal threats, Sanger establishes the American Birth Control League in 1921, laying the groundwork for what would evolve into Planned Parenthood.

April 2, 1917: Jeannette Rankin of Montana is elected to Congress

Jeannette Rankin of Montana, a dedicated activist with the National Woman Suffrage Association, makes history as the first woman elected to Congress, serving as a member of the House of Representatives.

Aug. 18, 1920: “The Susan B. Anthony Amendment”

The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote, is ratified, stating, “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” It earns the nickname “The Susan B. Anthony Amendment” in recognition of Anthony’s tireless advocacy for women’s suffrage.

May 20-21, 1932: The first woman to fly solo

Amelia Earhart achieves a historic milestone by becoming the first woman, and only the second pilot after Charles Lindbergh, to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean.

February 16, 1945: The Alaska Equal Rights Act

The Alaska Equal Rights Act is signed into law, marking the first state or territorial anti-discrimination legislation passed in the United States during the 20th century. Elizabeth Peratrovich, a Tlingit woman and Grand President of the Alaska Native Sisterhood, leads the campaign to combat discrimination against Alaska Natives and other non-white residents.

Dec. 1, 1955: Rosa Parks

Black seamstress Rosa Parks refuses to yield her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, igniting the civil rights movement.

May 9, 1960: Sanger’s pill

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants approval for the world’s first commercially produced birth control pill, offering women the ability to manage their reproductive choices. Margaret Sanger, with financial support from heiress Katherine McCormick, initially commissioned the development of “the pill.”

June 10, 1963: Equal Pay Act

President John F. Kennedy enacts the Equal Pay Act, which outlaws wage discrimination based on sex, ensuring equal pay for men and women who perform the same work in the same establishment.

July 2, 1964: Civil Rights Act

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act into law, including Title VII, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, or sex.

June 30, 1966: NOW

Betty Friedan, author of “The Feminine Mystique” in 1963, plays a pivotal role in the founding of the National Organization for Women (NOW). NOW is dedicated to grassroots activism, advocating for feminist principles, combating discrimination, and securing equal rights for all women and girls across social, political, and economic spheres.

June 23, 1972: Title IX of the Education Amendments

President Richard Nixon signs Title IX of the Education Amendments into law, stating that no individual in the United States shall be excluded from participation in, denied benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, based on sex.

Jan. 22, 1973: Roe v. Wade

In the landmark 7-2 decision of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court establishes that the Constitution safeguards a woman’s legal right to abortion. However, in June 2022, the Supreme Court reverses this ruling.

Sept. 20, 1973: Battle of the Sexes

In the iconic “Battle of the Sexes,” tennis legend Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in straight sets during a highly publicized exhibition match broadcast on primetime TV, attracting a staggering 90 million viewers. Following the match, King reflects on its significance, stating, “I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that match. It would ruin the women’s [tennis] tour and affect all women’s self-esteem.”

July 7, 1981: The first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court

Sandra Day O’Connor makes history as the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, taking her oath of office administered by President Ronald Reagan. She retires in 2006 after serving on the Court for 24 years.

June 18 1983: Sally Ride travels to space

Sally Ride makes history by becoming the first American woman to travel to space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.

July 12, 1984: A woman is nominated for vice president

Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale selects U.S. Rep. Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his running mate, marking the first time a woman is nominated for vice president by a major party.

March 12, 1993: Clinton’s choice

Upon nomination by President Bill Clinton, Janet Reno assumes office as the inaugural female Attorney General of the United States following her swearing-in.

Jan. 23, 1997: The first female Secretary of State

Appointed by President Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright takes the oath of office as the first female Secretary of State in the nation’s history.

Sept. 13, 1994: Violence Against Women Act

President Clinton signs the Violence Against Women Act as a component of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. This legislation allocates funding for programs aimed at supporting victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, stalking, and other forms of gender-based violence.

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Jan. 4, 2007: The first female Speaker of the House

U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) makes history as the first female Speaker of the House. In 2019, she reclaims the position, becoming the first lawmaker to hold the office twice in over 50 years.

Jan. 24, 2013: Women in service

The U.S. military lifts the ban on women serving in combat positions.

July 26, 2016: Hillary runs for President

Hillary Clinton achieves a historic milestone as the first woman to secure a presidential nomination from a major political party. In her speech at the Democratic National Convention, she reflects, “Standing here as my mother’s daughter, and my daughter’s mother, I’m so happy this day has come.”

January 20, 2021: Vice President Harris

Kamala Harris makes history by being sworn in as the first woman and first woman of color Vice President of the United States. Following her election in November, Harris remarked, “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last.”

Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, achieved several historic milestones before becoming Vice President. She served as California’s first Black female Attorney General and won a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2016. Despite an unsuccessful presidential bid, she was later chosen by former Vice President Joe Biden as his running mate.

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