In the last century, women all over the world have made a tremendous amount of progress. Though feminism and women's empowerment still has more room to grow and expand, one can't deny that over the years, women have made their mark on the world in more ways than one.
Here, we have compiled 25 women and women's groups that changed the world with their actions - some of them by taking a stand against military oppression, and some of them by just wearing whatever they liked. No matter how big or small, their actions can't be ignored.Learn about them below and prepare to be inspired.
During the liberation of Paris, Simone Segouin served as a French Résistance fighter.
Margaret Bourke-White climbing the Chrysler Building in 1934. Bourke-White was one of the first prominent female photographers.
Leola N. King, directing traffic in Washington D.C. in 1918. King was America's first female traffic officer.
Japanese suffragist Komako Kimura, at a 1917 march in New York City.
Elspeth Beard, the world's first woman to travel the world by motorcycle. The trip took three years, and in that time, Beard covered 48,000 miles.
Smith College's first women's basketball team in 1902.
Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel in 1926.
Marina Ginesta, a 17-year-old communist militant that fought during the Spanish Civil War.
Female volunteers who chose to learn how to fight fires at Pearl Harbor.
Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly an aircraft across the Atlantic.
The two women who showed Toronto their bare legs, the first time a woman's legs were seen in public.
Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. She completed the race, even though the marathon organizers tried to stop her.
Voting activist Annie Lumpkins, who was put in a jail in Little Rock for her attempt to vote.
Software engineer Margaret Hamilton. Hamilton was the lead on the Apollo Project, and she wrote the code that would be used to take the first astronauts to the moon.
The first women's league roller derby skaters in 1950.
Annette Kellerman, who pushed the bar for women to have the right to wear whatever they want. Kellerman was actually arrested for "indecency" from this photo.
Maude Wagner, the first American female tattoo artist.
Sarla Thakral, the first Indian pilot. Thakral earned her pilot's license when she was 21.
Some of the first women sworn into the US Marine Corps.
Ellen O’Neal, one of the first professional female skaters.
Erika, a 15-year-old Hungarian freedom-fighter who stood against oppression from the Soviet Union.
Anna Fisher, and astronaut and the "first mother in space."
Jeanne Manford, founder of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Here, Jeanne is marching with her son at the 1972 Gay Pride Parade.
Sabiha Gökçen in 1937. Gökçen was Turkey's first female fighter pilot.
Winnie the Welder, one of 2,000 women who welded in US shipyards during World War II.
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