There are Very important women that have Played a very important role in history, from his contribution to art to politics, which for a long time was considered the prerogative of men.
As women have never held positions of power, so it is important to remember the pioneers, whose efforts have made possible everything we enjoy today.
You may also like she is ready Of famous women of the present time and of history.
List of the 20 most important women
1- Mytilene Sappho
"Does the restless heart burn again? / Who do you intend to entangle in soft
Tie of loves? Who does your net avoid, / Miser Sappho?"
(Hymn in honor of Aphrodite)
These stanzas were written by Sappho of Mytilene or Sappho of Lesbos, famous Greek poet who was included in the «nine lyric poets». He lived in the VII / VI centuries BC in Ancient Greece.
Although there is not much information about his life, his poems have been preserved over time. The specialists consider that he was member of the thiasos poetic society.
In his poems he speaks of unrequited love and also of love between women. Sappho founded the House of the Servants of the Muses. In this school women were taught to declaim, flower arrangements and other arts. The only poem that was completely preserved is the Hymn in honor of Aphrodite.
2- Cleopatra
"Cleopatra died at the age of thirty-nine, of which twenty-two had reigned, and had ruled with Antonio more than fourteen."
(Life of Marco Antonio, Plutarch)
Cleopatra was one of the most important rulers of her time, who knew how to use her intelligence and the people around her to gain power. More than once he had to marry his brothers and seduce enemy powers, such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
Thanks to their relations, this one could control the Egyptian policy besides maintaining a peaceful relation with the Romans. Cleopatra knew several languages, plus she had knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, music and other sciences and arts.
In losing her political allies, Cleopatra preferred death, to be imprisoned in Rome. During his reign, Egypt culturally influenced Rome, where the calendar of Canopus (Julian) was adopted and the cult of the Egyptian goddess Isis was practiced.
3- The Trung Sisters
"When the enemy is at the door, the woman goes out to fight."
(Famous vietnamese phrase"giac den nha, dan ba cung danh")
The Trưng sisters, Trưng Trắc (側 側) and Trưng Nhị (貳 貳), are national heroes of the Vietnamese people. They fought against the Chinese invasion in the first century during the Han Dynasty.
These sisters began by liberating their hometown from the Chinese invasion and then continued the struggle and ended up liberating 65 citadels from the Chinese. They resisted the counterattack of China for 3 years and were regents of Nanyue, which became the center of the rebellion.
To this day, the two sisters who rode elephants are considered a symbol of the nation.
4- Empress Wu
"To be declared Empress, Empress Wu strangled her own daughter; His willingness to crush his own flesh and blood showed how great his vicious and vile nature was, even though this performance is nothing more than what bad, jealous women could do."
(The Book of Tang)
Despite being described as a cruel and soulless monarch, Empress Wu was undoubtedly an exceptional policy. She was named empress and regent in Ancient China and also founded her own dynasty, which she called Zhōu.
It is considered that the harsh criticism of the Chinese chroniclers to its policy is due to the fact that to have been named empress it scandalized the men of the time. This fact violated the rules of Confucius. The Empress supported Buddhism and used religion as a way of legitimizing her mandate. He attacked the Mongol nomads and also introduced new characters to the Chinese alphabet.
5- Lubna
"Among the clerks of the palace are Lubna and Fatima, secretaries of the caliph, well versed in grammar and poetry."
(Margarita Bernis, Spanish-Arab Science)
According to the chronicles of the Arab philosopher Ibn Bashkuwal, Lubna had excellent knowledge of mathematics, grammar, and other sciences. She was one of the most important figures of the palace and served as secretary of the Caliph and copyist.
In addition, it is considered that led during a time the real library of Cordova that counted on more than half million volumes. Together with his colleague Fatima, they worked during the governments of Abderramán III and his successor Alhakén II.
6 - Eleanor of Aquitaine
"It was believed that from that time the Queen would have established her court at Poitiers, surrounded by troubadours, poets, and literati, to reign in her the"courtesy"as patroness of letters and arts."
(Flori, J. Leonor of Aquitaine, The Rebel Queen)
Leonor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful queens of the Middle Ages. He was monarch of two nations: of France, when marrying with Louis VIII and of England, when marrying with Henry II.
He inherited from his father the region of Aquitaine, one of the largest and most important of the time. It was criticized by the clergy of the time for its little feminine attitudes.
It is considered to have played an important role in the recruitment of men to participate in the Crusades. Her marriage to her first husband was annulled. Then he married his second husband.
He had 10 children, including Ricardo Corazón de León. He was very active politically and supported his children to obtain the throne in France as in England.
7- Joan of Arc
"He said that, since he was thirteen, he had the revelation of Our Lord through a voice that taught him to use it."
(Georges Duby, Andrée Duby The processes of Joan of Arc)
The maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc was a heroine Fance, who led the French army in the Battle of Patay and other clashes during the Hundred Years War. Despite her youth, she convinced King Charles VII that it was necessary to expel the English from France.
She was burned alive and judged by the voices she said she heard and because she declared that she had been chosen to lead the French in their struggle. Of course, the decision to burn her at the stake was also influenced by the political situation of the time.
Years after her death she was declared a saint and then Patron Saint of the French people.
8- Catalina de Medici
"Madame, my daughter, I have heard from some who have come from Spain that your ladies do not get along, and that Madame de Vineux wants to intervene at all costs in your affairs, something that I find incredibly bad..."
(Letters of Catalina de Medici, T. 1)
Catherine de Medici had no political influence during the government of her husband, but when he died, she successively handled the affairs of the state during the reigns of her three children: Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III.
Catherine ruled during a time of internal instability due to the religious wars that took place throughout Europe. His entire government was marked by desperate measures to keep his family in power. It is considered that she was the most influential woman of Century XVI. His letters to his children, friends and enemies show his ambition and cold blood when making decisions.
9- Isabel I
"Come live with me and know my love, / and we will try all the pleasures
That the mountains, the valleys and the fields, / and the abrupt summits offer us".
(Christopher Marlowe, The Passionate Pastor of His Love)
Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are just some of the great representatives of the Elizabethan era. Thanks to the political stability and relative peace between Catholics and Protestants achieved by Queen Elizabeth I, England enjoyed a period of stability and development that allowed them to defeat the Incredible Navy, to discover new territories in the new world, to impose itself as a maritime empire and Expand its economy.
At the end of the reign of Isabel I was also achieved the unification with Scotland. Many historians believe that the Tudor era has been the most fruitful of the country's history.
10- Catalina the Great
"Empress Catherine was German by birth, but she was the daughter of Peter the Great, not of blood but of soul."
(Visarión Belinski, Complete Works Collection)
Catherine the Great continued the legacy of Peter the Great and the course towards the Europeanization of the country. His government stood out for important reforms, in addition to its support for science and art.
Catalina maintained personal correspondence with outstanding personages of the time and was a very illustrated woman who triumphed in governing a country that was not his. It was his turn to face the rebellion of Yemelián Pugachov and the Turks.
The Russian empire extended during its mandate arriving until Crimea. He introduced vaccination and created Lomonosov State University, which to this day continues to be the most important in the country.
11- Mary Wollstonecraft
"... if women are not prepared by education to become the companion of man, they will stop the progress of knowledge and virtue, for truth must be shared by all."
(Vindication of the rights of women)
The English philosopher and writer Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the precursors of the feminist movement. His work Vindication of women's rights (1792) deals with educational, political and social issues.
Wollstonecraft defended the need for women to be educated. In his works Reflections on the education of daughters (1787) and Original stories (1788) touches themes common to the time such as etiquette and protocol.
On the other hand, the author touched on issues such as the life of single women, which was a taboo subject in society. The author met many important scientists of the time and also took part in the reflection of the intelligence of the time on the French Revolution, as evidenced by his work Vindication of the rights of man (1790).
12- Jane Austen
"The imagination of a lady goes very fast and jumps from admiration to love and from love to marriage in a moment."
(Pride and Prejudice, Chapter VI)
The works of the writer of the time of the English regency Jane Austen are classics of world literature. In his works as Pride and Prejudice Y Sense and Sensibility , Austen describes Georgian rural society and the role of women in it and in the family.
Jane Austen did not focus on describing global political facts, but rather attempted to describe moral dilemmas and how the character of a person conforms.
His description of small social groups and how they interact represents a microcosm of the life of a common person of the time.
You may be interested in learning more about this author by discovering her Best phrases .
13- Brontë Sisters
"There are millions of beings condemned to a less pleasant fate than mine at that time, and those millions live in silent protest against their fate. No one knows how many rebellions, other than politics, ferment in the minds of the people."
(Jane Eyre)
Sisters Bronte, Charlotte, Emily and Anne wrote important works for world literature, such as Jane Eyre , Agnes Gray Y Wuthering Heights . The works of the sisters were based on their experiences.
For example in Jane Eyre , Charlotte denounced the horrors of the school she attended with her brothers and the physical punishments imposed on the book were inspired by their suffering.
The Bronte sisters also addressed issues such as the life and fate of women in their time. The Bronte sisters tried to fend for themselves.
14- Marie Curie
"Science is beautiful and it is by this beauty that we must work on it, and perhaps, one day, a scientific discovery like radium, can come to benefit all mankind.."
(Marie Curie Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech)
This Polish scientist discovered, along with her husband Pierre Curie, radium and polonium and also developed the theory of radioactivity.
Marie Curie began her scientific training in Warsaw clandestinely. During World War I created radiological centers for military use.
Marie Curie was celebrated during her life as many considered that the discovery of the radio would help develop the treatment to cure cancer. He died from exposure to radioactive elements.
15- Valentina Tereshkova
'' Heaven, there I go! ''
(Words of Valentina Tereshkova before going to space)
Chosen among more than 400 candidates, Valentina Tereshkova made history by being the first woman to travel to space. When it was chosen for the mission, Tereshkova already was engineer and parachutist.
Returning from his trip to space, he continued to prepare and studied space engineering. Although it was planned to send more women into space, it took 19 years for Svetlana Savítskaya to be included in the crew to travel to space.
"The Gaviota"continued to occupy important positions in the Soviet air force and the body of cosmonauts. In addition it was dedicated to the policy occupying positions in the Russian parliament. She is the president of the non-profit foundation"Memory of Generations".
16- Golda Meir
"Your Eminence, our people have been waiting for 2000 years. Could you call that a hurry?"
(Golda Meir responds to King Abdullah II of Jordan during the interview in Amman in 1948)
Golda Meir was one of the most influential policies of the twentieth century, as it played a decisive role in establishing the State of Israel and later in its foreign and domestic policy.
During his years in politics, he faced the 7-Day War, Palestinian terrorist attacks, the massacre of the Japanese Red Army and the killing of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games. She was a tough woman who made many difficult decisions. In addition Meir was ambassador and led the Jewish Labor party for many years.
17- Simone de Beauvoir
"The child captures paternal superiority through a feeling of rivalry, while the girl suffers it with impotent admiration."
(The second sex)
Simone de Beauvoir led a lifestyle that scandalized many, but despite this, her genius and the depth of her ideas is undeniable. Your book The second sex Is considered one of the basic treatises of feminism.
But his intellectual production was not limited to feminist ideas and social problems, but he devoted himself to the study of existentialist themes, such as the perception of old age in Western society or the perception of the"I".
Next to Jean Paul Sartre , His lover and philosophical companion, founded Modern Times magazine. In his work"The ceremony of goodbye"tells about the life and work of Sartre. De Beauvoir was an icon of literature, feminism and existentialism.
18- Dorothy Hodgkin
"I once wrote a lecture at the University of Manchester called"Moments of discovery"in which he said that there are two moments that are important. This is the moment when you know that you can find the answer and there is the period when you are without sleep before you know what it is. When you already have it and you know what it is, then you can rest easy."
(Dorothy Hodgkin when interviewed by Olivia Cox-Fill)
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Dorothy Hodgkin was a pioneer in developing the technique to determine the structure of biochemical substances. The result of his years of work was the determination of the structure of insulin. Dorothy developed the technique of crystallography to determine the chemical components.
Thanks to his work, the three-dimensional structure of vitamin B12, cholesterol, suprasterol, lactoglobulin and other chemicals was determined. This discovery was important for the pharmaceutical industry and the development of new medicines.
19- Lisa Meitner
"I have nothing to do with a bomb!"
(Answer from Lise Meitner when invited to participate in the Manhattan project)
Austrian physicist Lisa Meitner was part of the scientific group, led by Otto Hahn, who discovered nuclear fusion. In spite of her important contribution to the research, since it was she who explained the phenomenon of nuclear fusion, her contributions were not recognized by the Nobel Committee, which only highlighted Otto Hahn.
On the other hand, the scientific community recognized its merits by naming a chemical element in its name:"el meitnerio". He also received the Enrico Fermi Award in the United States.
Meitner worked in different universities, such as the University of Stockholm.
20- Indira Gandhi
"To be free, women must feel free, not to rival men, but free in their capacities and personality."
(Speech The True Liberation of Women by Indira Gandhi in New Delhi in 1980)
She was president of her country in difficult times. He had to impose his point of view on a patriarchal society. Among its political achievements is the Independence of Bangladesh, industrialization and centralization of the country. Measures such as censorship of the media and a policy of birth control detracted from popularity.
Indira fought against the separatism and nationalism of the Sikhs in Panyab and in the end was betrayed and killed by her bodyguards who belonged to this ethnic group.
These leaders demonstrated that the contribution of women is invaluable to society. Although many women have not been recognized for their merits, history puts everything in its place.