140 Items Tagged

Women's History

San Francisco, California

Mary Ellen Pleasant Memorial Park

One of the smallest parks in San Francisco honors the legacy of the "Mother of Civil Rights in California."

In 1938, Elzada Clover (first row, second from left) and Lois Jotter (first row, second from right) were the first non-Indigenous women to raft the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

The Historic Grand Canyon Adventure Two Women Had For Science

Botanists Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter braved rapids and steep cliffs to catalog numerous plant species.

Sarah Durn May 29, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

military history

Puzzle Monday: War Heroes Crossword

AO Puzzles May 1, 2023

This tribute to Manuela Beltrán stands in Socorro. It has long been believed that Beltrán, a town merchant, tore up a Spanish edict in the town square, sparking the Colombian Comuneros Revolt of 1781.

Manuela Beltrán Is a Colombian Hero. What If She Never Existed?

Historians have found little evidence of the revolutionary icon.

Juliana Castro Varón April 28, 2023

Chemist and physicist Marie Curie works in the lab with her husband Pierre in 1896. Curie would go on to win two Nobel prizes for her groundbreaking research on radioactivity.

Marie Curie As You’ve Never Met Her Before

The world’s first two-time Nobel Laureate was a nerd’s nerd who broke the law for knowledge.

Sarah Durn April 20, 2023

Interor central view towards ground floor

Toronto, Ontario

Lillian H. Smith Toronto Public Library

This historic library honors the legacy of the British Empire's first children's librarian.

Before joining the Central Luzon Huks as Commander Liwayway, Remedios Gomez-Paraiso was known in her rural town for her poise and beauty.

military history

Commander Liwayway and Other Filipino Women Who Fought During World War II

The “Huk Amazons” were military commanders, leaders, soldiers, spies, and more.

Sarah Durn March 29, 2023

Rochester, Michigan

Meadow Brook Hall

This museum was once the home of industry titan Matilda Dodge Wilson.

An all-women team of aquanauts was a novelty in 1970. Pictured from left to right: Ann Hartline, Sylvia Earle, Renate True, Alina Szmant, and Peggy Lucas Bond.

The Forgotten Women Aquanauts of the 1970s

These scientists spent weeks underwater doing research—and convincing NASA women could also go into space.

Amy Crawford March 24, 2023

8 Stories of Women Making History Right Now

This Women's History Month, we celebrate women doing extraordinary things all over the world.

April White March 17, 2023

A bar in Philadelphia that still keeps its “Ladies Entrance” sign.

The Feminist History Behind the Ladies' Entrance

There's a story behind these hidden pub snugs and saloon doors.

Diana Hubbell March 13, 2023

Pastor Sir Douglas & Lady Gladys Nicholls Memorial

Melbourne, Australia

Pastor Sir Douglas & Lady Gladys Nicholls Memorial

This 2008 memorial commemorates two leading Aboriginal Australian rights activists.

This colossal freedom statue stands in front of Nigeria's Badagry Heritage Museum in Lagos State. Badgery, a small town near Nigeria's border with Benin, was the site of a large slave port.

The Untold Stories of the Women Who Led Slave Revolts

Their inspiring acts of resistance were ignored or erased for centuries—until now.

Sarah Durn March 9, 2023

There's still much scholars don't know about Villa. Even the exact year of her death remains a mystery.

The Female Architect Behind Buenos Aires's Underground Necropolis

Ítala Fulvia Villa oversaw the building of the colossal Sixth Pantheon—but history nearly erased her contributions.

Daniel Maurer March 8, 2023

Temnodontosaurus platyodon skull at the Lyme Regis Museum.

11 Museums Dedicated to Extraordinary Women

From scientists to suffragists, these women made a mark on history.

Jonathan Carey March 7, 2023

The 6888th Battalion was led by 26-year-old Major Charity Adams Earley, the first Black woman to become an officer in the Women’s Army Corps.

military history

The Little Known History of World War II's All-Black, All-Female Battalion

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion helped connect soldiers on the front lines with their families back home.

Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing February 14, 2023

Same-sex “smashes” or “crushes” — ranging from one-sided adoration to mutual devotion — were common at women’s colleges in Victorian America.

In the Victorian Era, Valentine’s Day Was a Celebration of Same-Sex Romance

Such "smashes" were encouraged when women were considered "passionless."

Anya Jabour February 14, 2023

Reykjavik, Iceland

Ingibjörg H. Bjarnason Statue

The first woman to become a member of the parliament of Iceland.