The Jane Austen You Never Knew
Happy 250th birthday Jane Austen! Here’s some trivia about the life and work of one the greatest novelists of all time.
Women in History
Great and Impactful Black Authors You Might Not Know About
In honor of Black History Month, here are some overlooked and under-heralded African-American writers and authors.
5 Notable Hispanic-American Inventors to Celebrate This Hispanic Heritage Month
By Brian Boone September 15 to October 15 marks National Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s a way to honor and elevate the contributions of U.S. citizens and residents with a Hispanic or Latin American background. Here then are some Hispanic and Latine inventors and scientists who changed the world with their creations and developments. ALEJANDRO ZAFFARONI […]
An Earth Day Origin Story
Good news: This entire article is 100 percent planet-friendly! Here’s how we got a holiday celebrating the environment and arguing for its preservation. SILENT SPRING Author and biologist Rachel Carson won a National Book Award for The Sea Around Us, one of three 1950s bestsellers about the ocean. As the years wore on, she observed continually […]
Babe Was the Best
In honor of Women’s History Month, here’s a look at the accomplishments of Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias, who just might be the greatest American athlete who ever lived — regardless of sex or gender. AAU An All-American in high school basketball, Didrikson found her first job after graduation with a Dallas insurance company…who hired her […]
Why is Susan B. Anthony So Famous?
You probably know that Susan B. Anthony had something to do with getting women the right to vote in the United States—the 19th Amendment guaranteeing such was ratified in August 1920—but do you know how she did it and what, exactly, she did? See below and take a look at her Show Me History biography, Susan […]
Why is Amelia Earhart Famous?
The name is familiar, and it looms large in American history books. Here’s specifically what Amelia Earhart did, and why she’s so important and notable.
Busting the Myths About Sacagawea
In May 1804— 218 years ago this month — Sacagawea departed with the expedition headed by William Clark and Meriweather Lewis, a great trek to explore the Louisiana Purchase, which would become the western United States. Those are the facts — here are some other well-known things about Sacagawea that just aren’t true, no matter […]
8 Things You Didn’t Know About Helen Keller
In the early 20th century, Helen Keller was one of the most famous people on the planet. She toured around the world, gave personal experiences, wrote books, and advocated for social change, all despite being without sight or the ability to hear. Here are some little-known facts about Keller. • Helen Keller was not born […]
8 Things You Didn’t Know About Harriet Tubman
Many northern states banned slavery by the mid-1800s, but the immensely ugly practice continued in the South, ended only after presidential action, a constitutional amendment, and a Civil War. Until that point, enslaved Americans fleeing the South did so with the assistance of the Underground Railroad, a secret network that got people safely into the […]
Famous Female Firsts (That Aren’t So Famous)
Here are the stories of some women who broke down barriers and literally changed the world. Hannah Slater received a patent in 1793 for a new type of cotton thread that made textile manufacture simpler and faster. That enabled her husband to develop a textile business, but Slater goes down in history as the first […]
Little-Known Moments in Women’s Suffrage History
In June 2020 — 100 years ago —women won the right to vote in all elections in the United States. It took an exceedingly long time, with a lot of progress made over more than 15 decades. 1646: Only property owners at the time could vote, and lawyer Margaret Brent attempts to cast a vote […]
The First American Women in Charge
Here’s a look at some of the women who broke the glass ceiling in American politics and became the first females to hold important offices. First elected female mayor In 1887, women in Kansas attained the right to vote and run for office. That year, the town of Argonia held its elections; mayor was on […]
