35 Famous Women in History for Kids

Inspiring kids means showing them who came before them — the bold, brilliant women who changed the world. From groundbreaking scientists to fearless activists, these 35 famous women made history and proved that confidence, courage, and creativity can make a difference. Whether they fought for civil rights, explored space, or changed the way we think about the world, their stories show what’s possible when you stand up, speak out, and follow your dreams.

Claudette Colvin (1939–Present)

At just 15 years old, Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her brave stand happened months before Rosa Parks’ more famous protest, but for years her role was largely forgotten. Today, she is recognized as a key figure in the early fight for civil rights.

Winona LaDuke (1959–Present)

Winona LaDuke is an Indigenous environmental activist, economist, and author who has spent decades protecting Native lands and natural resources. Through her work with Honor the Earth, she advocates for environmental justice and sustainable development while uplifting Indigenous voices and traditions.

Frida Kahlo (1907–1954)

Frida Kahlo used art to tell her story, turning her experiences with illness, disability, and cultural pride into world-renowned self-portraits. Her bold colors, unflinching honesty, and celebration of Mexican heritage made her one of the most famous artists of all time, inspiring generations of creators to express themselves without apology.

Diane Nash (1938–Present)

Diane Nash was a student leader who played a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement. She helped plan the Freedom Rides, organized sit-ins, and played a key role in the Selma Voting Rights Campaign. Her fearless leadership helped dismantle segregation across the South.

Malala Yousafzai (1997–Present)

Malala Yousafzai stood up for girls’ right to go to school in Pakistan, even though extremists threatened her life. After surviving an attack, she continued to speak out, becoming the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner. Through the Malala Fund, she supports girls' education globally, proving that no one is too young to make a difference.

Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson (1946–Present)

Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson is a trailblazing physicist who became the first African American woman to earn a PhD from MIT. Her groundbreaking research in particle physics led to numerous scientific advancements, and she later became the first Black woman to lead a top-ranked research university, serving as president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Madonna Thunder Hawk (1940–Present)

Madonna Thunder Hawk is a lifelong Indigenous rights activist and one of the original members of the American Indian Movement. She has fought for Native sovereignty, land protection, and environmental justice for more than 50 years. She continues to mentor the next generation of Indigenous activists through her community-based leadership and advocacy.

Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000)

Hedy Lamarr was a glamorous Hollywood actress, but her brilliance went far beyond the silver screen. During World War II, she co-invented a frequency-hopping communication system designed to protect Allied torpedoes from being jammed. Though her invention wasn’t used during the war, her technology became the foundation for modern wireless communication, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Maya Angelou (1928–2014)

Maya Angelou’s poetry, memoirs, and speeches gave voice to the experiences of Black women in America and showed how personal stories can shape national conversations about race, identity, and resilience. Her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, broke new ground and became a literary classic.

Ada Lovelace (1815–1852)

Ada Lovelace was a 19th-century mathematician whose work with inventor Charles Babbage led her to write what is considered the first computer algorithm. Long before computers even existed, Ada imagined the potential for machines to do more than calculations, making her one of the earliest visionaries in computer science.

Betty Osceola (1967–Present)

Betty Osceola is a Miccosukee environmental educator and activist who works tirelessly to protect the Florida Everglades. Through airboat tours and public protests, she educates people about the threats posed by pollution and development while emphasizing the deep cultural and spiritual connection Indigenous people have with the land.

Katherine Johnson (1918–2020)

Katherine Johnson was a brilliant mathematician whose calculations at NASA were essential to America’s first human spaceflights. She overcame racism and sexism to become a respected scientist, and her contributions were celebrated in the book and film Hidden Figures.

Trisha Shetty (1990–Present)

Trisha Shetty is a social activist from India who founded SheSays, an organization that advocates for gender equality and supports survivors of sexual violence. By combining legal advocacy with youth leadership programs, she empowers the next generation to demand a safer and fairer world.

Shirley Chisholm (1924–2005)

Shirley Chisholm made history in 1968 when she became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. Just a few years later, she became the first Black woman to run for president, boldly declaring her campaign was “unbought and unbossed.” Her life’s work focused on civil rights, education, and improving opportunities for marginalized communities.

Billie Jean King (1943–Present)

Billie Jean King is a tennis champion and a lifelong advocate for gender equality. Her historic win in the 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" match challenged stereotypes about women’s sports and her advocacy paved the way for equal pay for women athletes.

Savitribai Phule (1831–1897)

Savitribai Phule was a pioneering Indian educator and social reformer who fought to educate girls and lower-caste communities at a time when educating these groups was considered radical. She opened the first school for girls in India and spent her life challenging gender and caste discrimination, leaving a profound legacy in the fight for equal education.

Wangari Maathai (1940–2011)

Wangari Maathai was an environmentalist, political leader, and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She founded the Green Belt Movement, which has planted millions of trees across Kenya while empowering women to lead conservation efforts in their communities.

Grace Hopper (1906–1992)

Grace Hopper was a pioneering computer scientist and U.S. Navy officer who helped develop some of the earliest programming languages. She also popularized the term "debugging" after discovering a literal bug — a moth — inside a computer.

Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992)

Marsha P. Johnson was a fearless LGBTQ+ rights activist and a key figure in the gay liberation movement of the 1960s and 70s. As a Black transgender woman, she co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), an organization providing housing and support for homeless transgender youth. Her advocacy work, combined with her bold personality and compassion for her community, left a lasting legacy.

Imbolo Mbue (1982–Present)

Imbolo Mbue is a Cameroonian-American author best known for her award-winning novel Behold the Dreamers, which tells the story of two immigrant families navigating life in New York City. Her writing shines a light on economic inequality, race, and the immigrant experience.

Grace Lee Boggs (1915–2015)

Grace Lee Boggs was a Chinese American philosopher, writer, and lifelong activist who spent over 70 years fighting for labor rights, civil rights, and environmental justice. Her focus on grassroots activism and community empowerment made her a key figure in Detroit’s social justice movements and a beloved mentor to generations of organizers.

Dolores Huerta (1930–Present)

Dolores Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers and dedicated her life to improving working conditions for farmworkers. Her famous phrase, "Sí, se puede" (Yes, we can), became a rallying cry for social movements far beyond the fields.

Audre Lorde (1934–1992)

Audre Lorde was a poet, writer, and activist who explored the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in her work. Through her essays and poetry, she challenged systems of oppression while encouraging marginalized communities to embrace their identities.

Junko Tabei (1939–2016)

Junko Tabei was the first woman to summit Mount Everest and the first woman to climb the highest peak on every continent. Despite societal pressure to stay home, she formed the first women’s climbing club in Japan and proved that adventure belongs to everyone.

Camie Jae Goldhammer (1976–Present)

Camie Jae Goldhammer is a Sisseton-Wahpeton lactation consultant and activist working to reclaim Indigenous breastfeeding traditions while improving maternal and infant health in Native communities. She founded the Native American Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington and uses her platform to address historical trauma and restore cultural practices.

Deb Haaland (1960–Present)

Deb Haaland made history in 2021 as the first Native American woman to serve as a cabinet secretary in the United States. As Secretary of the Interior, she oversees public lands and works to strengthen Indigenous sovereignty. Her leadership focuses on environmental justice, conservation, and advocating for Indigenous communities across the country.

Arlene Blum (1945–Present)

Arlene Blum is a mountaineer, scientist, and environmental advocate who led the first all-women ascent of Annapurna, one of the world’s most dangerous peaks. Alongside her groundbreaking climbs, she has worked to ban harmful chemicals from consumer products, blending her love of adventure with a commitment to public health and environmental safety.

Patsy Mink (1927–2002)

Patsy Mink was the first woman of color elected to the U.S. Congress and a champion for gender equality in education. She co-authored Title IX, the landmark legislation that ensures women and girls have equal opportunities in school programs and sports. Her lifelong commitment to social justice left an indelible mark on American education.

Yuri Kochiyama (1921–2014)

Yuri Kochiyama was a Japanese American activist who spent decades fighting for civil rights, peace, and Asian American empowerment. Inspired by her own experience being incarcerated in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, she dedicated her life to supporting marginalized communities and building multiracial coalitions for justice.

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955)

Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator, civil rights leader, and political advisor who dedicated her life to improving education and opportunities for Black Americans. She founded a school for African American girls in Florida, which later became Bethune-Cookman University, and worked closely with President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of his Black Cabinet, shaping policies that supported racial equality.

Zitkála-Šá (1876–1938)

Zitkála-Šá, also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, was a Dakota writer, musician, and activist who fought to preserve Native culture while advocating for Indigenous rights. Through her writing, she exposed the harsh realities of Native boarding schools and fought for Native people’s right to self-determination and cultural preservation.

Kimberlé Crenshaw (1959–Present)

Kimberlé Crenshaw is a legal scholar and civil rights advocate who introduced the concept of intersectionality. Her work explains how race, gender, class, and other aspects of identity combine to shape how people experience the world. Her ideas have helped shift how we understand discrimination and have been used by activists, lawyers, and educators around the world.

Bessie Coleman (1892–1926)

Bessie Coleman was the first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license. She had to travel to France to learn to fly because no U.S. flight schools would accept her. She returned to the U.S. as a daring stunt pilot, inspiring future generations of aviators.

Fannie Lou Hamer (1917–1977)

Fannie Lou Hamer was a powerful voice in the fight for voting rights and racial justice in the United States. Born to a family of sharecroppers in Mississippi, she became a leader in the civil rights movement, co-founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and speaking out against voter suppression. Her courage, honesty, and determination helped change the course of American history.

Ella Baker (1903–1986)

Ella Baker was a powerful behind-the-scenes organizer during the Civil Rights Movement. She believed that ordinary people, especially young people, could lead extraordinary change. Through her work with the NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, she empowered communities to take action.

These stories remind kids that history isn’t something that happens to other people. It’s something they can help create. Their stories prove that bravery, creativity, and standing up for what’s right can leave a legacy that lasts for generations. When kids see themselves reflected in the stories of leaders, inventors, artists, and activists, they know they belong in the story too.