Tell me about an amazing woman in history that I may not have heard about?

[AwfulMaureen]

There are LOADS of women in history who've done incredible things or had amazing careers but have been forgotten...like an amazing singer from the twenties/thirties who also worked as a prostitute and who wrote and sang some of the most shockingly filthy songs in addition to having a stunning voice.

She began singing professionally as a child having been singing on the street for money...she was offered work in bars. ...I love Lucille Bogan...WARNING...don't play the song in the link if the kids are around!

Tell me your favourite unknown women?

ILoveNiyaz I didn't think of that when I posted It's great to keep coming back to.

Gladys Aylward

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladys_Aylward

Unbound many Chinese children's and women's feet and rescued many orphans.

Ask for it to be moved to somewhere? It'll stay forever!

ALMOSTMRSG
Gladys Alyward.
Her story was told in the film Inn of the Sixth Happiness.

What a woman! Thanks for telling us about the film. I will definitely be watching this.

Marie Marvingt - early C20th French aviatrix, WWI combat pilot, one of the first ever "flight nurses" and a pioneer of the air ambulance concept.

Delia Derbyshire - electronic music pioneer and BBC Radiophonic Workshop member. It was she who arranged Ron Grainer's original Doctor Who theme for electronic instruments - the "oo-wee-OOOOOOO" bit was her idea, basically. That is still one of the most recognisable pieces of electronic music today. Also Daphne Oram, another Radiophonic composer. There were no instruments available on which to perform these two women's ideas, so they made their own, or used tape looping, the precursor to sampling. Both had had to battle hard to be allowed to work there at all.

Buffy Sainte-Marie - composer of both an Oscar-winning film song (Where We Belong) and a folk standard (Universal Soldier). Has lent her hand to lots of musical styles, all the while using her music to raise awareness of Native American issues and culture. She is also not afraid to experiment and push the boundaries of her own culture's musical traditions, challenging some sexism there.

Eileen Collins and Pam Melroy - space shuttle commanders of multiple successful missions.

Peggy Whitson and Suni Williams - former Alpha Commanders of the International Space Station.

Lella Lombardi - winner of multiple sportscar races and the only female driver to score points in a Formula One race.

Elizabeth Kenny, an unqualified, self-taught Australian bush nurse who pioneered a controversial treatment for polio, involving manipulation of affected limbs in the teeth of accepted medical practice at the time (which was to immobilise in plaster). Although derided as a dangerous quack, she persisted and eventually her methods were accepted, becoming the foundation for modern physiotherapy.

Teresa of Avila

Aleksandra Kollontai

ILoveNiyaz report the thread and ask for it to be moved in the comment box.

I loved Suzanne Rodriguez's biography of Nathalie Clifford Barney, an out lesbian writer who was famous for her Paris salons in the first half of the C20th. Haven't read about another person who seemed to love life as much as she did.

She featured in The Well of Loneliness as Valerie Seymour :-p

Colette is well known, but she needs a mention.....she is my favourite.

Janet Flanner....journalist who published lots of articles about Paris life in the New Yorker.

Hmm.....Alienor d'Aquitaine (sp?). Separated from her husband the King in 1152 and seized his regions for herself which later became his rival's (the King of England who she married)- big fuck you to her ex!

smallclanger me and my mum LOVE Buffy! we have a stuffed toy buffalo named after her

What about Annie Besant? She was a Victorian vicar's wife who lost her faith when her child got really ill, so her husband kicked her out. She became a campaigner for rights and freedom. She led the Bryant & May Matchgirls to the first ever successful strike of unskilled workers in the UK (the year before the famous dockers' strike, who, as brothers and lovers of the match girls were probably inspired by their success.) She used to practise oratory from her husband'spulpit until he booted her out and was, apparently a brilliant public speaker.

When she'd done that she went off to India to campaign with those rebelling against British rule. She comes over as really unegotistical and fair. I'd love to have met her. She's my big historical crush.

Adan Menken is amongst mine with many others mentioned above, but I have to say there are some kick ass biblical women like Esther

We have lots of them in Ireland associated with the struggle for independance in the last century Maud Gonne and Countess Markievicz to name but 2.

But Eleanor of Aquitaine had to leave her 2 daughters behind in France.

She also fell out with Henry and spent much of her later years locked up away from their children. I love her but she was hard because she had to be :(.

I'm off to have a look on amazon for a cheap book on her Gossamer, got me interested now. I don't know much about her, just what I remember from my French dates book!

anothernumber I tried to squeeze loads in about Countess Constance in my A2 History coursework.....my teacher kept making me cut it down :-p very cool woman

also like the Alexandra Kollontai mention whoever posted that

great thread OP thanks

She has her own section in Helen Castor's She Wolves, along with Matilda, Isabella of France and Margaret of Anjou.

There's a retelling of the story of twenty-six women heroes of the Second World War in this book

has suffragette annie kenney been mentioned? she was from lees, oldham.

Mary Seacole -

She is the "Florence nightingale" who often gets forgotten about.

None to add - many mentioned already - oh, how about Vera Brittain, for her inspiring diary "Testament of Youth"
But marking place really, to read all the others

Astrid Lindgren, for writing brilliant children's books with strong and subversive female leads. I love Pippi Longstocking and Ronia the Robber's Daughter.

not 'history' yet but an impressive woman in the present time is Lynne Sedgemore CBE - you might want to put her on hold for later? think 'spiritual' leadership.

Mnhq - please move this thread from chat.

Oops! Posted too soon! It's too interesting a thread to disappear after 90 days.

Haven't had time to read through this thread but wanted to add Frances Oldham Kelsey whose attention to detail and sheer bloody-mindedness kept Thalidomide from getting approval to treat morning sickness in the USA. She's still alive, age 99.