Christa McAuliffe

Christa McAuliffe, a schoolteacher from New Hampshire, was the first private citizen to be selected for space shuttle travel. The Challenger’s immediate ill fate on January 28, 1986 took Christa’s life and bright future, but her short history is that of the ideal public educator. Writer’s note: As a New Hampshirite, I grew up viewing … More Christa McAuliffe

Ah Bing

Food history is long, complex, and often mysterious. Any chance to share little-known stories is something that I jump on. The story of Ah Bing is exactly one of those stories. Ah Bing left nothing behind; his story is only known through hearsay. But his contributions to horticulture are important to recognize, as you’ve likely … More Ah Bing

Mary Dixon Kies

The Patent Act of 1790 allowed all people, regardless of gender, to receive patents for their inventions in the United States. It took nearly 20 years for the first woman to receive a patent: Mary Dixon Kies. Remarkably little is known about the life of Mary Dixon Kies outside of her patent. She was born … More Mary Dixon Kies

Matthew Henson

Who was the first documented person to set foot on the North Pole? History classes have likely taught you that it was Robert Peary in 1909. That, dear reader, isn’t the whole truth. His co-explorer, Matthew Henson, was alongside Peary every step of the way, and likely reached the point first. Matthew Alexander Henson was … More Matthew Henson

Lucy Hicks Anderson

By reader request, I’m finishing up Women’s History Month with a feature on transgender socialite and chef Lucy Hicks Anderson! Lucy Hicks Anderson (née Lawson) was born in Waddy, Kentucky in 1886 and identified as female from a very early age. Remarkably for this time period, a physician recommended that she be raised as a … More Lucy Hicks Anderson

Vulcana

Vulcana: Welsh Wonder Woman. I don’t need to say more. Of course she’s a badass. Miriam Kate Williams is believed to have been born on May 6, 1874 in Abergavenny, Wales, the daughter of an Irish baptist minister and his wife, though details of her biography are somewhat foggy. However, there are several reports of … More Vulcana

Constance Markievicz

Constance Markievicz was an Irish revolutionary, notably during the Easter Rising of 1916. As a suffragette, socialist, nationalist, and politician, she was one of the fiercest women in Irish history. Here’s how she went from imprisonment with a death sentence to becoming the first female cabinet minister in Europe: Author’s Note: This post was originally … More Constance Markievicz

Christine Jorgensen

Christine Jorgensen was the first person in the US to gain fame for having sex reassignment surgery. She used her celebrity status, despite its accompanying hardships, to advocate for the rights and acceptance of transgender people. She was born in The Bronx on May 30, 1926 to Danish-American parents. Jorgensen was aware that she identified … More Christine Jorgensen

Unsung Histories

Unsung Histories is a passion project dedicated to uplifting marginalized and underrepresented voices, from ancient history to modern history. This project solely focuses on telling the narrative histories of non-white, non-male, non-cisgender, and/or non-heterosexual figures. Essentially, we’re tired of hearing about straight, white men.

Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land: Constance Markievicz

Back in August 2019, the wonderful Valerie Gritsch compiled Tales From Wo-Fan’s Land on her blog, History Is Important. It was a project inspired by English singer-songwriter Frank Turner and his album No Man’s Land, which features 13 songs inspired by women from history. You can take a look at Val’s introduction to the project … More Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land: Constance Markievicz