Today is International Women’s Day 2011, a day to celebrate women’s achievements, to mark their economic, social and political achievements, and to inspire girls and women. But today is also a very special International Women’s Day, today is the centenary celebration of this day because International Women’s Day was first honoured in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on the 19th March 1911.
At school today, my two youngest children had to write about famous and important women and my daughter chose Mother Teresa and my son chose me. I had to laugh! Anyway, if you had to choose five historical women whose achievements or lives have inspired you, who would you choose? My choices are:-
- Anne Boleyn
- Elizabeth I
- Sophie Scholl
- Joan of Arc
- Harriet Tubman
But I found it hard to narrow it down to five!
Last year, we celebrated International Women’s Day by looking at Henry VIII six wives and various other Tudor women – you can see that article at “Celebrating the Six Wives and Tudor Women”.
Cleopatra, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, and Ninon de Lenclos.
Mary Seacole.
Less well known than Florance Nightingale, she was a self-financed nurse who travelled from the Carribean to the Crimea battlefields.
Amelia Earhart
Annie Kenney
The only working class member of the senior hierarchy of the WSPU.
I love the Horrible Histories episode where Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole are arguing about who did more, it’s funny and educational.
Aside from Anne and Elizabeth: Eleanore of Aquitaine, Boudicca, Helen Keller, Rosa Parks, and my Mom.
Found this great clip in honor of the day.
http://www.cwa-union.org/video/entry/international_womens_day_2011/
Elizabeth, the strongest Tudor of them all!
Mhm tis late but my choices are:
Katherine d’Aragon- For her life is rather inpiration. How she held her head high even through a public divorce and banishment. I admire her as a saint.
Anne Boleyn- She has always stood out in history for me. I find her misunderstood in the media. I see her feelings and love and also respect her for how she held herself. Not high and mighty, but respecting herself and no showing shame for things she had not done.
Anne Frank- She was a young woman but she was brave and lived through alot. I feel she is part of my soul and we shared the same feeling throught her book and through my devlopement into a woman myself. I charish her words.
Jane Austin- She was revolutionary in her words and thoughts to be so public. I love how she expresses the situation mixing in her own life in the text.
Stephanie Joanne Anglina Germanotta- She is a wonderful singer and musician and artist. I conect with her completely and also share some of her trails.
Wow sorry didnt mean to write an Essay…:/
The Horrrible Histories soud like fun but sadly I suspect FN won since she was sponcered by the British government and had more resources availible, in theory anyway.
From the reports of medical conditions I have read about the Crimea War the resources were not readily availible due to distances…and rivaleries.
Claire, thank you very much for including Sophie Scholl on your list. In my opinion, she narrowly misses being one of those many wonderful people whose names are lost to history. This website really does such a wonderful job of telling the stories of the “obscure” people who normally might be forgotten in history…and yet, they all played such pivotal roles. Thank you again. (But yes, Anne Boleyn would be on my list, too!)
I admire Anne and her daughter Elizabeth but through reading about the women who helped make them what they became, my list would be very long indeed. I admire women who have overcome adversity in their lives and still find the capacity to love, I admire women who work at jobs and the ones who stay home and do not work, I admire women who make their own clothes and the ones who shop for what they need. I hope women everywhere will celebrate what they have accomplished and not just think that the well known women in history and in the news are the only ones we should look up to. PS I admire you Claire for following your dream about creating a website to find out the truth about Anne Boleyn. You followed your dreams literally and that takes courage. From a simple start, you have shown just how many women showed strength, courage, wisdom, compassion, and a love of life that many of us have never heard of until we read the articles in your site.
Cleopatra VII – The most famous woman of Antiquity . She is just so interesting ! There are just so many dimensions to her person . She is such an inspiration,an inimitable figure of History !
Anne Of Britanny – I think she deserve to be so much more known ! She is the only one to have been crowned Queen of France twice,she was a pretty,wealthy woman who has been mourned by all Europe after her death . Also She became Duchess of Britanny at 11,Queen Of France at 14 .
Queen Zenobia of Palmyra – A warrior Queen that created the Great Empire Of Palmyra before being defeated by Roman Emperor Aurelien .
The Empress Wu Zetian – Her story is quite like Anne Boleyn’s in the beginning : She became one of the Emperor’s concubines then replaced the former Empress and then even became Empress Regent ! I don’t know enough about her today but still,she must be a really fascinating woman since she is the only woman ever to have been Empress Ruler Of China 🙂
And last but not least, Anne Boleyn of course !
Leigh, you might be interested in this site :- http://www.executed today. The article on Sophie Scholl is one of the highest hit levels on the whole site.
Better late than never…I’d chose Eve, Anne Boleyn, Mary (Mother of Christ), Elizabeth and Betty Friedan. It is VERy hard to limit to 5!!
I would have to choose Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth 1, Isabella 1 of Castile, Elizabeth Woodville, and Joan of Arc.
Katherine of Aragon, Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth I, Charlotte Corday & Isabella of Castile I think…
As for International Women’s Day, I remember last year our Russian teacher gave us pancakes and didn’t give us homework in celebration! (We’re an all girls’ school…) Good times :’)
Very late but I had to put my two cents in!!
Anne Boleyn
Catherine of Aragon
Queen Noura
Virgin Mary and most of all…..
My Ma.