It's spectacularly tricky to attach the label of "feminist" to women who were writing, working, and living far before the term became widely used. And I'm talking centuries before. We're all pretty familiar these days with the shortest working…
She recorded the first computer bug when a moth got caught in a relay switch
Everyone should know about 1930s drag king Gladys Bentley. *Swoons*
From Ada Lovelace to Sheryl Sandberg, meet women who have shaped the development of technology from the 1800s to modern day
Louisa Atkinson is famous for her botanical work and art, but she was also a conservationist, journalist and author. Because being a legend in one field just wasn't enough, apparently. Atkinson explored the land and identified many new plant species, and was way ahead of her time in campaigning for conservation. She also became the first woman in Australia to have a long-running article series in a major newspaper, and the first woman born in Australia to publish a novel. To top it all off, she decided that getting around in the Australian bush in big skirts was bloody ridiculous, and caused a bit of a scandal by wearing trousers instead. She rightly DGAF.
a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
I’m a sucker for the British period drama Call The Midwife. The show has its corny moments admittedly, but it’s fascinating to watch how pregnant women, midwives and nuns living in the poor East End of London during the 1950s dealt with safe childbirth in the era before epidurals, C-sections or even adequate sanitary conditions. So when I saw these fabric wombs dated around 1760 I was immediately transfixed and interested. Pioneering midwife Angélique Marguerite Le Boursier du Coudray created the fabric wombs as a teaching tool: In 1759 the king commissioned her to teach midwifery to rural women to reduce infant mortality. Between 1760 to 1783, she traveled rural France, sharing her knowledge with women. During this time, she is estimated to have directly trained 4,000 students. Du Coudray invented the first lifesize obstetrical mannequin, called “The Machine.” Various strings and straps serve to simulate the process of childbirth. The head of the infant mannequin has a shaped nose, stitched ears, hair drawn with ink, and an open mouth, with tongue. While they’re semi-creepy to look at, I’m sure they saved a lot of lives. Via Retronaut and h/t Jezebel
Countess Emilia Plater (BroelPlater, Lithuanian Emilija Pliateryt 13 November 1806 23 December 1831) was a noblewoman and revolutionary from the lands of the partitioned PolishLithuanian Commonwealth. Raised in a patriotic tradition, she fought in the November 1830 Uprising, during which she
Her story will astonish you
Wikipedia article about Gertrude Elion
Pearl S. Buck : Nobel Prize Author, Political Activist, Humanitarian. She spent half her life in China, experiencing intimate insights of the Chinese people. A social activist in the U.S. and Asia.
Maria Theresa Archduchess Of Austria, Holy Roman Empress was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands, and Parma. By marriage, she was Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Duchess of...
The journalist has written acclaimed books tackling race science and gender inequality. Next up, the patriarchy – which is neither natural nor inevitable, she argues
A new anthology identifies frustration as a recurring theme in journals written between 1599 and 2015
The Vault is Slate's history blog. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @slatevault, and find us on Tumblr. Find out more about what this space is...
Right-wing sci-fi writers tried to delegitimize the Hugo Awards by nominating a writer no one took seriously. Here's how he took them all by surprise.
Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world’s hidden wonders. Like us on Facebookand Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter.
Imperialism the big brother of Colonialism or is it the other way around? It’s seems like the chicken or the egg question and researchers are not agreeing on this point yet. What we do know i…
After more than a century, a proud country football and netball club is folding. Its demise tells a bigger story about rural Australia.
On November 14, 1889, journalist Nellie Bly launched her historic 72-day trip around the world. It was the first time anyone had attempted to live out the story of Phineas Logg, the protagonist in Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, and…
Boudicca (d. 61 CE) was the Celtic queen of the Iceni tribe of modern-day East Anglia, Britain, who led a revolt against Rome in 60/61 CE. The Iceni king, Prasutagus, an independent ally of Rome, divided...
EXTRACTS from Emmeline's autobiography My Own Story reveal her selfless struggle for women's right to vote.
Mary Anning is remembered as being one of the greatest fossil hunters to ever live. Discover more about her life in the Bitesize Primary KS2 History guide.
VINTAGE POSTER REPRODUCTION: Add style to any room with this beautiful print, whether your interior design is modern or classic. MUSEUM QUALITY INKS AND PAPER: Printed on thick 192gsm heavyweight matte paper with archival giclee inks, this historic fine art will decorate your wall for years to come. ATTENTION TO DETAIL: We edit every artprint for image quality and true color reproduction, so it can look its best while retaining historical character. Makes a great gift! FRAME READY: Your unframed poster will arrive crease-free, rolled in a sturdy mailing tube. Many pictures fit easy-to-find standard size frames 16x20, 16x24, 18x24, 24x30, 24x36, saving on custom framing. Watermarks will not appear in the printed picture. Some blemishes, tears, or stamps may be removed from the final print.
I am writing on one of my friend’s word, he was saying”If women are smart why we don’t know any poet ,scientist or hero?” It is because of your mind. Nobody want to see us. They are afraid of us. I…
Scottish writer Miss McDermid, 67, revealed she received a letter demanding that she drop the moniker because copyright of the nickname is owned by the company Agatha Christie Ltd.
Albert Einstein called Emmy Noether a "creative mathematical genius"
A harrowing chapter in history finally gets its due with Suffragette, starring Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep as crusaders for women's voting rights in Great Britain, plus the real women who inspired the movie.
How an unsung heroine established a new field of science and helped defeat the Nazis with pencil, paper, and perseverance.
In 1965 Stephanie L. Kwolek succeeded in creating the first of a family of synthetic fibers of exceptional strength and stiffness. The best known member is Kevlar, a material used in…
One my long autumn road trip, I managed to visit quite a few author residences. Edith Wharton's home, The Mount, stuck out the most because of all the design tips I picked up while exploring the rooms. I thought I'd share some below. Admittedly, this trip to Edith Wharton's home was totally by chance. I...
