March 8, 2023
By Isabella Bartlett
Staff Writer
Today is International Women’s Day, which is a day to recognize the impact women around the world have made on history. In honor of this day, here is a brief biography of 10 famous women who inspire me.
1. Marie Curie (1867-1934) pursued an education in secret at a time when that was frowned upon. She is widely known for her discovery of Polonium, named after her home country Poland, and Radium, which is the Latin word for “ray.” In 1903, Curie and her husband, Pierre Curie, won a Nobel prize in physics for their research on radiation. In 1911, Curie won a Nobel prize in chemistry for her discovery of Polonium, Radium and the extraction of pure Radium. Curie remains the only person in history to win a Nobel prize in two different subjects.
2. When she was 18, Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was severely injured after getting hit by a bus. She was impaled with a metal rod and paralyzed from the waist down. Kahlo was bedridden, and her injury inspired her to start painting. She specialized in self-portraits, using a surrealist style to express the pain she felt in her daily life. Despite her poor health, Kahlo became an influential artist and is not only regarded as an icon of female creativity but an inspiration for people with physical disabilities as well.
3. Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) was a groundbreaking feminist writer and philosopher. Even though she was not officially registered as a student, she attended classes at the French university École Normale Supérieure. At 21, she took the agrégation, a prestigious test to become a university professor, becoming the youngest philosophy teacher in French history. In 1949, Beauvoir published her fourth and best-known book, “The Second Sex,” where she explained her idea of feminism and philosophy. To this day, her book remains a pillar of modern-day feminism.
4. Often regarded as the Godmother of Rock and Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-1973) is the woman who paved the way for the modern-day electric guitar. Tharpe grew up in a church and was always surrounded by music. When she started making her own, she combined secular and non-secular themes, something musicians had never done before. She mixed genres like blues, jazz and gospel, inspiring a new wave of music. Being a black woman in a white, male-dominated scene, she gave a voice to people who never had the opportunity to sing for a big audience.
5. At the age of 10, Yayoi Kusama (1929-present) started to hallucinate dots, which became a motif in her artwork. After moving from her home country of Japan in 1957, Kusama settled in New York City, where her hallucinations continued to serve as inspiration. Kusama called her earliest work in New York “infinity nets,” which were paintings of repeated dots with no beginning, middle or end. Kusama introduced a new artistic style of mixing minimalism and pop art to New York. Even without formal training, Kusama remains one of today’s most influential artists.
6. Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) was a transgender woman and LGBTQ activist from Elizabeth, New Jersey. As a child, Johnson was most comfortable wearing women’s clothes. As a result of being bullied, Johnson pushed the way she expressed her gender away. After high school, Johnson moved to New York City where she was able to live as her authentic self. During the famous Stonewall Riot on June 28, 1969, Johnson was on the front lines. She became a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front and advocated for LGBTQ youth to live as their true selves.
7. X-Ray Spex frontwoman Poly Styrene (1957-2011) was unlike anyone in the ‘70s punk scene. Styrene took a new approach to typical British punk music. She wore bright-colored outfits and sang over electronic-sounding riffs. Styrene’s lyrics were criticisms of capitalism, sexism and racism. As a biracial woman in the white male-dominated scene, Styrene was a standout. Her influence stretched all the way to the ’90s, inspiring the feminist rock movement called Riot-Grrrl. Styrene is regarded as the archetype of modern-day feminism.
8. Fiona Apple (1997-present) released her first album, “Tidal,” in 1996 at the age of 18, which she wrote entirely by herself. When Apple released “Tidal,” the song “Criminal” became a No. 21 hit on the Billboard Top 100. Her style garnered popularity because of the way she mixed pop and jazz with emotional and down-to-earth lyrics sung over the top. One of Apple’s most notable moments was her speech at the 1997 MTV Music Awards, where she criticized how society pressured people to follow trends. Apple continues to speak her mind through her lyrics and encourages others to do the same.
9. After gaining a huge following, child actress Emma Watson (1990-present) uses her platform to spread awareness about social issues. Watson is an activist supporting a number of charities and equality movements, most notably the UN women’s campaign HeForShe. She has become an inspiration for young girls everywhere, with not only herself empowering women, but the characters she has played. Watson has encouraged people to stand up for what they believe in and do what they think is right.
10. Dylan Mulvaney (1996-present) is a transgender woman who shares her transition journey via social media in a series of videos called “Days of Girlhood.” Mulvaney’s videos allow viewers to understand the behind-the-scenes of transitioning medically and socially. Not only is she an influencer, Mulvaney is an activist, actress and comedian. She encourages people to be comfortable in their own skin and showcase their true personalities. Mulvaney inspires confidence in anyone who has the pleasure to watch her videos.
