Womanica

Joan Crawford (c.1908 - 1977) was an American actress known for Hollywood classics like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and Mildred Pierce . Her feud with Bette Davis is one of the most well-known and remembered from Old Hollywood. After Joan passed, her daughter released a memoir, Mommie Dearest, depicting her experience of abuse from her mother. For Further Research: A Timeline of the Real Feud...

Eliza Burton “Lyda” Conley (c.1869 - 1946) was a lawyer and Wyandot Native American. She was the first woman admitted to the Kansas Bar Association and was the first Native American woman admitted to argue a case in front of the United States Supreme Court. For Further Reading:  Lyda Conley: Saving Her People’s Heritage Lyda Conley  Lyda Conley’s battle for Huron Indian Cemetery in KCK Indigenous...

Magdalena Caballero-Morales (1925-2006) was considered a pioneer for women in lucha libre , or wrestling. Inside the ring, she fought her opponents ferociously. And outside of it, she became a figure for women who went against the grain at a time when women’s participation in contact sports was banned in Mexico City. For Further Reading:  The ring's masked matriarch Celebramos la vida de la dama e...

A.S. Byatt (1936-2023) and Margaret Drabble (1939-present) are sisters and writers. Both achieved global fame at different points in their career and the British tabloids played up the feud between them.  For Further Reading:  “A Narrative of Jealousy and Bafflement and Resentment” What Possessed A.S. Byatt?  Margaret Drabble, the Art of Fiction This month we’re talking about adversaries. These wo...

Mai Bhago (c.1600s - c.1720) was a Sikh solider who lead 40 soldiers into battle against the Mughal Empire. She is honored as a warrior saint in Sikhism. For Further Reading: Eminent Sikh Women The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, Volume 1   What do we really know about Mai Bhago? This month we’re talking about adversaries. These women fought against systems, governments and – someti...

Naila Ayesh (1960-present) is a grassroots organizer who demonstrated for Palestinian liberation during the First Intifada in the late 1980s. She endured detention and torture to protest Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank win freedom, and she continued to fight for freedom and opportunities for Palestinian women.  For Further Reading: Naila and the Uprising (2017) A life in resistance: N...

Tillie Anderson (1875-1965) was a Swedish American cyclist who dominated the women’s bike racing circuit in the 1890s. Her rival on the track was the French cyclist Lisette, who accused Tillie of sabotage.   For Further Reading:  This Seamstress Conquered Bike Racing in the 1890s Women on the Move: The Forgotten Era of Women's Bicycle Racing Tillie Anderson Website This month we’re talking about a...

Marcela 'La Tigresa' Acuña (1976-present) is an Argentine professional boxer renowned for her contributions to women's boxing and her fierce fighting style. She is a multiple-time world champion in the super bantamweight and featherweight divisions. Marcela is considered a trailblazer in women's boxing, helping to elevate the sport's profile in Argentina and globally. For Further Reading: Women Bo...

Anita DeFrantz (1954-present) captained the U.S. women’s rowing team and was part of the team that won a bronze medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games – the first games where women’s rowing was introduced. After her athletic career, she went on to become the first African American — and first American woman — to represent the U.S. on the International Olympic Committee. For Further Reading: My O...

Agnes Tirop (1995-2021) was a long distance runner from Kenya. She won the bronze medal twice at the World Championships, was a world class cross country champion, and competed in the Olympics all before the age of 26. She was murdered by her husband.  For Further Reading:  A Tragic Run  Kenyan Olympian’s Killing Exposes Surge of Violence Against Women Kenya makes a clean sweep at African Cross Co...

Earlene Brown (1935-1983) was the first American woman to win an Olympic medal for shot put. She qualified for the Olympics as an independent athlete and was beloved by American and international competitors alike. Later in life, she became a Roller Derby player. For Further Reading:  Earlene Brown: An athlete to know Beautician, Roller Derby Queen, Olympic Medalist: A Tribute to Earlene Brown Ear...

Baroness Masham (1935-2023) was a paralympic athlete who competed in three Paralympic games, and won two gold medals. She founded the Spinal Injuries Association and served for 53 years as an independent member of the House of Lords. She was praised for her advocacy and volunteer work with disability rights. For Further Reading:  The Guardian: Lady Masham of Ilton obituary The Telegraph: Baroness...

Miki Gorman (1936-2015) was a barrier-breaking long distance runner. Born and raised in occupied China and Japan, she became the only woman to have won both the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon twice.  For Further Reading: Overlooked No More: Miki Gorman, the Unlikely Marathon Winner As the Miles and the Years Pass By Miki Gorman, Women’s Marathon Pioneer, Dies at 80 This month we're...

Debi Thomas (1967-present) is an American figure skater who became the first Black athlete to win a medal in any sport at the Winter Olympics in 1988. She wasn’t content with just being a world class skater, she also became a doctor, earning degrees from Stanford University and Northwestern University. Now in her fifties, she recently returned to skating. For Further Reading: The New York Times: S...

Pan Duo (1939-2014) was the first Chinese woman to summit Mount Everest and the second woman overall to summit the mountain after Junko Tabei in 1975.  For Further Reading:  Climbing Magazine: The First Three Women to Climb Everest Chicago Tribune: HANDMAIDENS TO THE `MOTHER GODDESS OF THE WIND Google Books: Honouring High Places The Mountain Life of Junko Tabei The University of Alberta: Ascendin...

Ruth Aarons (1918-1980) was an American teenage table tennis champion. She was known for her wins at the World Championships and for her performances at night clubs and in theaters. After retiring from table tennis, she went on to manage big stars, like David Cassidy. For Further Reading:  Ruth Aarons - United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame   Steve Isaacson Interview: Honoring Ruth Aarons - Butt...

Cynisca (c. 440 BCE) was the first woman to ever win an event at the Olympic Games. By exploiting a loophole in the rule that only men could participate in the games, she paved the way for the woman Olympians of today.  For Further Reading : Cynisca of Sparta - World History Encyclopedia Hidden women of history: Kyniska, the first female Olympian   Cynisca and the Heraean Games: The Female Athlete...

Tori Bowie (1990-2023) was a track and field athlete with three Olympic medals. In 2017, she became the fastest woman in the world – but her career was cut short after dying from complications from pregnancy at 32 years old.  For Further Reading:  Tori Bowie: The Fastest Woman In The World Tori Bowie’s death highlighted a devastating reality for Black women in the US Olympic champ Tori Bowie’s men...

Olga Korbut (1955-present) is a former Soviet gymnast who gained international fame for her performances in the early 1970s. Known for her extraordinary agility and charismatic presence, she captured the world's attention at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where she did innovative routines, featuring moves like the "Korbut Flip." She revolutionized gymnastics by making the sport more dynamic and artisti...

Sheryl Swoopes (1971-present) is a retired American basketball player. She was the first player to be signed by the WNBA in 1997. She went on to become a four-time WNBA champion and a three-time Olympic gold medalist.  For Further Reading:  SHERYL DENISE SWOOPES (1971- ) Three-time MVP 'tired of having to hide my feelings' Sheryl Swoopes This month we're celebrating the women who performed physica...

Maria-Teresa de Filippis (1926-2016) was an Italian race car driver. She was an official driver for Maserati and the first woman in Formula One. During her career, she qualified for five Grand Prix races, including three championships.  Since her time on the track, only five women have attempted to qualify for world championship grand prix races. For Further Reading: Maria Teresa de Filippis Maria...

Ibtihaj Muhammad and Janee’ Kassanavoid both envisioned a path to the top, and then climbed their way there – in fields where no one who looked like them had ever made it that far. Ibtihaj, a world class fencer, made history as the first woman to wear a hijab while competing on the world stage. And Janee’ Kassanavoid, hammer throw darling, became the first Indigenous woman to medal at the World At...

In recent years, Dawn Staley and A'ja Wilson have become household names. From their achievements on the court to their influential roles off it, we delve into how these women have shaped the landscape of women's basketball and supported each other along the way. In this episode, we hear how they’ve overcome adversity and proven the naysayers wrong to leave their mark on the sport. Hosted on Acast...

Wyomia Tyus (1945 - present) is an Olympic athlete who became the first person to win gold in back to back Olympic games. During the 1968 Olympic games, she joined the Olympic Project for Human Rights and protested against global racial inequality along with other Black athletes.  For Further Reading:  ESPN: Track legend Wyomia Tyus protested at the '68 Olympics and hardly anyone noticed The New Y...

Hélène de Pourtalès (1868-1945) was an American-born Swiss sailor who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris representing Switzerland. She was one of the first 22 women to participate in the Olympics, and one of the first to win an Olympic gold medal. For Further Reading:  Women’s History Spotlight: Hélène de Pourtalès Sheroes: Hélène de Pourtalès  The first female Olympic champion Countess...