NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

National Women’s History Month is the annual observance of the contributions of historical events of women. It is celebrated in March of every year, and is celebrated in the United States, Germany, and Australia. Unlike the previous countries listed, in Canada it is celebrated in October. Thirty nine years ago, in March 1987, Women’s History Month was declared by Congress as the first National Women’s History Month. With this, a special presidential proclamation is issued every year which honors achievements of American Women. 

Freshman Josie Vance (left), Freshmen Ainsley Haas (middle), Freshman Cara Zeman (right); photo by Gabi Henriquez

Wilma Mankiller became the first woman to be elected to be chief of a major Native American tribe called the Cherokee. Four years later in 1991, she was re-elected with 83% of the votes. The membership of the Cherokee Nation expanded from 68,000 to 170,000 members. 

Amelia Earhart, who was an aviation pioneer,made record breaking flights across the world. By doing this, she encouraged women to pursue opportunities in aviation. Mysteriously on July 2nd, 1937, she disappeared. 

Freshman Cara Zeman (far left), Freshman Natalie Sheetz (left), Freshmen Ainsley Zeiser (right), Freshman Viola Laffey (far right); photo by Gabi Henriquez

Rosa Parks is another great example. She was a civil rights activist, who is best known for not giving up her seat on a bus in 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama. Parks is best known as The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. 

Harriet Tubman, she was an abolitionist and social activist who helped rescue 70 enslaved people. This included some of her friends and family through 13 different trips back and forth. Tubman escaped slavery and was part of the Underground Railroad. During the American Civil War, she served as a scout and spy after the American Civil War.

Freshmen Callista West (left), Freshman Haylee Mezel (middle), Freshman Avery Vrchoticky (right); photo by Gabi Henriquez

Queen Elizabeth II was the longest serving monarch in British history. She served as queen from 1952 until her death in 2022,. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime and was monarch of 15 realms at her death. Her reign was 70 years and 214 days, surpassing many politicians in the United Kingdom. 

Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author and media proprietor. Along with this, she is a prominent philanthropist and social activist. Her activism includes: Child Protection, following experiences with childhood abuse and trauma, and voicing championed legislation for a national database for child abusers. Through education and empowerment, Winfrey has built over 60 different schools with specific locations taking place in South Africa. Social & Racial Justice, Winfrey has used her platform to discuss and promote gender and racial equality.

Seniors Kylie Robertson (left), Mackenzie Burnett (middle), and Hayden Bailey (right); photo by Gabi Henriquez

Marie Curie was a Polish and French physicist and chemist. She and her husband Pierre shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics for their joint researches on the radioactivity phenomenon discovered by Professor Henri Becquerel. She also won the 1911 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the discovery of the elements radium and polonium. Curie did this through the isolation of radium and the study of the nature and compounds of this remarkable element. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice. In addition to these overwhelmingly great achievements, she was the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different scientific fields.