Cleopatra the Alchemist, 3^rd Century CE

Some of you reading this may be thinking, “What does alchemy have to do with science?” Even though it was ultimately fruitless in turning everything into gold, it did lead to the establishment of chemistry.

Not much is known about her. Apparently this was a pseudonym but there are no records left of what her actual name was. She might have been a colleague or follower of Miriam the Prophetess. No record left says one or the other but it is known that they knew of each other. This is not the same person as Cleopatra the Physician.

Her most famous work is the papyrus paper known as the Chrysopeoeia of Cleopatra. It included the detailed descriptions of furnaces. Also this features the earliest appearance of the Ouroboros. Some theorize that she invited the Alembic, a tool used in distilling chemicals. This is still used today. She is famously mentioned in very high regard in the encyclopedia, Kitab al-Fihrist, by Muslim scholar Ibn al-Nadim.

Miriam the Prophetess, 3^rd Century CE

She has gone a few different names including Maria the Jewess, Mary the Jewess, Mariya the Sage, Maria Hebraea, and Maria Prophetissima. The majority of what we know about her comes the Egyptian alchemist, Zosimos, a contemporary of her. She was aware of Cleopatra the Alchemist but their exact relationship if at all is not known.

Mary is most famous for the allegedly inventing the tribikos, the first piece of distilling equipment. Aside from this next to nothing to known about her unfortunately however she is also accredited with creating the double boiler.

Aglaonike, 3^rd BCE

Much like other notable scientists of her time there is not a great deal of information is still around. Aglaonike resided in Thessaly and a prominent astronomer. She successfully understood and predicted the moon cycles and lunar eclipses. Something you’ll frequently find about her is that people thought she was a sorceress and witch. Even Plato and Socrates refer to her in their writings as a witch. This could have been done to discredit her which is most likely. She was not a witch. She was just ahead of her time.

Agnodice, 4^th Century BCE

She was the first female doctor in recorded history. In 350 BCE, Agnodice dressed as a man to learn midwifery and did. She was one of the best and a beloved gynecologist, to the point that male doctors were suspicious. Agnodice practiced dressed as a man. They sued her for corrupting the women of Athens. There were even accusations of rape. They forced her to reveal her true gender. (Dramatic Music) A Woman Is A Doctor! Initially things looked grim but a large gathering of women showed up for support of Agnodice. The judge ruled that she could still practice. A year later, the law was changed and women could become doctors. There are no primary sources about her and some think this is just a tall tale to inspire women and show that women can be doctors. Regardless she is still an empowering historical figure.

Sophia Brahe, 1556 – 1643 CE

Most people know who Tycho Brahe was. Most people know Johannes Kepler as Tycho’s assistant that helped him become the legend is now. What most people don’t know is that Tycho’s little sister, Sophia, also helped him and was an equally great scientist in her own right.

She came from a noble Danish family and like Tycho went against their parents’ wishes and studied science instead of following in the family’s footsteps. She learned in secret from Tycho. He called her his Urania, goddess of the stars, to her Apollo, god of the sun. She married a rich noble man and taught herself astronomy and Latin. They had one son, Tage Thott. Her husband died and left the estate to her. She successfully ran it until Tage was an adult. This whole time she was actively studying alchemy, astronomy, astrology, and chemistry. At this point however pseudo-science and actual science were viewed in the same light. So astrology was seen as a real science. Her brother, Tycho, was hired around this time to do astronomic and astrologic predictions for royalty and he had Sophia’s help in this.

She helped Tycho discover the, Nova Stella, supernova when she was only 16. She became a regular assistant to Tycho while he was under the tutelage of nobles. A year after her brother died she married a second time. They were very poor and forced to move around because of debt. He died in 1613. From here a relative, probably her son financially supported her until she died. She spent the remaining writing genealogy for royalty. Her accomplishments unfortunately went overlooked for years.

Annie Moore, first Ellis Island immigrant, 1874 – 1923 or 1924

After a 12-day journey that began in Ireland on December 20, 1891 and ended January 1, 1892, teenaged Annie Moore became the first immigrant to go through Ellis Island. She was born and raised in Ireland. Prior to going aboard the S.S. Nevada, her parents had already migrated to America. This time, it was Annie and her younger brothers. Later, she married a German man and had reportedly 11 children with him.

Some people thought she started a new life Texas but that is a different Annie Moore.

Tycho Brahe, Astronomer, 1546 – 1601

Following in the footsteps of Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho Brahe revolutionized astronomy. Tycho never used a telescope, had a pet moose (that died because he got it too drunk), and had a metal nose. He was born to royalty and as a result had a high quality education. In college, his uncle wanted him to study law but the solar eclipse of August 21, 1560 happened. The dreams of a law career were mere stardust in the wind. Post-graduating, Tycho buckled down and pursued his dream. Around this time he lost his nose in a duel caused by an argument over a math formula.

He didn’t work alone however. There were two assistants, Johannes Kepler and Sophia Brahe (his sister). They kept measurements and notes for him. Tycho took all measures to guard his results from thieves. He was the first person to record multiple supernovas. Also he created the term supernova. There isn’t enough space here to go through all his accomplishments.

Tycho died when his bladder burst after getting a UTI.

Lucille Ball, Entertainment Mogul, 1911 – 1989

In the history of television, very few have reached the level of Lucille Ball. Not only was she an actress and comedian, she was a powerful force behind the scenes.

Lucy was born in Celoron, NY or Butte, Montana, depending on your source. Her father was a Bell Telephone Company lineman which had them moving around frequently. He passed when she was 4 and the family returned to NY. Lucy discovered a love for performing when she was in a chorus line for a Shriners performance. After this she tried and failed several times to make a career. She gained a relatively steady job as a model and became a Chesterfield cigarette girl. In 1933, she was uncredited in Roman Scandals. From here, her career picked up steam carrying her into Olympus.

Everyone knows I Love Lucy, which co-starred her then husband, Desi Arnez. I Love Lucy was a mega hit that captured America’s heart. The show was produced by Lucy and Desi’s production company Desilu Productions. Lucy ran it. She was the first woman to head a production company. Some of the shows they worked on were The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Star Trek, and many more. Her legacy is groundbreaking in countless ways but sometimes overshadowed by her turbulent personal life.

Genghis Khan, Conqueror, 1162 – 1227

There is some debate over this. Some records describe him as having red hair and green eyes but others differ. The Mongols were very diverse so it’s plausible. Since he is usually regarded as a redhead he is included on this list.

He conquered the world or at least the largest chunk of the world that any human ever did. His empire was 12.7 million square miles aka 22% of the world and 25% of the world population circa the 13^th century. The only empire that trumped him was the British Empire which was 13 million square miles. The Roman, Spanish, and Russian don’t even come close.

Genghis was born Temujin. His father was poisoned and died. His family was then exiled by the tribe. He was captured and enslaved shortly after getting married. He freed himself rose through the ranks. By 1206 he was named leader of Mongols and took the name Genghis Khan, which means, “Universal Ruler.” He became a force of nature that no one dared get in the way of.

Aeneas Coffey, Inventor, 1780 – 1852

Who likes drinkin’? Aeneas Coffey did. He was born in France to Irish parents. After a few years they returned to Ireland. Aeneas attended and graduated from the University of Dublin. He worked as a tax collector for a few decades and retired in 1824. Around that time the column still was invented by Sir Anthony Perrier. It concentrated alcohol to higher levels than before. Following this Robert Stein improved it slightly but no one really noticed. Then in 1830, Coffey received the patent for the Coffey still that could do 60% alcohol concentration which was unheard of at the time.

The Coffey still took the alcohol world by storm. You could make a whisky, vodka, gin, rum, everything that got you drunk stronger, easier, and cheaper than before. Europe and the Americas adapted to utilizing the Coffey still. He died a rich man.

Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England, 1485 – 1536

Though primarily known for being Henry VIII’s first wife, she isn’t just another generic everyday blue blood. She was born to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, the Spanish monarchs of that time. Given this Catherine had the best education you could have. It covered everything from Greek to dancing to history. Early on she was paired up with Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales. They were pen pals until marrying age. He was 15 and she was 16. They married in 1501. He died in 1502. She was 17. Shortly after, she was ambassador to England, becoming the first female ambassador in European history.

She married Henry VIII in 1509. Out of six children only one survived, Mary I. As a result Henry believed his marriage was cursed so he took a lover, Anne Boleyn. By the 1520s Catherine was deemed too old to have children. Henry VIII tried to divorce her since she didn’t have a son, but that didn’t happen. Henry wanted to have her executed but she was a royal so their marriage was annulled. During this marriage however she was not a trophy wife. She served as regent governor when Henry was fighting wars and was one of his key advisers. Catherine wanted to more women to be educated. She frequently donated to colleges and made women’s education more fashionable and acceptable. Catherine died January 7, 1536. It’s unclear exactly how but England mourned her loss.

Vincent Van Gogh, Artist, 1853 – 1890

Everyone has seen at least one of his paintings. His life and career was never stable or pleasant for the most part. His family specialized in two things, art and religion. His childhood wasn’t fun. According to him, “My youth was gloom and cold and sterile.” He bounced around several jobs for years going from art dealer to minister’s assistant to supply teacher. He tried and failed to become a pastor and was a missionary to a mining town. This whole time he was sketching and drawing everything around him and grew as an artist.

His romances never ended well. The most successful relationship was with a prostitute whom had a 5 year daughter and another on the way. It’s speculated to be his. Van Gogh gave in to family pressure and ended this torrid love affair after they found out. He moved to Paris and made a living off of his paintings but left after 2 years. He had an odd friendship with fellow painter Paul Gauguin in which after an altercation left part of his left ear missing. It’s not clear what happened. He retreated to a country home in his final years and either shot himself or someone shot him.

Emily Dickinson, Poet, 1830 – 1886

Ms. Dickinson was born into a well-known and influential family. Her grandfather founded Amhearst College. Emily was the middle child between William Austin and Lavinia Norcross. Her father made it a point that his children are well educated. She was an excellent student and excelled academically. However she was haunted and disturbed by death. Several people close to her had died and this took a toll. She assumed was going to die soon but didn’t and her phobia dissipated. This was replaced with a religious fervor that was also temporary.

She continued to live with her family after completing her education. Depression reared its ugly head and haunted her for the rest of her life. Ms. Dickinson was not a homebody. She took trips around the country with her family. During this time she wrote 800 poems and realized her calling. As she vigorously wrote poem after poem, she became more and more reclusive. She kept an active social life but never married. Her writing was up and down but ended up writing thousands of poems. She suffered Bright’s disease for 2 and half years and passed away.

Andrew Jackson, United States President, 1767 – 1845

Andrew Jackson is the angry grandpa of American presidents. He was born in Waxhaws border, between the Carolinas. His family came over from Ireland two years prior to Andrew’s birth. His father died in an accident only a month before he was born. His schooling was minimal and he worked as a child mostly. During the Revolutionary War, he was 13 and served as a courier for the Carolina militia. His oldest brother, Hugh, died, in the Battle of Stono Ferry in1779. 2 years later, he was captured with his brother, Robert, by the British. This encounter left scars on his head and hand. They contracted smallpox during this. A mere few days after their release Robert died. Andrew despised the British after this. Later that year his mother died from Cholera.

After these tragic events he studied, taught, and practiced law. He built a reputation so prolific that was elected to the House of Representatives in 1796 for Tennessee. He only served one term then and became a judge for the Tennessee Supreme Court. Around this time he and 2 other investors bought Tennessee land that a few decades later went by the name Memphis. He served in the military for the War of 1812. He became a war hero during the Battle of New Orleans changing the tide of the war. Jackson was elected to the Senate in 1823. He ran for president in 1824 but lost to John Qunicy Adams. He ran again during the next election and won. He served two terms, 1829-1837. In 1835, someone tried to assassinate him. He pulled out two pistols on the active president. Both guns misfired and Andrew, age 67, beat the assailant with his cane until Senator Davy Crockett walked by and helped restrain the failed assassin. He died in 1845 at 78.

Anastasia Romanov, Russian Grand Duchess, 1901 – 1918

There are many rumors and stories about her ultimate fate but this won’t cover that. She was a daughter of Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra. She’s described as being short, delightful, and witty. She had a few nicknames, one being shvibzik, which means, “imp.” Her childhood wasn’t the standard royal one. Her and her siblings slept on camp cots with no pillow, cleaned their own rooms, and made to sew things for charity events when they had nothing else to do. She like her siblings suffered from hemophilia among several other health problems.

During World War I, she and her sister, Maria, wanted to become Red Cross nurses but were too young so played checkers and other games with wounded soldiers. Towards the end of the war, Russia withdrew from it because of internal problems. The Bolshevik Revolution annihilated the nation. Bolshevik secret police captured the royal family for several months. They were killed in July 1918.