Every 4 years, the very best of the very best of the very best in the wide world of sports compete for the gold. Nearly every nation is represented in this titanic tournament. Last time I tackled the Olympics, I focused on the 100M Dash. I ‘m stretching my horizons into gymnastics with…

Olympic Special Vol. 2: Vera Caslavska and Agnes Keleti

VERA CASLAVSKA: 1960 – Rome, 1964 – Tokyo, 1968 – Mexico City

Vera in 1967.

Mid-way through World War II on May 3, 1942, Prague’s Caslavska family introduced a baby girl. They named her Vera. From an early age, it was clear that Vera was a natural athlete. Initially, she started in dance, followed by figure skating. At 15 however, she switched to gymnastics. Like with the previous 2 sports, she dominated. Part of this was her and part was her instructor, Eva Bosakova (1952 – Helsinki, 1956 – Melbourne, and 1960 – Rome). Bosakova was already a multiple medal holder in both the Olympics and World Championships.

After a year or so of training Vera competed alongside Bosakova in 1959 at the European Championship. She won her first (of many) gold medals in the balance beams but slipped up on the uneven bars leaving her in 8^th. The team won the silver medal. This success continued into the Olympics in Rome where she won the silver in the team category again. She continued to compete and exponentially became the top gymnast of her era. In the World and European Championships and the Olympics, she won numerous gold and silver medals. Things changed around the 1968 Olympics however.

January 5, 1968, Antonin Novotny was officially replaced by Alexander Dubcek as 1^st Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Dubcek’s goal was to create, “Communism with a Human Face.” In turn, he introduced more Democratic leaning policies and expanding people’s freedoms like speech. The Soviets were not pleased so they invaded Czechoslovakia with 600,000 soldiers and help from other Warsaw Pact nations. Vera was in support of the new reforms and signed the protest manifesto, “Two Thousand Words,” by Ludvik Vaculik. All this happened a few months before the Mexico City Olympics that fall (seriously, the 1968 summer games were held in October that year).

Vera was in trouble so her fled to the mountains. Similarly to Rocky in Rocky IV, she trained using the natural world, but out of necessity not because of manliness. After 3 weeks, she got word that the Czech allowed her to participate in the Mexico City games again. It was during these games that she became the first and only Olympian to ever win a medal in every gymnastics event. In addition to this, she refused to observe the rising of the Czech and Soviet flags when she tied for the gold in the Floor Exercise with Larisa Petrik. Many took notice, including the Soviets.

Around this time, she married Josef Odlozil, a fellow Czech Olympian. Back home in Prague, things changed. The government was suspicious of Caslavska and barred her from federal jobs for her protests and politics.

She divorced Josef in 1987. 3 years later the Communists lost power and she finally publicly regarded as a hero of the people. Also wasn’t barred from federal jobs. They had several children. One of them, Martin, stabbed his father in a dance club in 1993. Josef died. Martin was sent to prison. Vera focused on keeping her family together after this tragic event. She still resides in Prague today and lives a private life.

AGNES KELTEI: 1948 – London, 1952 – Helsinki, 1956 – Melbourne

Hungry’s Agnes Keleti came from humble beginnings, she was born to a Jewish family on January 9, 1921. Like other future Olympians she was attracted to sports early on. A natural gymnast, she excelled at the VAC Jewish Sports Club quickly. Her father, Ferencs, wanted both his daughters involved in sports. He was a lifelong athlete. Her mother complimented their father’s push for athletics with academics. Thanks to her, Agnes was a great student, cellist, and singer.

At 16, she won her first national championship. By the end of her professional career, there were 9 more national championships. She was on her way to the Olympics but World War II broke out. Hunngry was left out of it for awhile until Germany invaded. Agnes managed to get papers under the guise of a Christian woman named Piroshka. She worked for a Nazi-sympathizing family as a maid for the rest of the war. Her father was taken to Auschwitz. Her mother and sister luckily escaped thanks to the Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg (he was responsible for saving thousands of Hungarian Jews). By the end of the war the only family left was her mother and sister.

Agnes doing a split at 91.

Reunited with her family, Agnes resumed where her career left off. She won more national titles over the next few years and nearly made it to the London Olympic. 2 days before they began, she injured herself but recovered in time to compete in European and World Championships. In the Helsinki games, she became the oldest female gymnast to win an Olympian medal at 31. She won 4 medals in total. That record was broken again at the Melbourne games with 6 more medals. At 35, she set the record (again) for oldest female gymnast to win an Olympic medal.

The Soviet Union invaded Hungry during the Melbourne games. Instead of return home, she and the other Hungarians remained down under. She received political asylum to reside in Israel, where she still lives. In 1959, she married Robert Biro, a fellow Hungarian Jew that escaped the Soviets. They have 2 sons, Rafael and Daniel. In Israel, she become a corner stone in the establishment of Israeli Gymnastics. She ended up teaching at Tel Aviv University for years.

Agnes is the second most accomplished Jewish Olympic athlete with 10 medals, right behind Mark Spitz’ 11.

Not only did these women set world records, they managed to thwart both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union from destroying them mentally and physically. They are extraordinary women that need to be remembered and celebrated.

Sources

http://www.ighof.com/honorees/1998_Vera_Caslavska.php

https://www.olympic.org/vera-caslavska

http://brooklynquarterly.org/personal-protest-at-the-olympics/

http://thebiography.us/en/caslavska-vera

http://www.drmirkin.com/histories-and-mysteries/vera-caslavska-marriage-of-two-great-olympic-athletes.html

http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/czechoslovak-sports-legend-vera-caslavska-celebrates-60th-birthday

http://web.archive.org/web/20040508164234/http://www.intlgymnast.com/events/2004/europeans/champions/caslavska.html

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-04-05/sports/sp-900_1_prague-spring

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/prague-spring-begins-in-czechoslovakia

http://www.dhr.history.vt.edu/modules/eu/mod05_1968/evidence_detail_13.html 2,000 Words

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dykBBhaoczg

http://www.lib.umich.edu/soviet-invasion-czechoslovakia/pg1.html

http://www.gymn.ca/gymnasticgreats/wag/keleti.htm

http://esra-magazine.com/blog/post/agnes-keleti

http://www.jewishpress.com/sections/jewess-press/impact-women-history/agnes-keleti-the-foundation-stone-of-gymnastics-in-israel/2012/07/22/

http://www.ighof.com/honorees/2002_Agnes_Keleti.php

http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/keleti-agnes

http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/AgnesKeleti(Klein).htm

When it comes to Greek history most people know about Aristotle, Homer, Alexander the Great (I know he was Macedonian but that’s a story for another day), and the Olympics. Arguably the most fascinating aspect of Greek history is the War of Independence. One of the integral figures in the fight was…

LASKARINA BOUBOULINA: Greek Goddess of the Sea, Revolution, and Spetses

Laskarina was born to Stavrianos and Paraskevo Pinotsis on May 11, 1771 on the Greek island of Hydra. The Greece she knew wasn’t the center of intelligentsia from the Classical period. It was a Greece under the boot of the Ottoman Empire since the 15^th century CE. By this point, things were changing. There were several attempts at revolt but they failed. The latest around Laskarina’s birth, the Orlof Revolution, involved her father Stavrianos.

He was arrested and thrown in prison for his part. Paraskevo visited him frequently. His health was failing but they had Laskarina towards the end of his life. Her father died in prison when she was still a baby. When Laskarina was 4, her mother remarried a Navy man, Capt. Dimitrios Lazarou-Orlof. This took them from their home island of Hydra to Spetses nearby.

She loved hearing stories about the sea and majestic tales of bravery on the mighty ocean. Not much is known about her childhood. At 17, she married Dimitrios Yiannouzas. He was a rich sea captain with his own fleet. They had 2 sons, Yiannis and Yeorgo Yiannouzas.

After a few years, Dimitrios was killed fighting pirates. Laskarina inherited his fortune and ships. She remarried in 1801. His name was also Dimitrios, Dimitrios Bouboulina. They had 5 kids together. He was also a rich sea captain with a fleet of ships that died fighting pirates. In 1811, Laskarina was widowed again. She inherited even more money and ships. Laskarina successfully and smartly invested which in turn made her and her family one of the wealthiest on Spetses.

Now, this brought the attention the Ottomans at her door. In 1816, they claimed that they had the right to seize her money, ships, and home because her second husband was fighting under the Russian flag during the Turko-Russo War. He was a traitor and enemy of the empire. This was true but Laskarina had a plan. She sought out the Philhellene Russian Ambassador in Constantinople. He liked her and understood her anger. Czar Alexander, gave her a house in the Crimean Black Sea region of Russia to stay in until the Ottomans gave up. At this time, she joined the Filiki Etaireia, a revolutionary Greek group that was scheming another rebellion. In English, Filiki Etaireia means, “The Friendly Society.”

After 3 months in Russia, she returned to the Spetses. Filled with the spirit of revolt, she bought arms, built warships, and raised a private army. She was an ally to the revolutionaries, and aided them with soldiers, ships, and money. The lead ship of the fleet, The Agamemnon, was built for her specifically. She would lead naval assaults on the Ottomans. Not only was she a beneficiary to the cause but also she trained as a soldier and made it the rank of Admiral.

The Ottomans became suspicious of all this odd behavior of guns, ships, and strange people around her. She paid off the Ottoman officials inquiring about this with a hefty bribe. They left her alone after their payday.

The Greek War of Independence broke out March 13, 1821. Her first major victory was at Nafplion. The Ottoman naval fort was armed with 300 cannons. The Greek naval siege didn’t work so they landed nearby at Mili. Laskarina organized her troops and led a land siege at the powerful fort. After a long and arduous battle, they took the near impenetrable fort. She also fought in the Battles of Monemvassia, Siege of Tripoli, and Haradros. Her son, Yiannis, was killed at Haradros.

As a reward for the victory of Nafplion, she was given a house, the Greek forces took. In 1825, she sold the house. Nafplion was rife with political unrest. The Greek war hero and important leader for the Greeks, General Theodoros Kolokotronis, was sent to prison at the time. She saw the writing on the wall and left for Spetses.

Turkish-Egyptian forces were on the war path to take back what the Ottomans had lost. Laskarina and his officers were working on war plans when they got word of this oncoming attack. The Koutsis, another rich family on Spetses, had a major problem with Laskarina. Her son, Yeorgo had eloped with a Koutsis. One of Koutsis shot Laskarina for what her son did. She died from the gunshot wound.

Laskarina Bouboulina was made an admiral in both the Russian and Greek Navies for service. She has been a national Greek hero since her untimely, petty death. Luckily, the Greeks with help from Russia and others won. Even though she didn’t do it alone, Laskarina Bouboulina was a major player in making the Greeks a freed people and establishing Greece as we know it today. She rose from the ashes into an icon of bravery, courage, and determination.

Sources

http://www.ahistoryofgreece.com/revolution.htm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/5989510/Greek-woman-sets-fire-to-Britons-genitals-Laskarina-Bouboulina-the-heroine.html

http://www.ahepad22.org/articles/bouboulina.pdf

http://www.greeka.com/saronic/spetses/spetses-history/spetses-bouboulina.htm

https://badassladiesofhistory.wordpress.com/2014/06/13/laskarina-bouboulina/

http://www.ahistoryofgreece.com/biography/bouboulina.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAkWU-XaxLE

http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/Laskarina-Bouboulina

AMINA OF ZARIA: African Warrior Queen Extraordinaire

Amina Even Has A Stamp!

Africa has a deep and rich history going from the Pharaohs of Egypt to the golden coast of the Asasnte to the Dahomey Amazons. One of the greatest aspects of this continent’s legacy is the queen, or more specifically, the warrior queen. There were several but most are overlooked. One of those is Amina.

First, there are a few things that need to be addressed. 1) She was a real person but there isn’t that much detailed information on her. 2) Some argue that she never existed but that isn’t true. She was a real person. She really ruled over the Zazzau city-state in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. 3) She ruled over Zazzau, currently that region of Nigeria is called Zaria in the Kaduna state.

Map of Modern Nigeria, Kaduna is in pink.

Before the era of Amina, the Songhai Empire dominated West Africa. They collapsed after 2 centuries. The remains of the Songhai in modern day Nigeria were split up into the 7 city-states – Zazzau, Katsina, Kano, Gobir, Rano, Biram, and Daura. These are now known as the Hausa Kingdoms, after the Hausa people from that region. The kingdoms were active in trade with the Arabs and other African states. If you were trading goods through Africa, you had to trade with one of the kingdoms. Amina was born into the formidable family controlling this city-state. Her exact birthdate is unknown. Her grandfather, Zazzau Nohir, was Sarkin (king) when she was born. Not much is known about her early life. She had a brother and probably other siblings. Just like other powerful royal women everywhere else, she was allowed to be educated. She was even allowed to join the military.

Nohir passed in 1549. Amina was 16. Her mother Bakwa, became queen regent, making Amina Magajiya (heir apparent) after her brother’s reign. She was given formal responsibilities in running Zazzau by her mother. These included, a daily meeting with a council on city activities, and a ward position within the court. In addition, she joined the military. She specialized in the Calvary. While her mom was queen, there weren’t many opportunities for her to excel in the Army. Despite that, Amina became one of the top warriors to contend with. She proved to be a smart tactician, expert equestrian, and mastered every weapon.

Her mother ruled for 17 years. Bakwa died in 1566. Her brother, Karama, took over as Sarkin. Amina was next in line. Karama unlike his mother, liked war. This gave his sister a chance to prove herself as a warrior and leader. Over the 10 years, she expanded territory for her brother and continued her role as ward in Zazzau. In 1576, Karama died. This was Amina’s time to shine. She still led troops in battle and was frequently on campaign. The Zazzau territory reached the Atlantic coast under her reign. Even though, she frequently fought, defense was on high priority. Massive walls that are still around were built her encampments. Many of which are still standing in major cities across Nigeria.

Amina with a Sword.

Her sex life is legendary. She never married nor had any children. After battles though, she’d take a temporary husband from the opposing force. They would spend a night together. The next day, he would be killed. Amina didn’t want rumors and stories of her sexual exploits to be spread. It would ruin her hold on Zazzau. So she made sure that never happened.

While on campaign in 1610, her army was staying in Altagara. She just died suddenly, after 34 years as queen regent. Her life and adventures inspired the series, Xena: Warrior Princess.

I’d like to reiterate; she was an actual person that lived on Earth. The main claim for the opposite is that this society wouldn’t have allowed a woman to be regent in charge. There are plenty of examples from around the world of a woman ruling a country where it was unheard of (read the TSI’s on Czarevna Sophia, Ana Nzinga, Margrete I for examples). It’s just blatant sexism to make that claim. There isn’t much on her but that doesn’t mean she never existed either. The legends and stories about her are a testament to her huge impact on the Hausa and Nigeria.

Amina earned her spot in history but not many seem to care. She defied expectations and took it to another level. The world followed suit.

References:

http://www.blackhistoryheroes.com/2013/07/queen-amina-of-zaira-west-african.html

http://afrolegends.com/2014/01/17/queen-amina-of-zazzau-the-great-hausa-warrior-ruler-born-to-rule/

http://www.historyandwomen.com/2010/08/amina-of-zaria.html

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/medrenqueens/p/amina.htm

http://www.wisemuslimwomen.org/muslimwomen/bio/queen_amina_of_zaria/

http://www.nairaland.com/2382816/great-hausa-queen-amina-zazzau

http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/zazzua.html

http://historyofafricaotherwise.blogspot.com/2014/06/nigeria-amina-of-zaria-mint-religious.html

http://www.blackpast.org/gah/hausa-city-states

OLYMPICS SPECIAL VOL. 1 BETTY ROBINSON AND WYOMIA TYUS: The 100M Special

Ah! The Olympics, the apex of athletics, the gold standard of the gold standard of the gold standard. Every 4 years the very best in the wide, wild, wicked world of sports compete for the gold medal, some of those athletes live on forever like Carl Lewis, Flo Jo, Wilma Rudolf, Jim Thorpe, Mary Lou Retton, the list goes on but there are several others that get lost in the storied and complicated history halls of the Olympics. This edition of TSI will focus on the Women’s 100M Sprint and 4 X 100M Relay. The forgotten stars featured in the first Olympic special are Betty Robinson and Wyomia Tyus.

BETTY ROBINSON: 1928 – Amsterdam, 1936 – Berlin

Betty’s career in track and field was brief but explosive. August 23, 1911 Elizabeth Robinson was born to Harry and Elizabeth Robinson. The Robinsons resided in Riverdale, Illinois. Elizabeth, or Betty as she preferred, wasn’t immediately interested in sports. Betty attended school in Wayne, Illinois. She was accidently discovered by her high school biology teacher, Charles Price. Mr. Price was also the assistant track coach. Betty missed a train home. She sprinted with all she had to catch it (according to legend she actually made it). Price knew there was a track star in her. She ran the 100M and 4 x 100M Relay. According to her, “I had no idea that women even ran that. I grew up a hick.” She was 15 at the time.

Her first official race was at Soldier Field in Chicago. She came in second place…to the current women’s 100M record-holder, Helen Filkey. This was followed by the Olympic qualifying meet for the 1928 games. Any previous Olympics qualifier, she wouldn’t have been invited. This was the first time in Olympic history where women were allowed to participate in track and field against the wishes of Pope Pious XI and Baron de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics. Betty came in second and made the cut. By now, she had set a school record for the 100M and turned 16.

Betty was the only American to make it through the trial races and semifinal rounds of the 100M. Canada’s Fanny Rosenfeld was heavily favored to win the gold. Canada’s other sprinter, Myrtle Cook (also so-holder of the current world record time of 12.3 seconds) and Germany’s Helen Schmidt made false starts in the final race. They were disqualified, leaving only 4 runners. Betty narrowly won the gold with the world record time of 12.2 seconds. Second place’s Rosenfeld time was 12.3 seconds. Betty was 16 and the first women to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games. In the 4 x 100M Relay, the American Women team won silver to the Canadian team’s gold. Betty is still the youngest woman to win the gold in this event.

She received a diamond watch from Wayne, Illinois, a silver cup from her high school, and a golden globe necklace from Douglas MacArthur, the president of the Olympic committee. In September of that year she lowered the 100M record to 11.0 seconds. She continued to train and compete. A year later, she started attending Northwestern University where she set more world records for 60 yards, 70 yards, and 200 yards. Betty was an excellent shooter on the rifle team.

In 1931 however things took a downturn, while flying in a biplane with her cousin piloting. They ended up crashing. Her cousin was still alive. She was discovered and declared dead at the scene but the undertaker clarified that she was alive. Betty was in a coma for a time but woke up. She needed several years of recovery. The crash left her with severe cuts, a broken left leg, crushed left arm, and a concussion. Her leg needed a silver rod and pins to keep it intact. She was inactive in sports until 1934.

She resumed training but couldn’t bend her left leg into a starting position anymore, only a standing one. The 100M was out of the question but the 4 x 100M wasn’t. She was on the 1936 4 x 100M team with Harriet Bland, Annette Rogers, and Helen Stephens. Betty was third leg. They managed to win the gold medal even though Betty’s past few years. The German team had the lead until a baton mishap threw them off. No one thought this would have happened. A mere 5 years ago, Betty was dead and she won the gold medal again.

Shortly afterwards, she retired from athletics. Betty never received any endorsement deals and couldn’t play any professional sports. She ended up finding a living elsewhere. She married Richard Schwartz in December 1939. The couple had 2 children and 3 grandchildren. Betty was inducted in the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1977, among others. She represented the Girls’ Athletic Association and Women’s Olympic Athletic Association throughout her life speaking to numerous communities and schools.

She died on May 21, 1999 from Alzheimer’s.

WYOMIA TYUS: 1964 – Tokyo, 1968 – Mexico City

Unlike Betty, Wyomia was a natural athlete from an early age. She was born in Griffin, Georgia on August 29, 1945. Her parents, Willie Tyus, worked on a dairy farm, and, Marie Tyus, was a laundry lady. They had very different ideas on whether or not their only daughter should play sports. Marie deemed it inappropriate for a lady but her father was the opposite. As the youngest of 4, she followed her brothers into sports. They attended segregated schools throughout their early years. There wasn’t much encouragement in her becoming an athlete but she kept at it.

In high school, she found basketball. After a while, she tried out for track and field. Wyomia wanted to be a high jumper but found her real specialty was the 4 x 100M and the 100M. Legendary track coach, Edward Temple, from Tennessee State University saw Wyomia at the Georgia State Championship. She was 15 but he knew she needed to be on his team. Temple invited her to his track and field camp that summer. In 1962, she went to the Amateur Athletic Union championship, won the 100M and set a new American record. The next year’s championship, Wyomia came in second to Edith McGuire.

Wyomia received a scholarship to TSU in 1963. Making her the first person in her family to attend college. She won several AAU titles while there. Narrowly, she made the team for the 1964 Olympic games. For the 100M, Wyomia won the gold. For the 4 x 100M, the American team won the silver. Despite the international success, her mother still didn’t like her only daughter playing sports. This was also the first time Wyomia beat Edith McGuire in the 100M. Regardless of what her mother wanted, she went to the 1968 Olympics. There was talk of a boycott from the African American athletes due to racism and threats but she along with a few others including Tommie Smith and John Carlos went. For the second time, she won the gold in 100M. This was the first time a person won the 100M in two consecutive Olympics. The next person to do this was Carl Lewis, 20 years later. Also the American team won the gold for 4 x 100M. Wyomia did not make the Black Power salute when she won her medals but she did dedicate them to John Carlos and Tommie Smith, who did.

Just like Betty, Wyomia retired after her second Olympics. She had no endorsements and had to find work elsewhere. She served as a goodwill ambassador to Africa working with training clinics and encouraging girls to participate in sports. She was invited to the Professional International Track Association in 1973. After two years as a pro she won 22 out of 36 races. Following this, she became a physical education teacher in the Los Angeles area. After getting married a second time, had 2 children. Billie Jean King, Wyomia, and several other female athletes formed the Women’s Sports Foundation in the mid-70s.

She still resides in the LA area now.

Both of these women deserve to be remembered more than they currently are. Both of them broke boundaries and made history. Betty came back from the dead. Wyomia went from a small farm in Georgia to the world’s fastest woman in her prime. They are some of the greatest athletes to grace the Olympic track and the world.

Sources

http://www.olympic.org/news/betty-robinson-athletics/179776

http://www.anb.org/articles/19/19-00969.html

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/21/sports/betty-robinson-a-pathfinder-in-women-s-track-dies-at-87.html

http://www.teamusa.org/News/2015/April/28/Betty-Robinson-The-Gold-Medalist-Who-Came-Back-From-the-Dead

http://www.usatf.org/halloffame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=137

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/sports-outdoor-recreation/wyomia-tyus-b-1945

http://www.usatf.org/halloffame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=175

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/trackandfield/p/wyomia_tyus.htm

http://www.olympic.org/wyomia-tyus

http://sports.jrank.org/pages/4987/Tyus-Wyomia.html

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121259662999045367

TSAREVNA SOPHIA ALEKSEYEVNA ROMANOVA: Peter the Great’s Lesser Known but Much More Interesting Sister

When most people think of the Russian Tsars the names that pop up are Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and Nicholas II. Believe it or not, there were multiple female tsars. The first and arguably most influential of them being Tsarevna Sophia Alekseyevna.

Sophia in royal wear.

September 27, 1657 Tsar Alexis I aka Alexis the Quietest and Tsarina Maria Miloslavskaya introduced a baby girl to the Russian Kingdom. That girl was Sophia Alekseyevna Romanova. She had 12 siblings, most prominently among them were Feodor III, Marfa, and Ivan V. Sophia, like her several sisters were kept in their quarters for most of their childhoods. They were deemed too precious for the public to see. A red silk curtain was even put in place to obscure them from visitors. Both Feodor and Ivan were frequently ill. Ivan was born blind. Among the 13 kids, Sophia was the natural leader.

Sophia swiftly made a strong impression on her father. Like Ana Nzinga, her father allowed her to be educated. She was the only daughter that had any interest in education and was shown all the aspects of ruling a country from the Court to dealing with Nobles to diplomacy. Even though it was taboo, she convinced her father to let her get an education equal to her brothers. Since she was a woman, it was very unlikely that she’d become Tsar. I mean, c’mon that’ll never happen. The children were taught by the top notch teachers in Europe, Simeon Polotsky, Silvestre Medvedev, and Karion Istomin. Intelligent and clever, Sophia was fluent in French, Latin and Polish as well.

Her mother died in March 1669. Sophia was 11. It was expected that Alexis was going to remain unmarried but nope. In 1671, he married Natalya Naryshkina. She only had 3 children. Peter Alekseyevna (the Great), Fyodora Alekseyevna, and Natalya Alekseyevna (grew up to be a prominent playwright). Alexis died in 1676 leaving the throne empty. Next in line was Feodor III. No one was exactly excited about this given his routinely poor health. However, Sophia served as his key advisor. His reign was brief and unimpressive. He passed away on May 7, 1682.

Her brother Feodor III as Tsar

Feodor was married twice but had no children. This created a problem. Ivan was next in line but Peter wasn’t having it. Several Boyars (nobles) supported Peter where the military and specifically the Streltsy (royal guard) wanted Ivan. He was not a strong leader, sickly, and blind. Peter on the other hand was immediately a natural leader and politician. Sophia did not like her step mother or her step mother’s family, especially Peter. Sophia wanted Ivan on the throne. She had a plan but before it could get started, the Streltsy rebelled.

Several rumors were abound regarding the two tsarovichs-in-waiting. The Streltsy commander, Ivan Khavansky, caught word that Tsarovich Ivan was killed by the Naryshkinas. He gathered a mob of his men and marched to the palace where the boys were staying. Along the way ravaging Moscow. They demanded to see Ivan. The Boyars there, presented Ivan and Peter. The Streltsy were happy but still furious. Some of the Boyars at the Palace were calming them but then fellow Boyar, Mikhail Dolgorukiy, spoke up. He undid the cool down from his allies. The Streltsy grabbed Mikhail and lynched him. They stormed the palace killing any Naryshkina in sight. After the raid, Boyars had several military commanders executed. Amid the chaos, Sophia asserted her power. Instead of having one tsar, have two. Both boys were still too young to rule so she’d be the regent in charge. Not many were happy about this but it’ll do for now.

Immediately, she had a problem. The Streltsy that raided the palace went rogue. They were still dangerous. Ivan Khavansky moved his troops to a monastery outside of Moscow. Sophia caught word that he planned to kill the entire royal family. She sent troops after him. He surrendered on September 27, 1682. She ordered his execution. Everyone knew she was serious and in charge.

Khavansky was replaced by Fyodor Shaklovity, who was also one of her key advisers along with Vasili V. Golitsyn (he was also her lover). One of her goals was to modernize Russia on par with the rest of Europe, it was difficult but she made some progress. Some of her major achievements during her reign include shrinking the number of Streltsy in Moscow, reforming Serf law by allowing the capture of fugitive serves, allowing peasants to permanently move of the city (which angered the Boyars), commissioning the first higher learning institution in Russia. It was the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy. She also established several treaties instead of fighting wars. One of the treaties, the Treaty of Nerchinsk, was used to define the border between Russia and China.

Peter the Great, terrible half brother and person

Towards the end of her regency, she entered in an alliance with several other European nations to fight the Ottomans in the Crimea. This was a massive failure. By this point, Peter was of age to rule. Sophia was not married and had no children. Her only hope was Ivan but that was a lost cause. Peter fled Moscow, seemingly out of nowhere. While his half-sister was busy ruling a country, he was getting in the good graces with the Boyars. Sophia demanded that Peter report back to Moscow. He ignored her. She couldn’t order his execution, he was of royal blood. To make things worse the Boyars were going flocking to him. She lost supporters by the day. Sophia surrendered her title in 1689. She only ruled for 7 years.

Peter co-ruled with Ivan but he was really in charge. He couldn’t execute Sophia so he did the usual practice of sending her to a Convent. She wasn’t a nun but was held as a prisoner there. In 1698, a Streltsy unit tried to free her and restore her to power. This was a failure. Her sister Marfa helped in the rebellion and was sent to the Convent with Sophia. Sophia became a nun after this. She was kept in seclusion and seldom seen by anyone for the next few years.

Vasili, her lover and key adviser

Sophia died at the age of 46 on July 14, 1704. Peter the Great was an asshole. Unfortunately, she was portrayed as a fat, mean, old. stupid, hag. That was Peter’s propaganda but it’s still seen as valid by some. She was an intelligent, strong, clever woman that should have ruled longer than 7 years. She broke tradition, royal Russian women were supposed to just look pretty, stand in the background, and stay virgins unless married. A Russian scholar said, “They were born, lived, and died.” Peter is known for modernizing Russia but he picked up where Sophia left off. Again, Peter the Great was an asshole and shitty brother.

References

http://historyandotherthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/05/sophia-alekseyevna-of-russia.html

http://www.prlib.ru/en-us/History/Pages/Item.aspx?itemid=928

http://madmonarchist.blogspot.com/2012/01/royal-profile-tsarevna-sophia.html

http://russia-ic.com/people/general/r/541

http://www.self.gutenberg.org/articles/sophia_alekseyevna

http://www.prlib.ru/en-us/history/Pages/Item.aspx?itemid=542

Lincoln, W. Bruce. “Chapter 1-2.” The Romanovs: Autocrats of All the Russias. New York: Dial, 1981. N. pag. Print.

QUEEN ANNA NZINGA: The Humiliator of the Portuguese

This has taken far, far, far too long but I am finally tackling African history. I’m sorry and formally apologize for that. Also there are several spellings of her name, so I’ll refer to her as Nzinga to keep it simple.

Now, to the fun part, or not so fun part. The time is the 1500s CE, the slave trade in Europe was booming. Several prominent nations had strong claims in Africa and began colonization worldwide. Portugal had established a strong position in West Central Africa, using the standard method of capturing people against their will for slavery in colonies around the world.

Naturally, not everyone involved was happy about this practice. In 1582, the French and British were making strong moves cutting into Portuguese trade. The Portuguese had begun raiding the Ndongo and Mbundu Kingdoms in modern day Angola as a result. That same year, Nzinga was born to Ngola (king) Ndambi Kiluanji and Kangela, Kiluanji’s 2^nd wife. Nzinga was given her name because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck when she was born. She had a brother, Mbandi, and 2 sisters, Kifunji and Mukambu.

Her father had fought the Portuguese once they started taking his people and stealing his silver mines. The Portuguese called them the Angola because they were too lazy to actually learn anything about the Ndongo or Mbundu peoples. They mistook the word Ngola as Angola.

Nzinga was the favorite child. Kiluanji showed her all aspects of ruling a kingdom from military operations to diplomacy to dealing with other nobles. He even regularly took her on military campaigns and hunting trips. She received military training and knew how to hunt. In addition to this she received a top notch education. She was even fluent in Portuguese, which came in handy down the road.

Her father attempted to work with the Portuguese diplomatically but it never worked out. Mbandi took over in 1617. His father died under mysterious circumstances. He kept on fighting the Portuguese. This went rather poorly. After 5 years, he was desperate. Diplomacy was the only choice but who should he send?

Nzinga left Kabasa, the Ndongo capital, with an entourage for Luanda, the nearest Portuguese port. The resident colonial governor, Joào Corria de Sousa, had only one chair for this meeting. It was for him. He had an Mbundu floor mat for her. This sounds like it shouldn’t matter (but hear me out first). In Mbundu culture this floor mat was reserved for those inferior to you while you had a chair or stool. Nzinga was his equal, and proved it. She had her a servant get on all fours as her seat. The Portuguese were wildly caught off guard and actually took her seriously as a result. A peace treaty was reached. A large part of the success came from her getting baptized as a Christian and taking the name Donna Anna de Sousa after Joào’s wife.

Upon her return to Kabasa, her brother died. It’s murky how this happened. Some speculate that she had her brother killed, some believe that he killed himself, some believe that he was killed by a third party. Either way, it was Nzinga’s time to shine. Her claim to the throne was challenged since the Ndongo Kingdom was still a relatively new centralized kingdom and several nobles didn’t want a woman ruling them. However, she had the support of the military. Also her son, Kaza was too young to rule so he was she ruled in his place. He died under mysterious circumstances shortly after her crowning. Some suspect that she had him killed but there isn’t enough evidence to really support this. This probably isn’t the case. Her sisters served as her key advisers. She was given full regent powers. She was the first female Ngola.

Under her reign, things turned ugly quickly. The Portuguese saw this moment of weakness and attacked Kabasa. They annihilated the city and burned it down. Ngola Nzinga had to move her people out of Kabasa. She moved the capital to Kidonga with the refugees from Kabasa. She lost the Ndongo kingdom but formed a new one, the Matamba Kingdom (centralized at Matamba in 1630). She had worked out more peace treaties with the Portuguese but only she actually honored them. The Portuguese continued to pester Nzinga forcing her to relocate a few more times and form a new army. In order to secure even the slightest buffer from the Portuguese, she allied with the Imbangala state nearby. In addition, she also renovated the military with the Kilombo. These were villages where boys were sent to be trained for the military.

Nzinga is seen smoking in this engraving.

In the meanwhile, a puppet king was put up in Ndongo. Philip, he was related to Nzinga but she didn’t officially recognize him as the Ngola. One of her sisters was captured in the skirmish of various battles. She luckily found a way to still communicate with Nzinga.

During the 1630s, Nzinga herself, led troops in resistance. These campaigns heavily utilized guerillas tactics given the stark differences in weapons technologies. By 1639, the Portuguese were tired of fighting not only was Nzinga stronger than they thought but the neighboring kingdoms and states as well. A Portuguese priest and soldier were sent to discuss a peace treaty but these failed. They made some headway but not enough.

The fighting continued after the attempt at peace. In 1641, the Dutch with the Kongo kingdom seized Luanda. Quickly, they realized the Portuguese were the real enemy. They united. Nzinga moved her capital to Kavanga at this point. A few years later in 1644, with the allied kingdoms crushed the Portuguese at Ngoleme, a major Portuguese settlement, but did not completely defeat them. They regrouped and gave the united force a massive defeat at Kavanga in 1646. At this point, Nzinga’s other sister was captured and they raided her archives. The sister that had been a prisoner, for close to 10 years, was sending Nzinga Portuguese plans. That sister was drowned in the Kwanza River.

The Dutch helped by sending reinforcements and the fight continued. They assaulted the Portuguese capital at Masangano but again the Portuguese took her capital in retaliation. The war went back and forth for almost a decade more. Nzinga resisted until 1657. They signed a peace treaty. Each side honoured it this time. It even had a clause that made the Portuguese help her regain power, she didn’t have a living son to pass the throne onto. They attempted to marry off a noble or two but it never worked out. She still wasn’t safe from attempts by usurpers but none succeeded. She got the Ndongo Kingdom back and still reigned in the Matamba Kingdom. She transformed the kingdoms into economic powers. They became formidable for their businesses as opposed to military like before.

Nzinga’s Funeral.

Ngola Nzinga died on December 17, 1663 peacefully at the age of 82. She fought in battle with her soldiers until her 60s. She offered refuge for former slaves. She was a vocal advocate for women. As much as she used war, she attempted peace. She was widely respected, even by the Portuguese. She should be known by everyone in every history class but she isn’t. She even had a harem of men that would fight to spend a night with her. She was in charge and everyone knew it.

It took a few more centuries before the Portuguese finally conquered the Ndongo and Matamba.

References

https://madamsabi.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/queen-ana-de-sousa-nzinga-mbande/

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002301/230103e.pdf

http://afrolegends.com/2013/03/18/queen-nzingha-great-queen-of-angola/

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/medrenqueens/p/nzinga.htm

http://rainqueensofafrica.com/2011/05/nzinga-of-ndongo-and-matamba/

http://www.blackhistoryheroes.com/2011/03/queen-ana-de-sousa-njinga-mbande-of.html

http://www.blackpast.org/gah/queen-nzinga-1583-1663

http://www.amazingwomeninhistory.com/anna-nzinga-mbande-fearless-africa-queen/

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pwmn_2/hd_pwmn_2.htm

http://africanhistory.about.com/od/biography/fl/Queen-Nzinga-African-Leader.htm

http://www.historyisfun.org/pdf/Curriculum-Materials/AngolanConnection.pdf

MARGARET I: Scandinavian Overlord and Overlooked Woman

Margrethe I (alternate spelling Margaret I)

When it comes to medieval monarchs, the typical names that always pop up are William the Conqueror, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Vlad the Impaler, Richard the Lionheart, Elizabeth 1, Alexander Nevsky, among others. A glaring omission is always Margaret I. For the rest of the article I’ll use this the proper Danish spelling of Margrethe.

In 1353, Helvig of Schleswig, wife of Danish king Waldemar 4^th Atterdag (pronounced Valdemar), gave birth to her 6^th and last child. Margrethe was born in the royal estate at Vordingborg, Denmark. Her father was of the House of Estridsen. This family had been in power in Denmark since 1047, starting with Thorgil Sprakling. Waldemar was called Atterdag. The exact meaning of Atterdag is lost. Margrethe’s mother was forced into the Esrum Abbey. Waldemar accused her of having an affair. Helvig was quickly replaced with a mistress, Tove.

Margrethe’s early life isn’t well-documented. On April 9, 1359, her father arranged a marriage between her and the Norwegian king (since 1355) and Swedish Prince Haakon 6^th. This was part of an alliance treaty. The tracks were now laid for Margrethe’s eventual rise to power. She and Haakon didn’t speak or communicate much leading up to their marriage. In 1362, Haakon was crowned king in Sweden. This wouldn’t last long. His reign was a mere 2 years.

Haakon and Margrethe married in Copenhagen in 1363. She still lived with her father for a few years after getting married. Only a year later, Haakon lost the Swedish throne to the Mecklenburg’s Albert 2^nd. Albert was Margrethe’s cousin through her paternal aunt, Euphemia. The Mecklenburgs would remain a constant thorn in Margrethe’s side for the coming decades.

Young Haakon 6th with his mother Blanche of Namur

December 1371, Margrethe had a son, Olaf. He was their only child. Waldemar Atterdag died 4 years later from a mismanaged case of gout. Some sources say that Waldemar wanted Olaf to be his heir but others say otherwise. The two candidates were Olaf from the Estridsens and Albrekt from the Mecklenburgs. Even Pope Gregory XI supported Albrekt. The Danehof, Danish royal court and executive branch, voted for Olaf to replace his grandfather. He was chosen because he was directly in line for the Norwegian crown as well. Since Olaf was a toddler, Margrethe was regent until he was of age to be king. Women weren’t given this much power but given the political security with Norway, they allowed her to rule in his place. Haakon was too busy for the position. Olaf was crowned Olaf II of Denmark May 23, 1376. His official title was “Olaf, King of Denmark, Sclavonia, and the Goths.”

Margrethe managed the country well and expanded royal power. She built a reputation as an autocrat and someone no one questioned. Things took a dark turn on May 1, 1380. Haakon died. The exact cause of death is not known. She didn’t remarry after his death. Olaf was crowned King Olaf IV of Norway. Norway had strict rules with ascending to the throne, women were not allowed to be the primary regent but since Olaf was still a child they allowed Margrethe to reign in his place. She successfully ran these two countries for the next few years. There were some hiccups during this time. The Hanseatic League, a powerful association of merchants with political power, had taken Danish land in 1384. They never wanted Olaf to be Danish king and had been working with the Mecklenburgs to dispose Margrethe. In 1386, she retook all the land she gave up to Albrekt and threw him out of Denmark.

In 1385, Olaf ascended to the Norwegian and Danish thrones but she was the power. Olaf died suddenly on August 3, 1387.

Exactly one week after this, she was made the “Kingdom’s Guardian,” by the Danish Danehof. Her official title was, “Lady and the Householder.” She had all the powers of a queen except the title. Norway followed suit a year later and let her keep ruling. Her Norwegian title was, “Mighty Mistress and Master of the House.” She had the powers of a queen but not the title. In order to make sure she had a power base, she adopted her nephew Erik of Pomerania. He was heir to the Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian thrones. His birth name was Bugislav, she changed it to the more common name of Erik.

The Swedish nobility was divided at this point. Half of them supported Margrethe and the other half supported King Albrekt. They chose Margrethe to rule Sweden. Albrekt rebelled with his own army and German allies in 1389. Margrethe fought back with a combination of Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish forces. After a few months her military had captured Albrekt and crushed the rebellion. She was now officially Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

After 6 years of being a captive Albrekt was freed according to the Compact of Lindholm. The Compact stated, he had to pay Denmark 60,000 silver marks within 3 years. If not, she gets Stockholm. Albrekt failed to pay in time so Margrethe got Stockholm in 1398.

King Albrekt of Sweden’s tomb with his wife Agnes of Brunswick-Luneberg

She only had power as long as Erik was still underage to be king of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. In order to solidify her position, she planned on unifying her kingdoms she ruled when Erik was crowned in the all 3 nations. He became Erik VII of Denmark and Erik VIII of Sweden in 1396. A year later he became Erik III of Norway. On Trinity Sunday, June 17, 1397 a congress of representatives from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden agreed to unify as the Kalmar Union. They met at the Kalmar Castle in Sweden. The actual Treaty of Kalmar was never completely ratified and was only a single draft and then sealed away. He was not the king of Kalmar Union yet.

One of Erik’s Coronations

Under the Kalmar Union, the 3 countries were in a defense alliance. It functioned similar to NATO. Each nation was basically independent but still identified as a unified political body. They still had their laws, culture, customs, militaries, and the like. Technically, it began in 1389 in the fight against Albrekt. The main purposes for the Kalmar Union was to maintain peace in Scandinavia and centralized her power.

Erik took over the Kalmar Union in 1401. Margrethe was still the real leader that managed the Union. Erik was more or less a puppet king.

During her reign, she renovated the Danish economy by replacing copper coins with silver coins. This boosted the economy and Denmark as a whole. The Catholic Church became a strong presence in Scandinavia. She built many churches and donated to the Catholic Church. Margrethe made it a point to stay out of international business as a whole. Margrethe refused alliances with other nations. Margrethe is the only queen to reign in Norway, first of only 3 queens to reign in Sweden, and first of only 2 queens to reign in Denmark. She left her mark on Scandinavia and Europe’s history as one of the most powerful women and monarchs.

The Danish Flag was used as the Kalmar Union flag.

Her several royal titles include: “Margrethe, by the Grace of God, Waldemar Daneking’s Daughter,” “Denmark’s Rightful Heir,” “Mighty Mistress and Master of the House,” and while married to Haakon VI “Margaret, Queen of Norway.” She only had the title of queen when she was married to Haakon and had no influence. Pope Boniface IX called her, “Queen of Denmark,” and, “Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.”

Her private life is largely unknown. She was both a powerful public figure and a ferocious force behind the scenes. Margrethe’s legacy and achievements are largely overlooked. She deserves to be remembered as one of Europe’s most influential and powerful leaders.

Margrethe I died suddenly from unknown causes onboard her own ship in Fleusborg harbor October 28, 1412.

References:

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/en/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/kalmarunionen-1397-1523/

http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atlas/scandinavia/union.htm

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Margaret_I_of_Denmark

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/medrenqueens/a/Margaret-Of-Denmark.htm

http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/margaretden.html

https://books.google.com/books?id=f_jLbHTM_zgC&pg=PA408&lpg=PA408&dq=estrid+dynasty&source=bl&ots=1ibkTAQzeC&sig=ivJhtlh3ZX0kf8_r227sfK0m3dU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dUFiVan8IMWngwTP_oG4Dg&sqi=2&ved=0CFEQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=estrid%20dynasty&f=false

http://history-world.org/Union%20Of%20Denmark,%20Sweden,%20And%20Norway.htm

https://nbl.snl.no/Margrete_Valdemarsdatter

http://www.sverigeturism.se/smorgasbord/smorgasbord/society/history/kalmar-union.html

http://www.countriesquest.com/europe/denmark/history/the_kalmar_union_and_the_reformation.htm

http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Norway_until_the_Kalmar_Union,_1397

http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/MedScan.html

http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsEurope/ScandinaviaNorway.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/kalmar-union.htm

http://www.nrk.no/kultur/margrete-valdemarsdatter-1.896608

https://snl.no/Margrete_Valdemarsdatter%2Fdronning

http://www.nndb.com/people/080/000095792/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyv1ixhbfXY

https://tidsskrift.dk/index.php/historiejyskesamling/article/view/15612/29911

http://www.spokeo.com/Helvig+Of+Schleswig+1

https://bora.uib.no/bitstream/handle/1956/6301/Dr.thesis_Frode%20Hervik.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://books.google.com/books?id=PFBtfXG6fXAC&pg=PA360&lpg=PA360&dq=danehoffet+definition&source=bl&ots=5cAKS8HGlf&sig=Yh_4Z_vKDlphxEo-lUQn-z9rYFs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAGoVChMIp9PkrredxwIVQzY-Ch1JgwND#v=onepage&q=danehoffet%20definition&f=false

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/danehof/

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/betaenkning-om-rigets-styrelse-1377/

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/valdemar-atterdag-ca-1321-1375/?no_cache=1&cHash=db697e32c1fe584f3fefb82f9047707f

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/haakon-6-1340-1380/?no_cache=1&cHash=c265a1e4209c3c88e65daaf0c9e074e0

https://books.google.com/books?id=52nTAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=margaret+i+of+denmark&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCAQuwUwAGoVChMI3qmswMSdxwIVxHA-Ch03pgDA#v=onepage&q=margaret%20i%20of%20denmark&f=false

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/margrethe-1s-testamentariske-gaver-1411/?no_cache=1&cHash=9bfa97da56b54a13fe8c511ebe1c9e17

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/erik-af-pommerns-kroningsdokument-13-juli-1397/?no_cache=1&cHash=1e3c89cd9177c405a1d36dd801c33f98

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/margrethe-1s-forordning-1396/?no_cache=1&cHash=74cd7d803b627a86273084bc6cb6ba29

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/margrethes-valg-til-fuldmaegtig-frue-10-august-1387/?no_cache=1&cHash=9b0b64b683dd5de9f7ab53b1d649bac7

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/kalmarunionen-1397-1523/?no_cache=1&cHash=f1315347cd29a0630b964e0ee0b4d6aa

https://snl.no/Kalmarunionen

https://snl.no/Hansaforbundet

http://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/margrethe-1-1353-1412/?no_cache=1&cHash=36c56c0d69529022fcc56392d39d6542

Rita Levi-Montalcini, 1909 – 2012

Very few women in Neurobiology have made a name for herself quite like Rita. Her father was a mathematician and engineer and her mother was a painter. Rita wanted to attend college and pursue a career. Her father was harshly against it but eventually relented. She graduated from the University of Turin in 1936 with a medicine degree. This was followed up by degrees in neurobiology and psychiatry. The Germans invaded Italy a few years later which caused them to go into hiding for a few years. In 1947, she was offered a job at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Her plan was to stay for a year at most, but was there for 30 years. Her career flourished and exploded from this point.

Throughout her career she received several awards. One of them is the Nobel Prize for Medicine/Physiology in 1986 with Stanley Cohen. They discovered Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF). She was the first woman inducted in the Enciclopedia Italiana board from 1993 to 1998. In 1963, became the first woman to get the Max Weinstein award for neurobiology among others. She died at the age of 103.

Chien Shiung Wu, 1912 – 1997

The “First Lady of Physics,” came from humble beginnings and became one of the greatest physicists in the 20^th century. She was born in Liuhe, China in the Taicang area. She had an early advantage since her father was a strong proponent for women’s education. He even started a school for girls in China. Chien went to a few different schools and finished top of her class. She immigrated to the United States to attend University of California. She received a Ph. D in Physics in 1940. She married a classmate from UC Berkeley two years later. They moved to the East Coast from here. She taught at Princeton and shortly after this was recruited to the Manhattan Project at Columbia University. She worked on developing Uranium for the bomb. After the war she remained at Columbia until her retirement. In 1957, she was excluded from a Nobel Prize for Physics that she worked on. The other people working with her did however. They were both men.

Aside from that she was actually recognized for other accomplishments. She was the first Pupin Professor of Physics, first woman elected to the American Physical Society, and first woman to get the Cyrus B. Comstock award. She retired in 1981 but still encouraged women to pursue mathematics and science until she died in 1997.

Maria Telkes, 1900 – 1985

The “Sun Queen,” was born in Budapest, Hungary. She initially became intrigued by solar energy when she noticed sunlight illuminating lightbulbs. She received a bachelor’s and Ph. D in physical chemistry from the University of Budapest. A few years later she moved to the United States. She started working for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in life-transformative energy. Her career shifted towards exploring solar energy at MIT. This is where she worked her most famous experiment. She and her colleagues built a solar powered house in Dover, Massachusetts. That house is still up and running.

A few years later she was hired by the Ford Foundation to build a solar oven that’s simple enough a child use. During her career, she found countless uses for solar energy and designed many, many products that utilized solar power.

Charlotte Riefenstahl, 1899 – 1993

There are many unsung heroes in the realm of science. Charlotte didn’t have a glamorous career in physics but she was a working consistently throughout it. She was born in Bielefeld, Germany. Charlotte was highly educated in mathematics and the natural sciences. She received her Ph. D. in 1927. At this time she was friends with Robert Oppenheimer and Fritz Houtermans. Both of them were courting her and she chose Fritz over Oppenheimer. They married and had 2 kids. Fritz was an active Communist in 1930s Germany. After Hitler took power she suggested they flee Germany. They left for England and stayed until Fritz got a job in the Soviet Union. They returned to Germany after a few years but divorced in 1943. 10 years later after another divorce Fritz remarried Charlotte. They divorced again after a few months. She got a job as a teacher and research assistant at Vassar College where she stayed for many years. She assisted her 2-time husband Fritz in his research and translated his work. She had a successful career in physics.

Maria Barbosa, Present

Marcia Barbosa is one of top physicists in the world and blazing the trail for women in science for the future. She received her doctoral degree at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in 1988, and followed that with a postdoctoral degree at the University of Maryland. Following this she worked in the physics department at the Universidade and now the director of the Physics Institute for the Universidade. She serves on many science and physics committee including the initial member of International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). She was awarded the American Physical Society Nicholson Medal in 2010. Also received the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Physics Award in 2013. She heavily works in gender equality and promoting women in the science world.

She is a specialist in hydrodynamics. Marcia focuses on water molecules and how it can be applied to treating diseases, predicting earthquakes, proteins molecules fold, generating clean energy, and many more areas. Marcia continues to prove that women not only have a place in science but deserve a place in science. This is only the beginning for Ms. Marcia Barbosa.

Ada Lovelace, 1815 – 1852

We wouldn’t have computer technology today if it wasn’t for Augusta Ada King aka Ada Lovelace. Her childhood was one of great privilege and prestige. She was the only (legitimate) child of George Gordon Byron better known to history as Lord Byron. When she was still very small her mother, Lady Anne Isabella Byron, separated from Lord Byron. She was given full custody of her child. Lady Byron didn’t want her daughter to end up like her father so she had her tutored primarily in mathematics and music. She was a natural. Ada was further encouraged to pursue math from Mary Somerville, a prominent mathematician. A few years later at one of Ms. Somerville’s dinner parties she heard Charles Babbage idea for a calculating engine. From this point Ada and Charles became lifelong friends. Ada promptly started helping with the calculating engine. They helped each other with various projects but had different ideas for the calculating engine. Charles just wanted to have it calculate and that’s about it. He had prior attempted to invent the difference engine, which he didn’t finish. Ada wanted this new calculating engine to basically be a computer as we know them today. She is considered one of the first, if not the first, computer programmers. She and Charles worked on 2 different engines, one is calculating and the other is an analytical engine. These were not finished unfortunately.

Ada married William King, Count of Lovelace, in 1835. They had 3 children. Throughout her life she suffered from various illnesses and passed from cancer at 37.

Eliza Frances Andrews, 1840 – 1931

Eliza is known as a prestigious writer but also was active in the science community. She was born in an upper class Georgia family. She was privileged and encouraged to be educated. After graduating from the LaGrange College in 1857, she wrote for several newspapers. Post-Civil War her family’s lost nearly everything. Eliza chose to remain independent and not get married. She became a full-time writer and built a legendary career.

This whole time she was interested in botany. It wasn’t until the 1900s that she finally made her lifelong love a career move. She wrote several textbooks on the subject and submitted thousands of botanical specimens for many studies. This provided her a comfortable living for the rest of her life.

Sofia Kovalevskaya, 1850 – 1891

Sofia didn’t live long but became one of the top mathematicians of all time. She was born into a minor Russian noble family. She had the nickname, “Little Sparrow” as a child. A love of math was introduced very early. Her father had calculus notes in place of wall paper around her nursery, this planted the seed. She taught herself trigonometry when she read a physics book and didn’t fully understand it. Her neighbor, Professor Tyrtov, encouraged her to continue on this path. He talked her father into allowing her more education. So Sofia went to St. Petersburg for school. After graduating she wanted to attend college and most universities at the time barred women. The nearest one was in Switzerland and required its female students to be married. Sofia married Vladimir Kovalevkaya just to attend college.  After graduating she continued tutoring under the best mathematicians. She became the first woman to receive a Ph. D in Math in 1874 from the University of Gottingen. She wrote 3 papers to get it. They were on the following topics, partial differential equations, Abelian integrals, and Saturn’s rings.

It took 6 years to get a job in math. Even though she had the best mathematicians supporting her, no one wanted to hire a woman for a math position. She taught math for elementary school girls. Vladimir killed himself in 1883. The next year she became the first woman hired to a university chair seat in Europe. Her star rose over the next few years. She met and fell in love with Maxim Kovalevsky, a sociologist. They had a tumultuous affair for a few years. They split shortly after. She won the Prix Bordin, an international award for mathematical achievement, for her paper, On the Problem of the Rotation of a Solid Body about a Fixed Point. She died from the flu three years later.

Agnes Arber, 1879 – 1960

In the world of botany not many have left a mark quite like Agnes Arber. She was born in London to the Robertson family. Her father was an artist and taught her various techniques something that she later used in her books. Her science teacher, Edith Aitkin Arber, fostered a love of botany in young Agnes. She won a botany scholarship and met Ethel Sargent, a plant morphologist, who became a mentor and colleague. Agnes first published botanical work appeared in her school magazine in 1894. She continued working in botany and met fellow botanist, Edward Arber. They married in 1909. It was a happy marriage until he died suddenly in 1918.

Her first book, Their Origin and Evoluton, came out in 1912. This was a history of botany. She followed it up with Water Plants: A Study in Aquati Angiosperms, Monocotyledons: A Morphological, and many more after these. She switched from science to philosophy in her later years after her health started failing. She was the first female botanist in the Royal Society.

Vilma Hugonnai, 1847 – 1922

In the world of medicine, she’s a trailblazer. She was the first licensed female doctor in Hungry. Her journey was a rocky one but she broke though and made it easier for other women in medicine. She was born into a noble family. She had an interest in medicine early on. Her mother had tuberculous and as a result, Vilma only got to see her a few minutes a day. This was where an interest in medicine began. She married George Szilassy, who was 20 years her senior. She was 18 at the time. As a bored housewife she saw an ad to work in a medical faculty at the University of Zurich. She saw that women can work there. Vilma graduated as a surgeon in 1879. She was offered several jobs as a surgeon but women weren’t allowed to be doctors. However, women could be midwives. She was a midwife against the behest of her husband. They divorced and she remarried an art professor, Vince Wartha. She was an active midwife for years. Vince liked and encouraged her independence. At this time she becomes very active in the Women’s Movement. She is one of the founders of the Hungarian National Association for Women’s Education along with noted Hungarian feminist leader, Palne Veres. In 1895, it became legal for women to be licensed doctors. On May 14, 1897 she became the first licensed female doctor in Hungarian history. During World War I she worked in military hospitals and received honors for her work. She died from congestive heart failure in 1922.

Louise Bourgeouis Boursier, 1563 – 1636

Much like Agnodice before her she was a practicing physician that specialized in childbirth. She took childbirth from rudimentary practice into a fully developed science. Most of what we know about her life is from her defense in a court case in 1627. She was born into a middle-class family. She married an army barber surgeon, Martin Boursier. During their marriage they had 3 children. Henry IV, the French King at the time, attacked Paris. Martin was away with the army forcing Louise and the kids to flee Paris. She had to sell off nearly everything the family owned to make ends meet for a while. She learned midwifery from Martin and applied a methodical approach to it. Some sources cite she attended a school for midwifery but regardless she learned it from someone.

She was officially licensed to practice in 1598. After moving to Saint-Andre-des-Arts Louise established a practice and quickly built a wonderful reputation. In 1600, Henry IV was seeking a quality mid-wife. Louise was highly recommended and selected. She delivered 6 out of 6 of the king’s children. In 1609, she released her first book of several books on midwifery, Diverse Observations on Sterility; Loss of the Ovum after Fecundation, Fecundity and Childbirth; Diseases of Women and of Newborn Infants. It utilized common sense and basic knowledge that we don’t think twice about now. She was sued in 1627 after the death of a noblewoman in childbirth. She was blamed by numerous doctors for this. Louise didn’t take any of this and fought back. Her career continued and pushed the boundaries of midwifery.

Marie-Anne Pierette Paulze, 1758 – 1836

Her accomplishments are debatable given she was primarily just an assistant but she helped her husband Antoine Laurent Lavoisier. Her father was a lawyer whom when was of age to marry, went on the hunt for her future husband. Initially it was the ripe 50 yr old Count d’Amerval but her father declined. A young colleague of her father named Antoine Lavoisier, requested her hand in marriage and allowed it. She assisted her husband throughout his career and life but he was executed during the first French Revolution. She married another scientist in 1805, Benjamin Thompson. They divorced four years later. Allegedly she poured boiling water on his garden at some point. Not much is known about her after this.

Her exact role regarding her first husband is not clear. She was taught by him and learned the various sciences he employed. However, it is not explicitly recorded that she did actual the science. Regardless she has a place in the history of science that more people should know about.

Emilie Du Chatelet, 1706 – 1749

In a world where it was frowned upon for women to be educated and rise above, Emilie Du Chatelet was a broke through the atmosphere and kept going. Her father was a Baron and they lived a lavish high-class life. Young Emilie loved it. Like most children of royalty she was educated in a variety of subjects. Her passion was always mathematics even though she exceled in languages. She married Marquis Florent-Claude de Chalelet-Lomont in 1725 at the age of 16. They had 3 children. Their third child died after a year. During all this she pursued mathematics, science, and philosophy professionally. She had the best tutors teach her plus an innate interest and love for the subjects thus she was a natural.

In 1733 she took Voltaire as a lover. He first met her when she was still a child. They remained close friends and lovers until her death. In 1742, she had a 4^th baby from her other lover Jean-Francois de Saint-Lambert. She died in childbirth having Jean-Francois’s second baby. Her most famous work the Fiundations of Physics was completed in 1740. It was briefly in circulation but she did a major overhaul making it as perfect as she could. It covered God, metaphysics, and a variety of other subjects. It helped bring introduce Newtonian thought into the French Intelligentsia. Du Chatelet in short time became one of the top scientists of her era.

Ellen Hutchins, 1785 – 1815

Even though her career was very short she left a big impact in botany and bryology. Ms. Hutchins spent her school years with family friend Dr. Whitley Stokes. This is where her love of botany was fostered and grew into a career. She was introduced to other prominent botanists of the era who encouraged her further to pursue being a full-fledged scientist. Ellen specialized in cryptogams, plants that are non-flowering. She was an expert in mosses, seaweed, lichens, and ferns. Many new and rare species were discovered by her but she did not want her name attached to the discovery. So she didn’t get much credit for her years of work. She discovered half of the species identified in British Jungermanniae (1816). Some of her discoveries are featured in Smith and Sowerby’s English Botany volumes. Through her brother she is distantly related to Florence Nightingale. Due to illness she rarely left Bantry Bay. It’s believed she died of tuberculosis a few weeks before her 30^th birthday.

Jane Marcet, 1769 – 1858

Most of the people in this series were/are scientists or assisted scientists. Jane Marcet is an outlier. She wrote introductory books on science and politics. She was raised in wealthy Swiss family, the Haldimands that resided in England. Due to this Jane was able to receive an equal education to her brother. She was lucky enough to also learn mathematics and science. Jane married Alexander Marcet, a Swiss doctor. They attended lectures of Humphry Davy which inspired her to write Conversations on Chemistry. Her name didn’t appear on it until 1832. In this she simplified complex scientific principles. It was aimed at girls initially but children of all ages read it. It went through numerous editions and printings through the years. It was first used as a textbook in 1865 by the Boston Girls’ High and Normal School. Michael Faraday cited this as the reason he wanted to be a scientist. The book was followed by others on other subjects. She lived out her years with her daughter in London.