History Would Be So Very Lame If It Weren't For These 7 Badass Women
Today, we have a ton of badass women to look up to, from Queen Bey to the Notorious RBG. But contrary to the bulk of historical texts, women have been kicking ass since humans started walking upright.
In preparation for Women's History Month, which happens throughout the month of March, we're going to take a look back at some majorly baller broads.
Take it from these badass women who changed the world we're currently living in for the better.
Mary Lou Williams, Jazz Pianist and Composer
Born in 1910 in Atlanta, Mary Lou Williams led a successful career as a jazz musician before being the first woman to start her own recording company. Williams was a teacher and mentor to jazz greats Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk.
You can thank Mary Lou for basically all the greatest jazz there is.
Hedy Lamarr, Hollywood Starlet and Engineer
Your iPhone, and consequently the Kimoji app, wouldn't even exist if it weren't for Hedy Lamarr. Along with lighting up the silver screen, she partnered with George Antheil to invent a wireless communication system that perfected radio guidance for torpedoes during World War II.
Not only did Lamarr help win the war, she also laid the foundation for all the wireless communication systems we use today. Badass? Check.
Margaret Hamilton, NASA Scientist
Arguably the greatest event of the 20th century -- the moon landing -- would not have happened if it weren't for Margaret Hamilton.
That picture up there? Yeah, that's all the code she wrote by hand to make sure the landing went smoothly. And when a malfunction in the program threatened to derail the entire operation, she fixed it. Because she's a badass motherf*cka.
Maud Wagner, Tattoo Artist
Born in 1877, Maud Wagner was a hipster before hipsters even existed. As the first female tattoo artist in the US, she transformed a relatively underground practice into a bonafide art. So you can thank her for introducing the sleeve as a legitimate style accessory.
Also, she performed as an aerialist and contortionist in many a traveling circus, making it essentially impossible to be as cool as her.
Margaret Sanger, Birth Control Activist
Without Margaret Sanger, women might still be relying on voodoo to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Born in 1879 when any form of contraception was still very illegal, Sanger paved the way for the sexual revolution, the legalization of abortion and safe access to birth control, a term she coined herself.
In 1921, a mere year after women earned the right to vote, Sanger founded the American Birth Control League that would eventually evolve into Planned Parenthood.
While the battle for a woman's right to have ownership over her own body continues to rage on in 2016, Margaret Sanger deserves mad respect for the incredible foundation she built nearly a century ago.
Ada Lovelace, Mathematician
Think Steve Jobs was responsible for the first computer? HAH. You can thank Ada Lovelace for your MacBook Pro, considering she's thought to have written the very first computer program.
With the aid of her mentor, Charles Babbage, Lovelace helped build the first computer prototype during the early 1840s, called the "Analytical Engine." She did all of this by the age of 36 when she died, likely from uterine cancer.
Sojourner Truth, Abolitionist and Women's Rights Activist
OK, this one's a no-brainer for obvious reasons. After escaping from slavery in 1826 and winning a court case to free her son, Truth went on to fight for anti-slavery laws, women's rights and prison reform.
Her speech, "Ain't I A Woman?", might as well be the opus for feminists everywhere. I shudder at the thought of where we'd be right now without her bravery and superhuman badassery.
Citations: 11 amazingly badass women in history (NYLON)
