Alexandra Kollontai is the first woman People's Commissar, a fighter for women's liberation. She created a civil marriage, saved the USSR from war with Sweden, but her merits did not save her from accusations of espionage and legalization of prostitution.
Alexandra Kollontai began her personal life with a “Swedish family”. Contrary to her father’s will, she married for love a poor officer, Vladimir Kollontai, leaving two eligible suitors out of work: the emperor’s adjutant, Vladimir Tutomlin, and the general’s son, Ivan Dragomirov. The latter, after Alexandra’s refusal, shot himself in the heart.
Her husband adored her, but he failed to awaken his loving wife and homemaker in Kollontai. “I wanted to be free,” she admitted. Soon she found an outlet for herself in the person of Vladimir’s close friend, officer Alexander Satkevich, who settled in their family home. “I assured both of them that I loved them both - two at once,” Kollontai recalled her love triangle. Then, the situation began to weigh on her, she literally ran away from home, leaving for Switzerland to study economics, leaving her husband, lover and little son Misha. “I won’t go back to my old life again. Let my heart not withstand the grief that I will lose Kollontai’s love, but I have other tasks…” reads the entry in her diary.
Historians call Kollontai too revolutionary even for its era. Honest, straightforward, with a keen sense of justice, she was the first in everything, in the truest sense of the word. Alexandra represented that class of emancipated women who understood why they needed their newfound freedom. Alexandra’s most accurate motto would be this - “Freedom, justice, eros.”
She became the first woman minister in the world, several decades ahead of Golda Meir and. True, the position she took was called “People’s Commissar of Public Charity in the first composition of the Council of People’s Commissars.”
Alexandra Kollontai was also the world's first female diplomat when she was appointed ambassador to Norway in 1922, thanks to her strong connections with socialist movements in Europe.
Alexandra came from the noble Domontovich family, she was the general’s daughter. Not a single woman from the highest Soviet circles could boast of such secular manners as Kollontai possessed. But the refined Alexandra could sometimes be seen in a proletarian dress, hugging a drunken sailor. She knew how to be different - this “Valkyrie of the Revolution,” as she was nicknamed, who stood up for the liberation of the proletariat and women’s liberation.
For the first time, noblewoman Kollontai learned about the horrors of the life of a simple woman when she visited a weaving factory with her husband, out of curiosity. The dirty barracks, the gray faces of the workers, the dead child covered with rags in the corner - all this made an indelible impression on the sleek young lady. In the future, Kollontai will become one of the most prominent fighters for women's rights in history. Thanks to her, paid maternity leave, free maternity hospitals, kindergartens and sanatoriums, as well as a very scrupulous attitude to hygiene, which before Alexandra Russian women did not pay due attention to, will appear in Soviet Russia.
Family ties with Vladimir Kollontai, which remained only formal from the moment Alexandra left for Switzerland, weighed heavily on her. According to the laws Russian Empire a woman could divorce only with her husband's consent. However, her husband refused to give her this consent. Moreover, he himself already had a new companion. But soon Alexandra herself plunged into a passionate romance - with the People's Commissar for Maritime Affairs Pavel Dybenko.
Their first meeting was very romantic. During Alexandra's propaganda speech to the sailors on one of the ships, someone threw down the slipway on which she was climbing. And so young Dybenko grabs her in his arms, jumps into the boat and brings her to the shore. As Kollontai herself later recalled: “so I remained in this heap.”
Alexandra was impressed by Pavel, who was 17 years younger than her. In her diary she wrote: “This is a person whose predominance is not intellect, but soul, heart, will, energy. He is an eagle. I love the combination of strong will and mercilessness in him, which makes me see in him the cruel, terrible Dybenko.” The passion was mutual, and in 1918 Kollontai herself proposed to Pavel. This was the first marriage entry in the first civil registry book Soviet Russia. From that moment on, all Soviet citizens could officially get married in a matter of minutes, bypassing churches and weddings.
During the ambassadorial mission of Alexandra Kollontai, who during her life was ambassador to Norway, Mexico and Sweden, she more than once came under suspicion from the NKVD. She had many close friends and associates among foreigners, which in those days was considered great insolence and equated to treason. Stalin himself said that any foreign citizen could be a spy. In addition, Kollontai was a loving woman, which means, according to the Soviet leadership, in a personal conversation she could accidentally blurt out “something unnecessary.”
In 1937, shortly after the execution of Pavel Dybenko, with whom Kollontai no longer had any relationship at that time, and her ex-lover Alexander Shlyapnikov, she was urgently summoned from Stockholm directly to the office of the People's Commissar. All the questions related to Alexandra’s connections with her close friend Marcel Bore, a French communist who once broke relations with the USSR. Then Kollontai was released; in her diary there was an entry about this event: “It’s terrible to live.” The surveillance of her continued, and she lost Stalin’s trust. After her death, rumors began to circulate about certain lists of French intelligence agents recruited during World War II, which allegedly included the name Kollontai, who even had her own number - agent No. 338.
In the diplomatic field, Alexandra Kollontai has achieved incredible success. Thanks to her, he concluded a number of profitable trade agreements. She also saved the prestige of her homeland during World War II, proving that the bombing of Swedish cities by unidentified fighters was the work of Germany, and not the USSR. Germany used similar provocations to draw Sweden into the war as its ally.
But all these merits did not protect Alexandra, an old Bolshevik, one of the members of Lenin’s guard, from the suspicion of Stalin, who tirelessly saw her as a spy. In 1943, Kollontai temporarily left her post for health reasons and went to a suburban sanatorium in Stockholm. During the few weeks of her absence, her entire personal archive disappeared from the embassy, which, a few days later, was already in Moscow. All her letters, memories, notes were carefully studied by the NKVD. From the report of an NKVD employee, comrade Rybkin, it was stated that the archive was stolen with the help of his wife, Zoya Rybkina, an employee of the Soviet embassy in Sweden. She accused Kollontai of having suspicious and unknown connections to the government. And her cryptographer Petrov was suddenly announced as a French agent, recruited by French intelligence officer Gilberte Boinon. In March 1945, Kollontai was urgently summoned to Moscow. She was already over 70 years old and could only move in a wheelchair. She was forced to leave her post and was henceforth placed under house arrest “for life.”
Kollontai’s active struggle for women’s emancipation and the revolution in bourgeois family values led to the fact that the legalization of prostitution in the Soviet Union or such scandalous documents as, for example, the Decree of the Vladimir Council of Deputies “On the Emancipation of Women” began to be associated with her name. According to the latter, “since March 1, 1918, the private “right” to own women has been abolished in the city of Vladimir. Every girl who has reached the age of 18 is declared the property of the republic and is obliged to be registered in advance with the “Bureau of Free Love” under the “Committee of Vigilance” and has the right to choose among other men from 19 to 50 years of age a temporary cohabitant - a comrade.”
Alexandra Mikhailovna was also credited with the “Glass of Water Theory,” which denied love in relationships between a man and a woman and reduced everything to instinctive sexual need. The reason for the emergence of a connection between the name Kollontai and this theory was her statement: “For the working class, greater “fluidity”, less fixed communication between the sexes completely coincides and even directly follows from the main tasks of this class.” Indeed, in her works Kollontai wrote: “Bourgeois morality demanded: everything for a loved one. Proletarian morality dictates: everything for the collective! Eros will take its rightful place among the members of the labor union. It’s time to teach a woman to take love not as the basis of life, but only as a way to reveal her true self.” However, historians studying the first periods Soviet state, in particular Alexey Penzensky, consider all this a vulgarization of the deeper ideas of Alexandra Kollontai, who advocated not for “promiscuity,” but for absolute equality in the “new family.”
Semiramis, Cleopatra and Valeria Messalina
The most famous women in the history of mankind, according to the Samogo.Net portal, are Semiramis, Cleopatra and Valeria Messalina. Why exactly them, and not, say, Joan of Arc or Queen Elizabeth? The greatness of any historical figure is determined after many centuries, and sometimes even millennia. That is why it is up to our distant descendants to appreciate the greatness of the heroes of the Middle Ages or the New Age. So , this article is dedicated to the most famous women in history, the memory of whom has not been erased through the centuries.
Semiramis
Semiramis. This extraordinary woman is surrounded by an aura of legends and myths. The image of Semiramis absorbed the features of such goddesses of love and voluptuousness as the Aramaic Ishtar and the Armenian Shamiram. Semiramis lived at the dawn of ancient civilizations, and the fate of this queen, one of the most famous women in human history, was described five centuries later in the work “History of Assyria” by Ctesias of Cnidus, who was a doctor at the court of the powerful king of the Assyrian state.
As a result of the passionate love of the lake goddess Derketo for a mere mortal, a girl was born. When love faded, Derketo burned to ashes ex-lover, and abandoned the newborn in the rocky desert. The baby did not die: she was fed by pigeons, who stole milk and cheese from the villagers for her. The shepherds found the baby, sheltered her and gave her the name “Semiramis” (Shammuramat or Shamiram), which in Aramaic means “Born of a Dove.”
One day a court dignitary, noticing bright beauty girl, made her his wife. Sometimes he took Semiramis on military campaigns, which were often organized by the Assyrian king Nin. The woman’s amazing, demonic beauty could not go unnoticed by the ruler for long. The king fell in love. The distressed husband did not dare to resist this and committed suicide out of grief.
Nothing is known about Semiramis’s feelings for the ruler, but subsequent events indicate her extreme dislike for the ruler. They had a son. The concubine asked the king for a small gift: to make her the rightful ruler of the vast Assyrian empire for just one day. The Bishop was amused by such a request, and he agreed. Having put on royal clothes, the odalisque very decisively took advantage of the opportunity: having ordered the execution and burial of the king with the greatest honors, she declared herself an autocrat. So one day of power as a gift turned into 42 years of individual rule.
The reins of government of a huge country
For about half a century, the mistress firmly held the reins of government of a huge country, not allowing men to the throne, ordering the death of all her lovers after one night of passion, and leaving her heart free from attachment to one chosen one. The queen was an excellent strategist and tactician, subjugating new territories and annexing conquered states: the Assyrian power occupied the entire central part of the Middle East. Since then, Semiramis has been called those female warriors who glorified themselves in battles or showed leadership talent.
Semiramis tried to strengthen her power by building. Greek historians attribute to this most famous woman Ancient world honor of founding largest city- Babylon. The queen strove to make this city the greatest and most beautiful: amazing temples, high towers, a bridge that connected both banks of the Euphrates, wonderful palaces - all this was built by her. It is not for nothing that the hanging gardens, which more than two centuries after the reign of the great ruler were erected by King Nebuchadnezzar II in honor of his beloved Amytis, were named by the people after Semiramis - so great was her influence on the culture of Babylonia.
Legends surround the end of the reign of the famous ruler: upon returning home from another campaign, she learned that her son-heir was tired of waiting for the throne to become vacant and had formed a conspiracy against his mother. Having voluntarily abdicated the throne, Shammuramat turned into a dove and flew away...
Cleopatra
Cleopatra. Cleopatra VII Philopator - the most famous woman ancient world. She passed bright life path, full of wars, intrigues, adventures, amorous adventures, and became the last queen of the Ptolemies: a dynasty that ruled Egypt for three centuries. Roman historians and publicists Suetonius, Josephus, Appian, Cassius Dio, Plutarch and others left information about this legendary ruler. A negative opinion about her was formed under pressure from Octavian Augustus. Cleopatra simply fought for power: this way she could save the lives of herself and her children.
Historians say that after family troubles, the cause of which was the throne, the cruel Ptolemy XII dies, leaving the reins of power to his eldest daughter Cleopatra and youngest son Ptolemy XIII. Cleopatra married first to Ptolemy XIII, her younger brother, after his death with another brother, Ptolemy XIV. In antiquity, many royal houses entered into marriages within the family to maintain power.
The tense situation in Egypt worried Rome: the main supplies of grain to the Roman Republic came from there. Julius Caesar rushes to Egypt to conduct an inspection in this region, and most importantly, to overtake Gnaeus Pompey, with whom he fought. Cleopatra managed to arrange her first meeting with the commander witty and romantic: although her husband’s courtiers and spies posed a danger to her life, faithful servants delivered the charming woman, wrapped in a piece of cloth (carpet), to Caesar.
Caesar's passion
He was captivated and subdued. It was not only the beauty, grace and enchanting voice of the young lady that made Cleopatra the most famous woman of her time. The queen grew up and was brought up in Alexandria of Egypt: the center of culture and ancient science. Literature, philosophy and other disciplines were familiar to the girl. She played music, spoke many languages: Greek - her native one, learned Egyptian, which was unusual for Ptolemaic rulers, Persian, Aramaic, Judean, Latin and some dialects of Libyan tribes. This young woman was characterized by enlightenment and deep political thinking.
Caesar's passion for his favorite was so great that he invited her to Rome, intending to take her as his wife, and gave his name - Caesarion - to the boy born of Cleopatra, intending to declare him his heir. The Romans showed appropriate honors to the queen, but did not show delight in her presence. Democratic-minded republicans feared that the consul would rule alone, subjugate Rome to Egypt and make Alexandria the capital of the Roman state.
The dictator's ambitious claims and love for a foreigner caused discontent among the Roman aristocracy. In 44 BC. e. A conspiracy was drawn up and carried out by the senators: Caesar was killed. Left without a patron, the queen sought to retain power. She intervenes in the war that broke out over Caesar's inheritance. The Republican conspirators fought: Cassius, Cato and Brutus with Octavian, Caesar's nephew, future emperor, and the dictator's closest friend Mark Antony.
Administration of the Roman Republic
The ruler verbally helps the Caesarians. However, the governor Serapion, with her consent, sends Egyptian ships to help Cassius. An intelligent woman sought to prolong the military operations of the Romans and avert the threat from Egypt. The war ended in victory for the triumvirs, who shared control of the Roman Republic. Anthony got the eastern possessions. The meeting of Cleopatra with Mark Antony was inevitable. Thus began the most famous and tragic love affair in history.
For the next 10 years, the mistress ruled the state, replenished the treasury with military spoils, helped Anthony in military affairs, gave birth to a girl and two boys, skillfully restrained her lover, indulging his weaknesses and vices. Previously, at the request of Octavian, Antony married his sister Octavia, but now he announced his divorce from her and his marriage to Cleopatra, secured the future of their common children, giving them Roman territories, and recognized Caesarion as the heir of Rome.
Activity and death of Anthony
Anthony's activities lead to the indignation of the Romans and the aggravation of Octavian's antipathy towards him, who begins a war against the Egyptian. In the naval battle of Actium in September 31 BC. The fate of the famous lovers was decided. At the most crucial moment of the battle, the queen’s flagship suddenly left the battlefield. The commander, abandoning his troops, rushed after his beloved in a panic. They took refuge in Alexandria, but Octavian's troops overtook them.
Having plunged the sword into himself, Anthony died in the arms of Cleopatra. The queen tried to negotiate with the winner, but her charms had no effect on Octavian. Realizing that she had to return to Rome imprisoned in a cage, she made up her mind: she ordered herself and Anthony to be dressed in ceremonial royal clothes, sat down next to him on the throne and took a poisonous snake in her hands. The last of the Ptolemaic dynasty ended her life with the dignity of a great queen...
Valeria Messalina
Valeria Messalina. She was born at the beginning of our millennium and lived short life: from 20 to 48 years. Among her relatives were the most noble Roman families - the patricians. Blood ties connected her with four emperors, one of whom was the first emperor of the Roman Empire - Octavian Augustus. At the age of 14, Valeria became the wife of her cousin Emperor Claudius. She did given name a household name and became one of the most famous women in the world, becoming famous not for state achievements, not for triumphant victories, but for dissolute behavior.
Her actions surprised and shocked even the Roman aristocracy, mired in idleness and debauchery. Valeria Messalina is the most shameless and voluptuous woman in history. Among her many lovers were aristocrats, artists, comedians, and circus performers. Valeria managed to capture the heart of the aging emperor, who trusted and loved his wife. She gave birth to Claudia a son and a daughter. Messalina's influence on the emperor was so great that the Senate wanted to proclaim her Augusta, i.e. full ruler.
Poems were composed in her honor, gladiatorial fights were held, and statues were erected. The entire imperial entourage knew about Messalina’s debauchery, but were afraid to tell Claudius about it, because Valeria, by cunning and affection, could get him to fulfill any of her desires, whims and fantasies - including expelling him from Rome, depriving the fortune and lives of those in whom she I saw rivals and enemies.
Romance novels at court could not satisfy the empress: she was looking for more intense sensations. Roman historians Suetonius and Tacitus wrote: Messalina ran a brothel - a lupanarium, and often appeared there as a prostitute under the name Lisiski. She was amused by the lines of gladiators, dirty day laborers, and common people who lined up to satisfy their lust. She liked it when they took her for a cheap, corrupt woman, paid her in copper pennies for pleasures, and could insult her and even hit her. Valeria competed with famous prostitutes and won: she accepted more men per night than them.
Impunity breeds arbitrariness
Impunity breeds arbitrariness: Messalina needed undivided power over Rome. She decided to make her next favorite, Gaius Silius, emperor, with whom she seriously fell in love. The moment was right: Claudius was away on business in Ostia. Taking advantage of his absence, Valeria, in front of witnesses, performs the wedding ceremony and marries her lover, officially being in another marriage. Having learned about this event, the weak-willed Claudius for a long time did not dare to give any order. Then Tiberius Narcissus, his adviser, a former slave and freedman, himself gave the order to capture Messalina and execute Gaius Silius.
The Empress was sent under the supervision of her mother. The women prepared a petition for pardon, but this letter was not handed over to Claudius - enemies and rivals, outraged by Valeria's behavior, sought her death. In desperation, she tried to pierce herself with a dagger, but she was unable to do it herself. An officer sent by Tiberius Narcissus pierced the former mistress with a sword.
Soon the Roman Senate ordered the name of Valeria Messalina, the most famous woman of the libertine, to be forgotten, and Claudius solemnly vowed never to marry. This vow, however, did not prevent him from soon marrying his other niece, Agrippina, who had a child from her first marriage. Agrippina the Younger really wanted her son Nero to become emperor. Without waiting for the elderly Claudius to die a natural death, she gave him poison.
Nero took the throne. But he did not intend to share power with his mother, and made several attempts on her life. However, each time Agrippina managed to escape. Then Nero openly ordered the Praetorians to kill his mother. This was the beginning of the decline of mighty Rome...
They have amazing fortitude, are not afraid to take risks and are certainly ahead of their time. They delight, fascinate, change consciousness and history as a whole - 33 women who changed the world.
And if suddenly you lack inspiration right now, let their stories become the source of that very charge of energy with which you can achieve no less success.
French experimental scientist of Polish origin, teacher, public figure. Known for her research in the field of radioactivity, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics and chemistry, the first double Nobel laureate in history.
She was the lead software engineer on the Apollo manned lunar mission project, and in the photo above she stands in front of a printout of the code for the Apollo flight computer, much of which she wrote and revised herself.
American writer and television commentator, best known as the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon. The photo shows how difficult it was for her. A representative from the marathon organizers tried to force her away from the course and, according to Switzer, demanded that she “return her number and get the hell out of his marathon.” Photos of this incident appeared on the front pages of the world's leading publications.
The world's first female astronaut to fly solo. Flight to spaceship Vostok-6 lasted almost three days. By the way, Tereshkova told her family that she was leaving for a parachute competition; they learned about the flight from the news on the radio.
- Read also:
Leader of the suffrage movement in New Zealand. Exactly New Zealand became the first country where suffragists achieved success: in 1893, women received the right to vote in elections.
American writer and aviation pioneer who became the first female pilot to fly Atlantic Ocean, for which Amelia was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. She wrote several best-selling books about her flights, and also was one of the founders of the Ninety-Nine organization of women pilots and was elected its first president.
Famous Japanese suffragist and activist. In this photo, Kamako Kimura is captured at a march in New York dedicated to the fight for women's right to vote. October 23, 1917.
Along with the Irish Alice Perry, the Romanian Elisa Zimfirescu is considered one of the first female engineers in the world. Due to prejudice against women in science, Zamfirescu was not accepted into the National School of Bridges and Roads in Bucharest. But Eliza did not give up on her dream and in 1909 she entered the Academy of Technology in Berlin. Eliza led several studies that helped find new sources of coal and natural gas.
American public figure, founder of the movement for the rights of black citizens of the United States. During a bus ride in Montgomery on December 1, 1955, Rosa refused to give up her seat to a white passenger in the colored section of the bus at the driver's request after all the seats in the white section were occupied. This event led to a massive boycott public transport black population and brought national fame to Rosa Lee Parks. The US Congress honored her with the epithet “Mother of the modern civil rights movement.”
An outstanding Romanian neurosurgeon, it is generally accepted that Sofia was one of the first female neurosurgeons in the world.
The first known American female tattoo artist. Now, maybe there is nothing outstanding about how densely her body is covered with tattoos, but think for a moment how provocative it looked in 1907!
World famous Romanian gymnast. From early childhood, Nadia Comaneci was involved in gymnastics and received great pleasure from it. According to the athlete herself, playing sports gave her more opportunities than her peers, because already at the age of 9-10 she had visited many countries of the world. Comaneci made history as a five-time Olympic champion, the first in the history of artistic gymnastics to receive 10 points for her performance.
First woman pilot in Indian history. Sarah received her license at the age of 21.
World-famous Catholic nun, founder of the women's monastic congregation "Sisters of the Missionaries of Love", engaged in serving the poor and sick. From the age of 12, Gonja began to dream of monastic service and of going to India to take care of the poor. In 1931, she took monastic vows and took the name Therese in honor of the canonized Carmelite nun Therese of Lisieux. For about 20 years she taught at St. Mary's Girls' School in Calcutta, and in 1946 she received permission to help the poor and disadvantaged - to create schools, shelters, hospitals for the poor and seriously ill people, regardless of their nationality and religion. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for her work in helping suffering people.”
Romanian researcher who focused her activities on the fight against aging. Aslan founded the only Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Europe in Bucharest and developed a drug for elderly people suffering from arthritis, thanks to which they began to recover - they began to walk, regained strength, flexibility, and were even able to return to work and play sports. Ana also created the drug “Aslavital for children”, intended for the treatment of childhood dementia.
Australian professional swimmer. At the age of 6, Annette was diagnosed with a leg disease and to overcome her disability, her parents enrolled her in a swimming school in Sydney. At the age of 13, her legs were almost normal and at 15 she began swimming competitively. In 1905, 18-year-old Annette became the first woman to dare swim the English Channel. After three unsuccessful attempts, she stated: “I had the stamina, but lacked the brute strength.”. Annette also pushed for women to be allowed to wear a one-piece bathing suit (1907). After this photo, by the way, she was arrested for indecent behavior.
Italian neuroscientist, Nobel Prize winner, which she received for her discovery of growth factors. She decided to put her life on the altar of science and never regretted her choice, constantly emphasizing that her life was “rich in excellent human relationships, work and hobbies.” The researcher continued to be active after retirement. Rita Levi-Montalcini even established a special charitable foundation to help women from third world countries obtain higher education. She became the first woman admitted to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences; and in 2001 she was appointed senator for life of the Italian Republic.
Austrian leader of the international pacifist movement. In 1889, her book “Down with Arms!” was published. (“Die Waffen nieder”), telling about the life of a young woman whose fate was crippled by the European wars of the 60s. XIX century The world started talking about her as a leading peace activist. At a time when women took almost no part in public life, Suttner, an active peace activist, earned the respect of everyone, including Alfred Nobel, with whom she corresponded, informing him of the activities of pacifist organizations and encouraging him to donate funds to peace efforts. In 1905, Bertha became the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the second woman to receive Nobel Prize.
During World War II, Irena Sendler was an employee of the Warsaw Health Administration and a member of the Polish underground organization(under the pseudonym Jolanta) often visited the Warsaw ghetto, where she looked after sick children. Under this cover, she and her comrades took 2,500 children out of the ghetto. Irena Sendler wrote down the data of all rescued children on narrow strips of thin paper and hid this list in glass bottle. Following an anonymous denunciation, she was sentenced to death in 1943, but was saved. Until the end of the war, Irena Sendler went into hiding, but continued to help Jewish children.
First woman to swim the English Channel (1926). “Queen of the Waves” - that’s what they called her in the USA. She crossed the channel breaststroke, spending 14 hours 39 minutes.
Popular in the 1930s and 1940s, she was an Austrian and then American film actress, as well as an inventor. Hers is the kind of story that would be accused of implausibility if it were written for a feature film: a mysterious European Hollywood star and an avant-garde composer (we're talking about George Antile) come up with a story together. new way coding of signals that prevents them from being jammed. Lamarr, whose film career continued after World War II, not only saved many US Navy ships from enemy torpedoes (her technology was rediscovered and widely used in the 1960s, starting Cuban missile crisis), but also became the progenitor of the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standards.
British mathematician, considered the first computer programmer in history. At the very beginning of her studies in mathematics, she met Charles Babage, a mathematician and economist who connected his life with the idea of creating an “analytical engine” - the world’s first digital computer with program control. Humanity had to live for more than a century to understand the great meaning and significance of Babidge’s idea, but Ada immediately appreciated the invention of her good friend and together with him I tried to justify and show what it promises to humanity. In her hand, programs were written that were strikingly similar to the programs compiled later for the first computers. By the way, Ada is the daughter of the famous poet George Gordon Byron.
The legendary female sniper in world history comes from Bila Tserkva. During World War II, she took part in battles in Moldova, in the defense of Odessa and Sevastopol. In June 1942, Lyudmila was seriously wounded, after which she was evacuated and then sent to the United States along with a delegation. During her visit overseas, Pavlichenko attended a reception with US President Franklin Roosevelt and even lived for some time in the White House at the invitation of his wife. Many will forever remember her speech in Chicago: “Gentlemen, I am twenty-five years old. At the front I have already managed to destroy three hundred and nine fascist invaders. Don’t you think, gentlemen, that you’ve been hiding behind my back for too long?!”
Rosalind Franklin's role in the discovery of the structure of DNA, considered by many to be pivotal scientific achievement XX century, was belittled for many decades (which was greatly facilitated by Franklin's early death from cancer). Despite the fact that the decision of the Nobel Committee, which deprived Rosalind of her role as a prize and noted only James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, cannot be undone, the truth is the truth: it was Franklin's X-ray diffraction analysis of DNA that became the missing step that made it possible to finally visualize the double helix .
The famous English ethological researcher Jane Goodall spent more than 30 years in the jungles of Tanzania in the Gombe Stream Valley, observing the behavior of chimpanzees. She began her research in 1960, when she was 18 years old. At the beginning of her work, she had no assistants and, in order not to leave her alone, her mother went with her to Africa. They pitched a tent on the shore of the lake and Jane bravely began her wonderful research. Then, when her data became interested all over the world, she developed close contacts with scientists who came to her from different countries. Today Goodall is a UN Ambassador for Peace and a leading primatologist, ethologist and anthropologist from the UK.
Famous American tennis player, record holder for the number of victories at the Wimbledon tournament. On her initiative, the World Women's Tennis Association was created with its own calendar and prize money, no less than in men's tennis. Trying to establish equal rights for women in sports, in 1973 King played an exhibition match with the former first racket of the world, 55-year-old Bobby Riggs, who spoke unflatteringly about the level of women's tennis. King won a brilliant victory and literally crushed Riggs. It was from that moment, according to many experts, that tennis became one of the most popular sports among spectators, almost a national religion in the United States.
The American biologist Rachel Carson gained worldwide fame with her book “Silent Spring,” dedicated to the harmful effects of pesticides on living organisms. After the publication of the book, Rachel Carson was immediately accused by representatives chemical industry and some members of the government in alarmism. She was called a "hysterical woman" who was incompetent to write such books. However, despite these reproaches, the book is considered to be the initiator of the development of a new environmental movement.
American scientist and rear admiral of the US Navy. A pioneer in her field, she was one of the first to write programs for the Harvard computer. She also developed the first compiler for a computer programming language and developed the concept of machine-independent programming languages, which led to the creation of COBOL, one of the first high-level programming languages. By the way, Grace is credited with popularizing the term debugging to troubleshoot computer problems.
Italian racing driver. The first woman to become a Formula 1 driver. At the age of 28, she became second in the Italian national circuit racing championship. In 1958, she made her Formula 1 debut, finishing fifth at the Syracuse Grand Prix, a non-racing race. The first championship race for Marie-Therese de Filippis in the same year was the Monaco Grand Prix. She failed to qualify, but she was ahead of many men, including future Formula 1 functionary Bernie Ecclestone.
The first mother astronaut. Her daughter Chrisney Ann was just over one year old when she flew on Space Shuttle Discovery as a flight specialist.
American chemist of Polish origin who invented Kevlar. Over 40 years of work as a research scientist, she received, according to various sources, from 17 to 28 patents. In 1995, she became the fourth woman to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and in 2003, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
Pakistani human rights activist. Malala became an activist at age 11 when she began blogging for the BBC about life in the Taliban-occupied city of Mingora. In 2012, they tried to kill her for her activities and statements, but doctors saved the girl. In 2013, she released an autobiography and gave a speech at UN headquarters, and in 2014 she received the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest laureate (17 years old).
This should be a post about motivation. I promised my friend to think about this issue. But since I’m somehow not very motivated myself, I decided to turn to the wisdom of books.
After that, the idea of the note changed...
For some reason, it is generally accepted that a man was the first to appear on earth. Of course, this is stated in one of the most respected books, but there are other versions. For example, the story of Adam's first wife. This means that the probability that a woman is initially equal to a man creature, great. Moreover, women can do no less than the stronger sex. And over many centuries of coexistence, there is, perhaps, no profession or business that the so-called weaker sex has not mastered.
Lilith- the first woman on earth, the wife of Adam. Her story is not included in the main text of the Bible. So, on the sixth day, God decided to create man in his own image and likeness. And Adam and his wife Lilith were created. Lilith did not want to obey Adam, because she considered herself his equal, and went to Hell. Adam had to look for a new girlfriend. God created Eve for him from his own rib - the only human bone without a brain. But, if you stick to this version, then Eve was already the second.
Hatshepsut, Queen of Egypt - female pharaoh(1525-1503 BC), she entered the world history as the first great woman politician. For 22 years she ruled the country with absolute authority, and her reign was a time of cultural and economic prosperity for Egypt.
Since they were accustomed to seeing only a man on the throne, she was always depicted with a false beard and in men’s clothing.
Duchess Olga- the first female ruler in Rus'. She was the first of the Russian rulers to convert to Christianity and was canonized by the church. During her reign (945-964), Rus' practically did not fight with any of the neighboring states, resolving conflicts through embassies and negotiations. It is noteworthy that her embassies included women.
Anna of Burgundy- the first woman to receive wedding ring with a diamond. Such an unusual gift was given to her by the German king Maximilian I in 1477. Until this point, diamond rings were given exclusively to men.
Elizabeth - Austrian Empress, wife of Franz Joseph, famous beauty, is considered the first woman in history to begin to fight obesity with the help of fasting.
Kat Warne- The world's first female detective. She worked for 12 years in the detective agency of the famous detective Alan Pinkerton, founded in 1850. In 1860, Pinkerton hired several more women and organized the Women's Detective Bureau, which solved many high-profile crimes of the time. Varn became the director of this bureau.
Bertha Sucare- the world's first beauty queen. An 18-year-old Creole from Guadeloupe won the world's first beauty contest, which took place on September 19, 1888 in the Belgian resort of Spa.
Sofia Kovalevskaya , mathematician - the world's first female professor. In 1888, the Paris Academy of Sciences awarded Kovalevskaya a prize for her work on rotation. solid, which was recognized as the best.
Mata Hari , better known to the world as a German spy, also the world's first female stripper. Margaretha Gertrude Zelle was not distinguished by her modest behavior and meek disposition. At 23 she left her husband and infant and went to Paris, where she received not only a new name, but also the right to be called the first official stripper in history.
Maria Skłodowska-Curie , scientist physicist – first woman to receive the Nobel Prize. This was the physics prize in 1903. In 1911, Maria received a second Nobel Prize, this time in chemistry. Thus, she became the first twice Nobel laureate.
Sabine Spielrein- first female psychoanalyst. At the age of 14, she lost her beloved sister, after which night terrors and hallucinations began to drive her crazy.
Her parents sent her for treatment to the then unknown Carl Gustav Jung. A doctor and a patient have an affair.
After the breakup, the girl devoted herself entirely to science and began studying psychoanalysis. In 1911, she graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Zurich and defended her dissertation on the psychological background of schizophrenia.
Marlene Dietrich , famous actress - became the first woman to publicly wear a men's pantsuit. True, historians claim that in Europe the first woman who dared to wear men's pants was Joan of Arc.
Valentina Tereshkova became the world's first female astronaut. Tereshkova's flight took place from June 16 to June 19, 1963. In the same year, she was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The British public organization Assembly "Women of the Year" awarded the world's first female astronaut the honorary title "Woman of the Century" for her services to space exploration for the benefit of protecting the environment and the planet.
Stella Remington- the world's first female head of the intelligence service. In 1992 it became general director British counterintelligence MI5. During times cold war it was able to avoid potential attacks from the Irish Separatist Army and fought the growing threat of international terrorism.
Oprah Winfrey became the first black female billionaire in history. In the late 70s, Oprah opened the door to television for women with skin tones darker than café au lait. And in 1986 she created her own program, which brought her worldwide fame.
So women can do almost anything if they really want to.
