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Cleopatra
She was the last
Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt, and fought hard to save Egypt from the Roman Empire. In order to do so, she formed alliances with Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony, both of which led to numerous stories of her female wiles and prowess. She passed away in 30 BC.
Sappho
This
Greek poet lived around 625 AD. She was important for creating the “Sapphic stanza,” a poetry style of three long lines coupled with one short line, which is still very commonly used today. She also created the lyre, an instrument with 21-string that produces a beautiful, almost poetic sound.
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Joan of Arc
Born in 1412, she was only 19 years old when she was charged with heresy, a crime punishable by death. Long before her death, she was very
active in political and war issues at a time when women didn’t do such things. One of the most astonishing things she accomplished was overcome the condescension of military leaders and worked to lift the siege of Orleans in nine short days. Twenty-four years after her death, she was declared innocent and a
martyr.
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was born in 1913 and grew up during a time when people of color were oppressed. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to obey when she was told to move to the back of the bus to allow a white passenger to sit in her seat. This simple act of a tired woman on a bus just wanting to get home made her
a symbol of the civil rights movement. She was ninety-two years old when she died in 2005, and in several cities the front seat of buses were reserved with black ribbons to honor her.
Florence Nightingale
Known as “the lady with the lamp,” Nightingale was
pioneer of the nursing profession, one of her greatest contributions was the belief that sanitary conditions and better nutrition were the key to successfully treating those who have been injured or fallen ill. She reduced many deaths during the Crimean War, and went down in history as the mother of modern nursing, which unarguably made her one of the great women in history.