Born in 1768 in the Anhui province in China, Wang Zhenyi is remembered as a famous female scientist from the Qing dynasty. She made accurate findings and observations about the movement of the sun, moon and earth. Although she lived in a feudal society, she held a progressive belief that a woman could display her talents to the fullest. The idea that learning was not just for men, but for men and women was and still is very forward looking.
Nakano Takeko is widely considered to be the last great female samurai warrior, and the Battle of Aizu is considered the last stand of the onna-bugeisha. Nakano Takeko died in the ensuing battle, suffering a bullet wound to her chest.
Grace Hopper was born on December 9, 1906 in New York City. At a very young age she showed an interest in engineering, often taking apart household goods and putting them back together. She was named a distinguished fellow of the British Computer Society, then the first person from the U.S. and first woman from any country to hold the title.
Mary Todd Lincoln was wife of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The two met in Springfield, Illinois in 1839... in his own words, he was “a poor nobody then.” She reportedly managed to save $70,000 of his $100,000 salary during his presidency. During the Civil War, Mary Lincoln became a regular at the newly-established hospitals around Washington, D.C. providing food and comfort to the wounded. Rarely was a kind word printed about her by the press. On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre. She uttered in disbelief, "Oh my God, have I given my husband to die?"
