Celebrating Women Who Changed the World

International Women’s Day, March 8, is a day to celebrate women: your mother, your sister, your daughter, your spouse, your friend, your coworker… any woman you would like to applaud. I would like to celebrate the achievements of remarkable women who made lasting impacts in history, science, and innovation. I’m highlighting three extraordinary people: Wu Zetian, Hedy Lamarr, Judith Love Cohen, and Elizabeth Magie.

Wu Zetian: China’s Only Female Emperor

Wu Zetian (624–705) became emperor in a male-dominated society, at a time in history when women weren’t rulers in China. This rank in itself was an amazing achievement. Rising from a concubine to Empress Consort and eventually Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, she was known for her intelligence, political acumen, and ambitious reforms. She expanded the civil service examination system, giving more people opportunities based on merit rather than birthright.

Hedy Lamarr: Hollywood Star and Inventor of WiFi

A glamorous Hollywood actress of the 1930s and 1940s, Hedy Lamarr was also a brilliant inventor. During World War II, she co-developed a frequency-hopping communication system to prevent enemy interception of radio signals. This pioneering technology laid the groundwork for modern Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. In her time, she didn’t get the recognition she deserved. Now, her contributions as a visionary innovator in science are being acknowledged.

Judith Love Cohen: Aerospace Engineer Behind the Apollo Missions

Engineer Judith Love Cohen played a key role in developing the abort-guidance system (AGS) for the Apollo 13 lunar module. She worked on the guidance system to help astronauts return to Earth while she was in labor, and solved the problem before delivering her son. She was also an advocate for women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), encouraging young girls to pursue careers in engineering. Her legacy is a testament to the importance of women in space exploration.

Elizabeth Magie: Inventor of the Game Monopoly

Elizabeth Magie invented “The Landlord’s Game” to illustrate the dangers of monopolies. This game popularized circular board games. Previously, board games were usually linear. Parker Brothers paid her $500 for the game, with no royalties. Although her idea was later adapted into Monopoly, her contributions to the game were not acknowledged during her lifetime. (A sad fact, considering that Monopoly ranks as one of the top ten board games of all time by units sold.)

This Women’s Day, let’s celebrate the achievements of women in history!