5 Women in History Children Should Know About

Some people were born to be leaders, and our lives are better for it. Where would we be without the brave women who step forward into the spotlight to help light the way? From historical heroes to present-day pioneers, kids should know these women’s names as well as their incredible stories. While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, here are 5  famous women in history to share with kids.

1. Anne Frank. Along with her Jewish family, Anne Frank hid in a secret annex with four other people throughout World War II until they were discovered and sent to concentration camps in 1944. During this time, 12-year-old Anne kept a journal, which was published by her father, the lone member of the Frank family to survive. The Diary of Anne Frank has been translated into nearly 70 languages and is a message of hope, love, and strength in the face of one of the darkest moments in history.

2. Marie Curie. A pioneering physicist in a male-dominated field, Marie Curie made history for discovering the elements radium and polonium, coining the term “radioactivity,” and inventing the portable x-ray machine. The Polish-born scientist was also the first person to win two Nobel prizes and remains the only person to win for two different sciences (chemistry and physics).

3. Malala Yousafzai. Growing up in a Pakistani village, Malala’s father was a teacher who ran an all-girls school—until the Taliban enforced a ban on girls being educated. At just 15 years old, Malala spoke out against the actions of the Taliban, leading a gunman to shoot her in the head on a school bus. Not only did she survive this horrific attack, but she also emerged as a vocal activist on the world stage and was 17 years old when she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

4. Amelia Earhart. Growing up in Kansas, Amelia Earhart pushed against gender norms. She played basketball, took auto repair courses, and enrolled in college before leaving to pursue a career as an aviator. She earned her pilot’s license in 1921 and became not only the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic but also the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the US mainland. During her attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate the globe, Earhart disappeared somewhere over the Pacific.

5. Frida Kahlo. In her youth, Frida Kahlo contracted polio and then survived a devastating bus accident when she was 18 years old. Although she spent so much of her early life bedridden in pain, she went on to become one of the most significant, celebrated artists of the 20th century. Her pride and passion for her Mexican heritage, as well as her ongoing health struggles and tumultuous marriage to Diego Rivera, shaped and influenced her groundbreaking art.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services