history on famous women

history on famous women

by Abha Ajukumar

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz​

Doña Inés de Asbaje y Ramírez de Santillana, better known as Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a Mexican writer, philosopher, composer and poet of the Baroque period, and Hieronymite nun. Her merit as a true master of the Spanish Golden Age gained her the nicknames of "The Tenth Muse" or "The Phoenix of America". She was a strong feminist and a remarcable poet. One of her famous poems are "The Foolish Men".​

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. I know why a caged bird sings​ is one of her famous books which tells us her life upto the age of 17.

Kalpana Chawla​

Kalpana Chawla (March 17, 1962 – February 1, 2003) was an American astronaut and engineer who was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator.

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​Cleopatra VII Philopator

Cleopatra VII Philopator often referred to simply as Cleopatra, was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, and its last active ruler. She had 3 husbands and her second husband was Julius Caesar.

​Rani Lakshmi Bai

​Rani Lakshmibai, more famously known as Jhansi Ki Rani, was born in 1828. She became Queen of Jhansi State when she was 24 years-old after her husband died. After the death of the Maharaja in November 1853, because Damodar Rao (born Anand Rao) was an adopted son, the British East India Company, under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie, applied the Doctrine of Lapse, rejecting Damodar Rao's claim to the throne and annexing the state to its territories. She cried "Main apni Jhansi nahi doongi" after hearing this.

Enheduanna

The world’s first known author is widely considered to be Enheduanna, a woman who lived in the 23rd century BCE in ancient Mesopotamia (approximately 2285-2250 BCE). Enheduanna is a remarkable figure: an ancient “triple threat”, she was a princess and a priestess as well as a writer and poet.​