You’ve probably heard of the more famous women throughout history.
From Emmeline Pankhurst, who led the suffragette movement, to Florence Nightingale, who founded modern nursing, there are many incredible stories.
But what about the lesser-known women who have achieved remarkable things over the years?
You probably didn’t know that a woman was among the world’s first computer programmers, or that a woman created a bulletproof material used extensively in body armor and airplanes today.
Read on to discover more inspiring facts about history’s unsung heroines.
Marie de Gournay fought for women’s rights and education.
Talking about gender equality was highly taboo in the time of French writer Marie de Gournay (1565–1645). Many people argued that either women or men were superior.
But Marie de Gournay made this topic a central part of her work. She challenged the beliefs of her era by promoting the idea that women and men are equal in intellect and morals.
She advocated for education to be foundational for both women and men to help them develop maturity and morals.
Inge Lehmann discovered the Earth’s inner core.
Inge Lehmann (1888–1993) collected and analyzed data on earthquakes and their shock waves, or seismic waves.
Through her observations of a New Zealand earthquake in 1929, she suggested that the seismic waves had traveled to the Earth’s core and bounced back.
This led her to make a groundbreaking discovery about the Earth’s core. Lehmann suggested the Earth had a solid inner core in addition to its liquid outer core.
Her findings were confirmed by other scientists in 1970. The part between Earth’s inner and outer core has become known as the Lehmann Discontinuity.
Mary Moser and Angelica Kauffman founded a world-famous art institution.
In 1768, artists Angelica Kauffman (1744–1819) and Mary Moser (1741–1807) joined 22 men in signing a letter to King George III.
The letter asked the King to establish a royal academy for painting and sculpture.
When the King agreed, Kauffman and Moser became two of the founding members of the Royal Academy.
However, because of the rules toward women then, they were banned from meetings and discussions on the academy’s future.
Despite the restrictions, they were still able to influence decision-making. For example, they successfully lobbied to have a painting taken down because Angelica Kauffman found it offensive.
The Royal Academy remains Britain’s longest-established art school and has a prestigious reputation worldwide.
Stephanie Kwolek invented a bulletproof material.
Stephanie Kwolek (1923–2014) was a Polish-American chemist who discovered a material called Kevlar that is stronger than steel.
She joined the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2003, but many people do not recognize her name.
Kevlar is used to make bulletproof vests and body armor. It belongs to a family of synthetic fibers created by Kwolek in 1965 when she was working at the chemical company DuPont.
Today, Kevlar is used in many industries, including aerospace, oil and gas, and healthcare. In 2025, the global Kevlar market was valued at $494 million.
Can you imagine how many crises have been averted because of Stephanie Kwolek’s invention?
Grace Hopper was a pioneer of computer programming.
Grace Hopper (1906–1992) served in the United States military and worked at Harvard University.
She was part of the team working on America’s first electromechanical computer, known as the MARK I.
Hopper wrote the user manual for MARK I, which was a whopping 561 pages long!
Despite her extensive work on computers, Hopper had to leave Harvard in 1949 as there were no permanent positions for women.
While working at a computer company in Philadelphia, Hopper began promoting word-based languages for computer programming.
Her work made computer programming more accessible to more people!
Princess Khutulun was a fierce warrior woman whom no man could defeat.
One of Genghis Khan’s great-great-granddaughters, Princess Khutulun (1260–1306), became known for her skills in sports such as archery, wrestling, and horse riding.
She was well-built and grew up surrounded by 14 brothers. Princess Khutulun took advantage of her size and strength and won thousands of horses by defeating men in competitions.
She fought alongside her father, Qaidu Khan, in battles against Khubilai Khan, the ruler of the Yuan Dynasty.
Together, they stopped their enemy from taking over parts of Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and western China.
Eunice Carter took down one of New York’s most notorious gangsters.
Charles “Lucky” Luciano (1899–1970) was one of New York’s worst criminals and the most powerful gangster of his time in America.
Eunice Carter, the first black woman appointed assistant district attorney in New York State, played a key role in convicting him.
Throughout court cases related to Luciano, Eunice Carter noticed small details that ultimately led to his conviction.
For example, she realized the defendants’ lawyers told the same well-rehearsed stories to convince the judges. One lawyer was even struck off because of his links to criminal organizations.
Carter’s quick thinking and intelligence made her one of the highest-paid African-American lawyers in the country at that time.
Francesca Caccini was the first woman to write an opera.
Born in Italy to Giulio Caccini (1587–post-1641), a well-known Italian musical composer, Francesca Caccini was one of the few women to publish music in the 1600s.
Francesca Caccini wrote music to be performed at the royal courts, the theatre, and other entertainment events.
Her 1625 opera La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina, which translates to “The Liberation of Ruggiero from Alcina’s Island,” was the first composed by a woman.
Today, this opera is the only surviving piece of stage production written by Francesca Caccini.
Mary Prince was the first black woman to write about her experience as a slave.
Published in 1831, The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave, Related by Herself, tells the story of Mary Prince’s (1788–1833) life as a slave.
The book caused much controversy at the time. Slavery in Britain was still legal, and the Abolition of Slavery Act had yet to come into force three years later.
Mary Prince took a huge risk in telling her story. Her autobiography sparked two court cases for libel and defamation of character, including against her editor.
She appeared in court as a witness, where it was confirmed that she had suffered physically while enslaved.
Katharine Blodgett broke boundaries in physics.
In 1926, Katharine Blodgett (1898–1979) became the first woman with a PhD in physics from the prestigious University of Cambridge.
She earned the American Chemical Society’s Garvan Medal, becoming the first industrial scientist with this award.
The award recognized Katharine Blodgett for her work inventing anti-reflective coatings for glass.
Her creation led to the modern-day non-reflective coatings used for camera lenses, car windshields, and eyeglasses.
Letitia Geer invented a groundbreaking medical product.
The one-handed syringe, used widely by medical professionals today, was patented by Letitia Geer (1852–1935) in 1899.
While syringes had been used for centuries before then, Letitia Geer made a version that could be easily used with one hand.
It was low-cost and meant patients could use a syringe on themselves, removing the need for an assistant.
Her invention revolutionized the healthcare industry, but like many great women, Letitia Geer’s name is often left out of the history books.
Hannah Snell broke tradition by joining the British military.
Women were not allowed to join the British military at the time, but Hannah Snell (1723-1792) was undeterred. Posing as a man named James Gray, she signed up for the Royal Marines anyway.
She sailed through storms to fight in the trenches in India, with some accounts even saying she was severely injured in battle.
To the shock of those around her, Hannah Snell revealed upon her return to England that she was really a woman. In 1750, her military service was recognized, and she was granted a lifetime pension.
Mary Anning was one of the greatest paleontologists in history.
In the 1820s, Mary Anning (1799-1847) took over her family’s fossil business and later became known as a leading fossil expert.
Through her lifelong work, she discovered the first plesiosaur and the first ichthyosaur fossil in the UK.
While scientists respected her knowledge and findings, they were in disbelief that a woman—especially a woman with a low social status like Mary Anning—could make such fascinating breakthroughs.
Many of her discoveries now live in museums and other special collections, but Mary Anning is very rarely credited.
Women have taken risks, broken barriers, and been at the forefront of some of the world’s most groundbreaking inventions for as long as we can remember.
But despite their vast contributions to music, science, technology, and shaping societal norms, many of these heroines throughout history are not well-known.
We hope you’ve found a new favorite heroine after reading the inspiring facts about these incredible women of the past, you may have found a new favorite heroine!
