Before we get on to discussing the top 15 most influential women of all times, we want to reiterate that every woman that we know of deserves this honor, but due to time constraint and limitation to this post, we could not include everyone. we must confess that these are just few names in millions other who made the world a better place for future generations.The nurturers and peace makers.The mothers,leaders,healers,daughters out thereworking to wards a better world..We at CC salute those brave souls on this special day. The End and the BeginningAfter every war
Someone's got to tidy up.
Thing won't pick themselves up, after all.Someone's got to shove the rubble to other roadsides
So the carts loaded with corpses can get by.Someone's got to trudge through sludge and ashes,
Through the sofa springs, the shards of glass, the bloody rags...No sound bites, no photo opportunities.
And it takes years.
All the cameras have gone to other wars.Some, broom in hand, still remember how it was.
Some man listens, nodding his unshattered head.
But others are bound to be bustling nearby
Who will find all that a little boring...Those who knew what this was all about
Must make way for those who know little.
And less than that, and at last nothing less than nothing,Someone's got to lie there
in the grass that covers up the causes and effects
With a cornstalk in his teeth, gawking at clouds.Wislawa Szymborska (Poland)
These are just those that have made a huge impact in whatever field they belong to. These 15 inspiring figure are in no particular order!
Introducing the 15 amazing women of all timesVideo credit: Sami
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dyEB0SoshrY[/YOUTUBE]
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Marie Curie was the first women to receive the Nobel Prize and the first person to win it for 2 separate categories, (Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911.) A few years later she also helped develop the first X ray machines.
Early Life
Marya Sklodovska was the youngest of 5 children, brought up in a poor but well educated family. Marya excelled in her studies and won many prizes. At an early age she became committed to the ideal of Polish independence from Russia and yearned to be able to teach fellow Polish woman who were mostly condemned to zero education.
Unusually for women at that time, Marya took an interest in Chemistry and Biology. Since opportunities in Poland for further study was limited, Marya went to Paris, where after working as a governess she was able to study at the Sorbonne, Paris and went on to get a degree in Physics & Maths.
Marie pursued studies in radioactivity. In 1898, this led to the discovery of two new elements. One of which she named polonium after her home country.
There then followed 4 years of extensive study into the properties of radium where after experiencing burns from rays, she discovered radium could be used to burn away diseased cells in the body. This discovery awarded her the Davy Medal and the Nobel Prize for Physics.
The success of Marie Curie bought criticism from a male dominated science world. However she continued dedicating her time to the development of X ray machines which examined over a million soldiers at the end of the 1st world war.
Marie Curie died in 1934 from Cancer, a side effect of her intense studies in radiation. However, she is still remembered and honored today for pushing back many frontiers in science and setting a new bar for female in academic and scientific achievement.
Princess Diana
(1961-1997)
Princess Diana combined the appeal of a Royal princess with her humanitarian charity work.
She was an iconic figure of the late 20th Century. During her life she was often said to be the most photographed person, appearing on the cover of People magazine more than anyone else. She epitomized feminine beauty and glamor. At the same time, she was admired for her groundbreaking charity work; in particular her work with AIDS patients and supporting the campaign for banning land mines.
Diana married Prince Charles in 1981 and mothered two children, Prince William and Prince Harry. In 1992, their marriage broke leading to a divorce. During this period, it is said she suffered from various health issues including depression.
As Princess of Wales, Diana was expected to take part in various official engagements, such as, opening of hospitals. This provided a natural outlet for her to become involved in various types of charitable work. Her natural sympathy and oneness with patients was much admired. In 1987, Princess Diana was one of the first well known celebrities to be photographed with a victim of AIDS.
Shortly before her death, Princess Diana met with Mother Teresa. Both admired each other. Mother Teresa always said "Diana is my daughter." With utmost humility Diana said "I am a very, very small Mother Teresa.
Princess Diana remained very popular because people could identify with her. Her hands on approach to charity work gave the impression of a new type of Royal, and she was described as a "People's Princess." Many were and till date are inspired by her natural sympathy with the poor and mistreated.
Queen Elizabeth II
(April 21st 1926 - Present)
Elizabeth II also known as the Queen of England was crowned queen at the at of 25. Initially, she was the third descendant to the throne, and back then no one thought she would be make it that far, but when her uncle rejected the throne, her father was crowned King making her the next descendant.
She was home-schooled in the palace by a governess and her parents ensured she was taught all that was relevant about history, politics and the British constitution. At the age of 21 she married her distant relative Phillip and on four years later she was crowned Queen of 16 sovereign states.
She is considered an inspiration by many for being able to successfully rule the states from a young age of 25 and has played an important role in modernizing the British Monarchy. Her reign of 60 years is the second longest for a British Monarch.
Very little can be revealed about her personality as she rarely gives interviews however her loved ones state she has a a deep sense of religious and civic duty, and takes her coronation oath seriously.
Devika Rani(March 30th 1908 - March 8th 1994)
Devika Rani was one of the first Indian film movie stars. She came from a very respected family. She married an Indian producer.She ran Bombay Talkies Studio. Her film Achut Kanya was one of first film made on topic of caste system. She never quite cut connection with the film industry. She was still in tact in one way or another. In the late 1950s Devika Rani was honored with a Padma Shri. She has been remembered for her discovery of legendary actor Mr. Dilip Kumar.
Nargis ji
(June 1st 1929 - May 3rd 1981)
She started her career in the 1930s, She has shown the power of a woman since the day she started her career in the Indian Film Industry. She chemistry with legendary actor Raj Kapoor was really appreciated.
One of her most prominent roles as a woman was in Mother India (1957) which earned her a Best Actress award at Filmfare along nomination in oscars She also happened to marry her co star from Mother India, Mr. Sunil Dutt . After marriage she was seen less in films, but didn't completely fade away. In the early 1970s she became the first patron of Spastics Society of India, which brought her a lot of recognition as a social worker.
Nargis passed away from cancer only a few days before her son, Sanjay Dutt, took his first steps into the world of Bollywood.
Madhubala(February 14th 1933 - February 23rd 1969)
She began her career in the 1950s. Many of her movies have received the status of classic movies. She is regarded even today as one of the finest and talented actresses of Indian cinema. Madhubala ji entered the industry at the mere age of 9. She acted in many movies as a child artist.
Actress Devika Rani was so impressed by the acting abilities of Madhubala that she advised Madhubala to change her name from Mumtaz Jahan Begam Dehlavi to Madhubala.
Madhubala was only 14 when she was given the role of a lead actress. The film didn't do so well, but she did receive immense praise for her work. After that Madhubala ji's career soared to heights. Her most highly praised work came in the movie Mughal-e-Azam. Despite a lot of health problems, Madhubala continued to do what she loved, acting. Madhubala passed away from the illness she was suffering for so long shortly before her 36th birthday.
Nutan (June 4th 1936 - February 21st 1991)
Nutan ji has appeared in over 70 films throughout her career in Bollywood. Many of her performances have received a lot of praise. Nutan ji started her career at the mere age of 14.
Her role in Seema grabbed her a Best Actress award at Filmfare. She continued playing leading roles through the 1960s and 1970s. She went on to receive 4 more Best Actress awards. In the 1980s Nutan continued playing roles in films until her death.
During the 1980s she mostly portrayed motherly roles. Her performance in Meri Jung earned her the last Filmfare award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Nutan held the record of the most Filmfare awards as the best Actress until it was matched by her niece, Kajol, 30 years later. Nutan was the mother of actor Mohnish Behl and aunt of Kajol, Tanisha, and Rani Mukherjee.
She passed away in 1991 of cancer.
Lata Mangeshkar
(September 8th 1929 - Present)
Lata Mangeshkar is one of the most prominent singers in the Indian Film industry even today. Her career started in 1942 and has spanned over about 6 and a half decades. She has recorded songs for a countless number of Hindi films and has sung in about 36 different regional languages. She is the eldest of 5 sisters, including Asha Bhosle , another prominent singer in the film industry.
Lata Mangeshkar was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records from 1974 to 1991 for having made the most recordings in the world. However much controversy was given to this and finally it was concluded that Asha Bhosle ji had the most had the most and was later recognized in the Book of World Records.
There is no question about the achievements and contributions Lata ji has given to the music industry. Even today she is just as well respected as she was 30-40 years ago. Much power and strength to her.
Kalpana Chawla
(July 1st 1961 - February 1st 2003)
Born in Karnal, Haryana(India) in 1961, Kalpana became the first Indian woman astronaut.
Kalpana earned her Bachelor Of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Chandigarh, after which she moved to USA. Shebegan working for NASA as vice president of Overset Methods, Inc. where she did CFD research on Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing. Kalpana joined the NASA 'Astronaut Corps' in March 1995 and was selected for her first flight in 1996. She thus became the second Indian to travel in Space.
After this successful space mission of hers, she returned to space in 2003. However, unfortunately this space shuttle, Columbia, disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting into loss of all the six crew members.
Kalpana Chawla has definitely managed to create a mark in the history of India and she is remembered even after her death, especially when it comes to Indian Astronauts.
Rani Lakshmibai
(November 19th 1835 - June 17th 1858)
Rani Lakshmibai, formerly known as Manikarnika was born in Varanasi and educated at home. Because of her father's influence at the court, she had more freedom than most of the women during that time. She studied self-defence, horsemanship, archery, and even formed her own army out of her female friends at court. She married Raja Gangadhar Rao of Jhansi and became the queen of Jhansi. They lost their only son, Damodar Rao, after which they adopted Anand Rao.
Some years later, Gangadhar Rao died too. The British denied Anand Rao as the legal heir to the throne of Jhansi and annexed Jhansi.
To take revenge, the "tigress" joined the uprising of 1857 against the British. Soon her popularity increased exponentially. She was considered to be the most dangerous of all the rebel leaders. She remarkable for her beauty, cleverness and perseverance. She courageously fought the battle till her last breath.
She died during the battle, leaving behind a story of unmatched courage, enthusiasm and a the spirit of freedom. Legends in the name of Rani Lakshmi, who is portrayed to be on a horse back were sung even after her death, to encourage Indians to fight the struggle for Indian Independence.
Mother Teresa
26 August 1910 -5 September 1997
Born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Macedonia, Mother Teresa ( as she is more commonly known), felt a strong connection with God at the age of 12 and decided to be a missionary in order to spread her love of Christ and humanity. She was sent to India for a training in 1931 and that was when she took her initial vow as a nun. She started off with an open-air school for slum children and was joined by voluntary helpers and financial supporters, which helped in extending her scope of work.
In 1950, Mother Teresa, became the founder of the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta and for over 45 years she cared for the poor, sick, orphaned and dying, while making the Missionaries of Charity reach greater heights in India and abroad. Her work gained recognition and acclimation throughout the world and she has received many prestigious awards, including,the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971) and the Nehru Prize for her promotion of international peace and understanding (1972).
With time, her health had started declining, she stepped down from the head of Missionaries of Charity in March 1997 and passed away on 5th September 1997. Her death was mourned in both secular and religious communities and the former U.N. Secretary-General, Javavier Perez de cuellar had said: "She is the United Nations. She is peace in the world."
Benazir Bhutto
21 June 1953- 27 December 2007
Benazir Butto was born to a prominent political family, in Karachi, Pakistan. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a former prime mister of Pakistan and the founder of the Pakistan People's Party which was later led by Benazir. Having completed her education at England's Oxford University, Benazir Bhutto had become the chairwoman of the Pakistan People's Party in 1982 and in 1988 was elected as Pakistan's first female prime minister.She was known for her charismatic authority and political astuteness and worked towards the growth of Pakistan's economy and national security.
In 1993, Benazir was re-elected to for a second however, changes of corruption leveled against her which led to the dismissal of her government in 1996. She conceded her defeat in the 1997 elections and went on a self imposed exile to Dubai, in 1998.
On 18th October, 2007, she returned to Pakistan after 9 years of self-exile and was granted amnesty with all charges of corruption withdrawn by the president general of that time, Pervez Musharraf.
Benazir was a leading opposition candidate for the upcoming elections of 2008 and just two weeks before the scheduled election date, she was assassinated in a bombing after participating in the Pakistan People's Party's last rally. After her death rioting had erupted throughout the country and the loss of the county's most popular democratic leader had put Pakistan into turmoil. The year following her death, Benazir was named one of seven winners of the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights.
Sania Mirza
(November 15th 1986 - Present)
Sania Mirza,born on 15th November 1986 in Mumbai, has showcased her talent to the masses; in the field of tennis.She began her tennis career in 2003 and is well known for her powerful forehand ground strokes. She is the first Indian to have made it into the top 30 WTA rankings in singles and top 10 in doubles, having defeated top players including Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva, Marion Bartoli and Martina Hingis.
In 2004, Sania Mirza was awarded the Arjuna awards by the Indian government followed by a Padma shi award in 2006, for her outstanding achievements as a tennis player. She had also landed a place in the Economics Times list of '33 women who made India proud' and along with that she was the most searched celebrity on google in 2009.
Sania married the Pakistani cricketer, Shoaib Mallik in April 2010 which had given rise to some controversies and after a hiatus she participated in the 2010 Commonwealth games in Delhi where people were delighted to see her. With the kind of love and appreciation that she has received from everyone, Sania Mirza is surely going to shine even brighter in the days to come!
Shakuntala Devi(November 4th 1939 - Present)
Shakuntala Devi is referred to as the 'Human Computer' because of her extraordinary talents in solving complex mathematical problems without any mechanical aid.
Shakuntala has said to been fascinated by numbers from the age of 3. Her calculating skills were first demonstrated when she was doing card tricks with her father at the age of three where she reportedly beat them by memorisation of cards rather than by sleight of hand. By age six and eight she demonstrated her calculation and memorization abilities at the University of Mysore and Annamalai University.
In 2006 she released a new book called In the Wonderland of Numbers with Orient Paperbacks which talks about a girl, Neha and her fascination for numbers. She also found her place in the Guinness book of records as a result of her extraordinary talents.
Nowadays, she is utilising her amazing skills and talent in the field of astrology as well as solving mathematical problems. She has been invited to demonstrate her talents in many countries and is an acclaimed mathematician.
JK Rowling(July 31st 1965 - Present)
An inspiration to all those who inspire to make something from nothing. From an early age, she inspired to become a writer and attempted many times but little came from her attempts, but her biggest confidence boost came from her childhood friend, Sean who assured her that she would become a very good writer and be successful.
"he was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it, which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time" (JK Rowling Autobiography)
And his words came true when JK Rowling began writing her first Harry Potter book which took many years to complete due to various personal mishaps, but she continued her struggle and has now achieved immense popularity from across the world due to her Harry Potter series.
Today she is one of the biggest respected authors and is a huge contribution to the entertainment world, more specifically book world. We salute this woman for becoming someone no one knew to someone who the entire world knows and respects.She has definitely made a large impact..
We hope you have enjoyed our top 15 inspiring women.Please do feel free to share your thoughts on the woman you think has been most inspiring to you. Feel free to choose anyone not on this list as well!Edited by Cutiepie Rani - 14 years ago
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