Celebrating admirable women and girls (historical & contemporary). Their courage, resilience, perseverance, triumphs. Highlighting "firsts." Raising awareness of injustices and our struggles, obstacles, erasure, and more. #WomenInSTEM & in everything else!https://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlyc2l3i342m#OTD in 2019, Saray Khumalo became the first Black African woman to summit Mt. Everest. A Nelson Mandela Libraries ambassador, she uses her expeditions to raise funds for "Summits with a Purpose" & build physical and digital libraries for underprivileged schools in S. Africa. #Skybrarian #TLSky16 May 2026 16:41 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlyc2l3i342mhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mly36fv54g2eDr. Nancy Roman created NASA's space #astronomy program. NASA's first Chief of Astronomy, she established the program from scratch, bringing together scientists/engineers to realize the potential of orbiting telescopes & influencing decades of #astrophysics. She was born #OTD in 1925. #WomenInSTEM16 May 2026 14:38 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mly36fv54g2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlwi2bw2dg2uScottish astronomer Williamina Fleming was born #OTD in 1857. She led the Harvard Computers, a team of women whose work revolutionized modern #astrophysics.🔭 +ID'd the Horsehead Nebula, 1888 +Cataloged 10,351 stars +Discovered 310 variable stars +1st discovery of a white dwarf star #WomenInSTEM15 May 2026 23:23 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlwi2bw2dg2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlwdsqwrda2nDiane Nash: one of the most brilliant, fearless & under-recognized strategists of the #CivilRights Movement. A leader of the student wing in the 1960s, her tactical brilliance & commitment to nonviolent direct action directly altered the course of American history. She was born #OTD in 1938.15 May 2026 22:07 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlwdsqwrda2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlw2gdtgx222#OTD in 1970, Anna Mae Hays became a brigadier general--the first woman in history of the US Armed Forces promoted to a general officer rank. Her recommendations revolutionized conditions for military women including ending the automatic discharge of married female officers who became pregnant.15 May 2026 19:19 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlw2gdtgx222https://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlvq7ydovi2wMaria Reiche (b. #OTD in 1903) was a mathematician & archaeologist who dedicated >50 yrs of her life to the study & preservation of the Nazca Lines in Peru. The "Lady of the Lines" is credited with bringing these ancient geoglyphs to international attention & ensuring their protection. #WomenInSTEM15 May 2026 16:17 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvq7ydovi2whttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlvgboxifn2eSwedish agronomist & scientist Eva Ekeblad discovered a method to make alcohol (vodka) & flour from potatoes, which led to significantly reducing Sweden's incidence of famine. First female member, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 1748. She died #OTD in 1786. #WomenInSTEM15 May 2026 13:19 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvgboxifn2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mltzbqcuo42nEngineer & inventor Dr. Marian Croak established the modern fundamentals of VoIP, the foundational tech that allows voice/video data to be transmitted over the internet. Her work is the backbone for services like Zoom, Skype, FaceTime & WhatsApp. #WomenInSTEM #engineering (1/2)👇14 May 2026 23:53 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltzbqcuo42nhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mltpyasd622pJournalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas died #OTD in 1998 at age 108. Her 1947 book, "The Everglades: River of Grass," transformed public perception of Florida's Everglades from "worthless swamp" to priceless ecosystem. Recipient, Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1993. #ecosky #WomenInSTEM #histsky14 May 2026 21:07 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltpyasd622phttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mltck2vwa62sVirginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway" was first published #OTD in 1925. The novel is set on a single day in London in June 1923 and is widely celebrated as a masterpiece of modernist literature for its pioneering use of stream-of-consciousness storytelling. #litsky #booksky #skybrarian14 May 2026 17:07 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltck2vwa62shttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlsv3ajdx22pEconomist Claudia Goldin won the 2023 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences "for having advanced our understanding of women's labor market outcomes." She is the 3rd woman to win the economics Nobel & the 1st woman to win it solo. First female tenured Economics professor at Harvard. #WomeninSTEM14 May 2026 13:06 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlsv3ajdx22phttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlqs6hmq6i2wDanish seismologist Inge Lehmann discovered the Earth's inner core, 1936. This fundamentally changed our understanding of the Earth's interior. Her discovery is attributed in large part to her incredible ability to interpret complex seismic records by hand. She was born #OTD in 1888. #WomenInSTEM13 May 2026 17:08 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqs6hmq6i2whttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlqet3f4cx2wPhysicist Marguerite Perey discovered the element francium in 1939. She was the the first woman elected to the French Académie des Sciences, 1962--an honor denied to her mentor Marie Curie. She died #OTD in 1975 & is one of the 72 women whose names to be engraved on the Eiffel Tower. #WomenInSTEM13 May 2026 13:09 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqet3f4cx2whttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mloydpm5hj2wInternational Nurses Day is celebrated globally on May 12--the date chosen to commemorate the birth of Florence Nightingale #OTD in 1820. Nightingale is considered the founder of modern nursing & was a brilliant mathematician (first woman elected, Royal Statistical Society). #WomenInSTEM #medsky12 May 2026 23:53 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mloydpm5hj2whttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlounph52l2wKatharine Hepburn, The Great Kate, was born #OTD in 1907. The First Lady of Cinema holds the record for the most Academy Awards for Best Actress with 4 wins. Named by the American Film Institute as the greatest female star of Classic Hollywood Cinema, 1999. #ClassicHollywood #filmsky #FilmHistory12 May 2026 22:47 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlounph52l2whttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mloc7mvuag2bPolish high-altitude mountaineer Wanda Rutkiewicz was the first woman to summit K2 (2nd highest peak in the world) in 1986 & the first European woman to Summit Mt. Everest (1978). She died ~#OTD in 1992 while climbing Kangchenjunga, the 3rd highest mountain the world. #mountaineering12 May 2026 17:17 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mloc7mvuag2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlo32q6y2y2mDr. Maryam Mirzakhani was the first female winner of the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in #mathematics. Today, May 12, is International Women in Mathematics Day--the day chosen specifically to honor Mirzakhani's legacy. She was born #OTD in 1977. #WomenInSTEM12 May 2026 15:09 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlo32q6y2y2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlnualidi52nBritish chemist Dorothy Hodgkin won the 1964 #Nobel Prize in #Chemistry for using X-ray crystallography to "see" the 3D structures of complex molecules. After 35 years of work, she solved the incredibly complex structure of insulin, 1969. She was born #OTD in 1910. #WomenInSTEM12 May 2026 13:07 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnualidi52nhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlmc5w6vx32nAmerican aviator Harriet Quimby the first woman to fly across the English Channel, 1912. Her only instruments were a hand-held compass and a watch. She was the first woman in the US to obtain a pilot's license, 1911. She was born #OTD in 1875. #aviation #AvGeek #AviationHistory11 May 2026 22:11 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlmc5w6vx32nhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mllrbvvars2m#OTD in 1978, Margaret Brewer became the first female general officer (Brigadier General) in the US Marine Corps. #USMC She had served as the Director of Women Marines (1973–1977), where she played a crucial role in integrating women more fully into the Corps & expanding their career fields.11 May 2026 17:09 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllrbvvars2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mllduqekgg2eAt the time of her death, legendary aviator Jacqueline Cochran held more speed, distance & altitude records than any other pilot in history, male or female. An #aviation pioneer, she was the first woman to fly a bomber across the Atlantic & to break the sound barrier. She was born #OTD in 1906.11 May 2026 13:09 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllduqekgg2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mljs5cmxav2eEngineer & 🚀Astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa was born #OTD in 1958. + 4 space shuttle missions,~1,000 hours in space + 1st Hispanic woman in space, 1993 + 1st Hispanic/2nd female director, NASA Johnson Space Center, 2013 + Chair, Nat'l Science Board, 2020–2022 + Presidential Medal of Freedom #WomenInSTEM10 May 2026 22:19 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mljs5cmxav2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mljanlxlib2bHappy Mother's Day, mom. I lost you 23 years ago yet you remain the strongest influence in my life. I am what I am because of you yet I have so much more to become and to accomplish to live up to your example. 😘10 May 2026 17:06 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mljanlxlib2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mliw3nkvmt2u🔭 Astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin made one of the most fundamental discoveries in the history of science: stars are made primarily of hydrogen & helium. Her 1925 PhD thesis is widely regarded as the most brilliant ever written in #astronomy. She was born #OTD in 1900. #WomenInSTEM #AstroSky10 May 2026 13:57 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mliw3nkvmt2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlhefp5vwf2nFreya Stark's travels have inspired generations of female adventurers. Stark is widely regarded as one of the most significant female explorers of the 20th century & one of the most influential travel writers in history. She died #OTD in 1993 at age 100. (1/2) #inspiration #travelsky #adventure09 May 2026 23:08 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlhefp5vwf2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlgqe43wgm22Tegla Loroupe was born #OTD in 1973. + 1st African woman to win the NYC Marathon + Women's world records: track 25km & 30km + Global spokeswoman for peace, #womensrights & #education + Organizer, 2016 Summer Olympics Refugee Team + Founder, Peace Foundation teglapeace.org/ab/ #Kenya #WomenInSports09 May 2026 17:09 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgqe43wgm22https://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlgijpwel52s#OTD in 2018, Delaware became the first US state to ban #childmarriage. Child marriage is now banned in 16 US states with the minimum marriage age at 18 w/no exceptions. Child marriage disproportionately impacts girls-->~86% of all minors married were girls & ~80% of them to adult men.09 May 2026 14:49 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgijpwel52shttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlf3e4w3f72bThe other central person in this story was Dr. Louisa Garrett Anderson. There is so much to this story, it would make a great movie. There is a 14-minute mini-documentary called Deeds not Words: The Suffragette Surgeons of WWI. It's on YouTube. 👇 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8qGyEiJUbM09 May 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlf3e4w3f72bhttps://bsky.app/profile/admirablewomen.bsky.social/post/3mlevnkw6gl2eDr. Flora Murray knew she would be told to "go home & knit” by the UK War Office if she offered to treat wounded soldiers in #WWI. So, she & other female medics went to the French & set up a hospital in a Parisian hotel. When they offered to go back to England in 1915... (1/2)👇#WomenInSTEM #histsky08 May 2026 23:39 +0000at://did:plc:2xisupj43xdq7uvffzigis5p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlevnkw6gl2e