Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Here’s to Strong Women – And You!

March 8 is the day to celebrate the achievements of women from all over the world. And, ever since Congress passed the law in 1987, March has officially been known as Women’s History Month in the United States. From activists to politicians, businesswomen to athletes, there’s no shortage of impressive women to celebrate.

And, because we love women from all walks of life, we thought today we’d offer up a salute to some women - from history and today - that might be unlikely heroic figures. Women who didn’t conform to the norms or expectations of their time. Perhaps they were a bit unconventional. Perhaps they kicked some serious ass along the way. But that, in itself is, something to celebrate we think.

So, here’s our salute to 10 amazing ass-kicking women of history, who we consider inspiring. Most of whom you’ve probably never heard of.

Ba Trieu: (226-248)

A fighter for independence and forward thinker of the third century, Ba Trieu is also known as the Vietnamese Joan of Arc. At 19 she was advised by her brother, a powerful warlord, to marry, to which she defiantly retorted that she would be better off serving her people as a warrior for independence against the Chinese who had oppressed the Vietnamese for centuries, saying “I only want to ride the wind and walk the waves, slay the big whales of the eastern sea, clean up frontiers and save the people from drowning. Why should I imitate others, bend my back to men, stoop over and be a slave.” She gathered one thousand fighters whom she trained and led into battle. The rebellion was successful, and she was declared their leader. Today, she is a renowned national hero of Vietnam and a revered example to the country’s women of a fighter against oppression.

Tamar the Great of Georgia: (1160-1213)

Crowned by her father as co-ruler of the Georgian kingdom, she began her 29-year reign upon his death in 1184. She commanded one of the most unstoppable armies in history and under her rule, which became known as the Georgian Golden Age, Georgia became a major power. Today, there are many Tamar’s in Georgia, girls named after the great monarch who continues to inspire.

Sybil Ludington: (1761-1839)

An underrecognized heroine of the American Revolutionary War, on the same night that Paul Revere took his famous midnight ride, Sybil was off on a much longer ride of her own. After a messenger came to warn her father, Colonel Ludington, that the British had just attacked the nearby town of Danbury, Connecticut, Sybil rode over 40 miles (twice the distance of Revere’s ride) through the night to alert her father’s men of the approaching British army. Thanks to Sybil, the entire regiment was gathered by daybreak to fight the Redcoats. George Washington personally thanked Sybil for her bravery.

Ada Lovelace: (1815-1852)

Though not nearly as well-known as her father, the poet Lord Byron, Ada was pretty cool and way ahead of her time. Working with mathematician Charles Babbage to develop an adding machine, named the Difference Engine, and a computer called the Analytical Engine, Ada became the world’s first computer programmer. She came up with a process known as looping that computer programs use today. In 1980, the U.S. Department of Defense named a newly developed computer language “Ada” in her honor.

Mary Edwards Walker: (1832-1919)

In addition to becoming the first female physician in the U.S. Army, Mary is the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor. As a child she was teased for her non-gender-conforming wardrobe (she liked to wear pants) and was arrested several times as an adult for “masquerading” as a man. During the American Civil War she acted as a spy for the Union and spent months in a Confederate jail. In 1865 President Andrew Johnson awarded her the Medal of Honor because she “…devoted herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded soldiers and has also endured hardships as a prisoner of war.” Congress tried to strip Mary of her medal in 1917 saying only those engaged in combat should be eligible for the award. Mary refused to give up her medal, wearing it every day until she died in 1919.

Buffalo Calf Road Woman: (1850-1879)

Nicknamed “Brave Woman”, Buffalo Calf Road Woman (BCRW for expediency’s sake) was a Cheyenne warrior who strategically fought and rallied others. In the 1876 Battle of the Rosebud against U.S. soldiers, BCRW rode onto the battlefield to rescue her injured brother. The rescue was so daring that it rallied the Cheyenne, who had been retreating, to victory. The Cheyenne called the battle The Battle Where the Girl Saved the Brother. She was an excellent shot and, during the Battle of Little Bighorn (also known as Custer’s Last Stand and as The Battle of the Greasy Grass by the Cheyenne) according to Cheyenne oral tradition, it was BCRW who unhorsed General Custer. She must certainly be considered one of the most heroic fighters in American history.

Rose Marie McCoy: (1922-2015)

Arguably one of the most successful American songwriters of the 20th century – that you’ve never heard of! She moved from Arkansas to New York City at the age of 19 to become a singer but realized that she was more comfortable at songwriting than performing. During her lifetime, McCoy published more than 850 songs that were recorded by music legends such as Ike and Tina Turner, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler and many more.

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: (1900-1979)

We all know that stars are made of hydrogen and helium, and the reason we know that is Cecilia. She made the discovery in graduate school but, at the time, no one believed her. Science was still very much an “old boys club” and established astronomers were convinced not to publish her findings. They later discovered that she was correct and famed astronomer Otto Struve called her work “undoubtedly the most brilliant Ph.D. thesis ever written in astronomy”. She went on to become the first woman to lead a department at Harvard and her work opened a whole constellation of opportunities for the female scientists that came after her.

Martha Gellhorn: (1908-1998)

Married for a short time to Ernest Hemingway, Martha famously said “Why should I be a footnote in someone else’s life?” She became a novelist, travel writer, and journalist and is considered one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century. She was the only woman at the D-Day invasion, witnessed the liberation of Dachau and reported on virtually every major world conflict that took place during her 60-year career. Her work changed war reporting and opened new horizons for female reporters and there is now an award named in her honor – the Martha Gellhorn Prize for journalism.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: (1933-2020)

Okay, so maybe RBG isn’t exactly an “unknown” hero, but we just couldn’t leave her off the list. The second female justice to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, she fought tirelessly for gender equality and became a pop culture icon in the process. After a series of fiery, record-breaking dissents she gave from the Supreme Court bench in 2013 around the Voting Rights Act, she was dubbed The Notorious R.B.G. Pretty cool for a pretty staid profession. Plus, she had a wicked sense of humor and loved to rock a statement collar.

So, there you have it. Our look at some unlikely, and mostly unknown, women heroes to inspire on International Women’s Day. These real-life icons have all made their mark in their own unique ways. Tell us about some women that have made a mark on your life in the comments below.

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