Dorothy Vaughan

It as taken a whole 55 years and an exemplary movie Hidden Figures for the world to finally recognise the contributions made by Black African American women in launching John Glen and America’s first satellite into space. In today’s age when NASA’s directors come from all variety of backgrounds, it is easy to forget the pioneers who paved the way for this transformation, into a more accepting society. But it would be unforgivable to overlook the contributions made by some very courageous women who challenged and persevered against discrimination, every step of the way. One of such pioneers was Dorothy Vaughan, a respected mathematician who became NASA’s first African-American manager serving as the head of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA’s) segregated West Area Computing Unit from 1949 until 1958.

Emmy Noether – “The most important woman in the history of mathematics”

This post is an edited version of a post which originally appeared on the wonderful Saints, Sisters and Sluts blog (which you should definitely check out!)

“Fraulein Noether was the most significant creative mathematical genius thus far produced since the higher education of women began.”  ~ Albert Einstein

Emmy Noether made ground-breaking contributions to theoretical physics and abstract algebra. She developed several formulations to support Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, in fact he wrote to David Hilbert, “You know that Frl. Noether is continually advising me in my projects and that it is really through her that I have become competent in the subject.”

Badass Wimmin of History presents Sophie Germain

Badass Wimmin of History is a comic/zine/completely legit History journal, written and drawn by Holly Cruise (@hollyzone). Holly came up with the idea after years of aimless doodling and near-constant banging on about History, the interesting people in History, and the unfortunate way women in History often lose out as the spotlight is shone elsewhere by many mainstream historians.

Badass Wimmin of History is a bi-monthly (ish) comic/zine which wants to present the lives of interesting women in a passionate, at times irreverent, but always historical way. It isn’t just a place for queens and ladies (although there is space for them too) but for scientists, soldiers, actresses, writers, pirates, mathematicians, sports stars, singers, inventors, pilots… the list is huge, probably because women have been busy doing things and being interesting for as long as humans have been around. Funny that.

Details of how to get your hands on a copy (or twenty) of issue 01 of Badass Wimmin of History can be found here: http://hollyzone.co.uk/2014/02/25/badass-wimmin-of-history-issue-01/

Here is a taster of the sort of thing BWoH contains. The life of French Mathematician, Sophie Germain (1776-1831).