Williamina Fleming, The Onetime Maid Who Became A Legendary Astronomer
Today in 1857, the birthday of Williamina Fleming, a big name in the world of astronomy but one who had a pretty low-profile start.
“Wing Walker” Gladys Ingle Could Change An Airplane’s Tire In The Middle Of The Sky
Today in 1899, the birthday of Gladys Ingle. She was called a “wing walker," which meant she could walk on the wings of a plane in mid-flight and perform some of the most daring and death-defying stunts you could imagine.
The “Petticoat Rulers” Of Jackson, Wyoming
Women’s History Month is here, and in 1920 a group of women made history in Jackson, Wyoming, as one of the first-ever all-female town councils in the United States.
Edith Keating Let The World See What The World Looked Like From The Air
Today in 1884 was probably the birthdate of a pioneer in aerial photography, Edith Keating.
May Kaarlus Was A Trick Shot Billiard Prodigy Who Walked Away From It All
Today in 1901, a newspaper article proclaimed 16 year old May Kaarlus as perhaps the greatest trick shot billiard player in the whole world. She really could play that well, though the career of this pool table prodigy went on to take a surprise turn.
Gertrude Ederle Set A Record For Swimming The English Channel, And She Did It In A Thunderstorm
Today in 1926, American Gertrude Ederle swam from France to England, a record-setting crossing of the English Channel she made in stormy weather!
Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb’s “Penny Parade” Helped Build A Northern Wisconsin Hospital
Today in 1953, some 10,000 people took part in Woodruff, Wisconsin's Memorial Day "Penny Parade." They were raising to build a hospital, urged on by the leader of the effort, Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb.
![Riveting team working on the cockpit shell of a B-25 [i.e. C-47] bomber at the plant of North American Aviation, Inc., Inglewood [i.e. Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach], Calif. Photo by Alfred T. Palmer via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division/Wikicommons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_the_Riveter#/media/File:Riveting_team2.jpg](https://www.bradycarlson.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240529riveter-80x50.jpg)
There Was More Than One “Real” Rosie the Riveter
Today in 1943, Norman Rockwell's painting "Rosie the Riveter" was on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. But that's not the image that we think of today as Rosie, and just as there were multiple depictions of the character, there were multiple real-life inspirations for those depictions.
Maria Beasley Invented A Life Raft And Lots Of Other Hugely Useful Things
Today in 1882 inventor Maria Beasley received the patent for a collapsible life raft. But Beasley was one of those inventors who came up with idea after idea in a bunch of fields, so there's lots more to her story.
Bonnie Richardson Won A State Track Team Championship By Herself – Twice
This month in 2008, a high school athlete from a very small town competed as a team of one in the Texas track championships, and finished first two years in a row.