Top 20 Badass Historical Women You've Probably NEVER Heard Of

Few female pirates in history have gained the same recognition as their male counterparts, and Grace O’Malley, is one of the overlooked. Born in 1530 to a noble Irish dynasty, O’Malley showed her fearless spirit early on, cutting off her hair to join her father’s sailing expedition. She succeeded her father as their clan leader and commanded a fleet that dominated the seas off Ireland’s west coast. O’Malley boldly defied the English. In 1593, she negotiated the release of her brother and sons from English captivity by meeting personally with Queen Elizabeth I. Remarkably, she refused to bow to the queen as she deemed her an equal. O’Malley remains a legendary figure in Ireland, although her exploits are often left out of history books.

While scientist duo Watson and Crick are associated with DNA’s double helix structure, Franklin was also a big part of this influential discovery. A chemist and x-ray crystallographer, Franklin was a researcher at King’s College in London. In 1952, she and her student took pictures of DNA, including the pivotal Photo 51. Without her knowledge, Franklin’s colleague Maurice Wilkins showed Photo 51 to Watson. Watson and Crick used the X-ray image to support their own research, while Franklin’s own research was downplayed. Franklin died of ovarian cancer at only 37, and never lived to see the growing recognition of her work. With awards, buildings, and even a play in her honor, Franklin’s contributions to science will always be remembered.

Today, multiple women have vied for the U.S. presidency, but none of that would be possible without Victoria Woodhull, who was the first to do so in 1872. A fierce advocate for women’s suffrage and labor reforms, Woodhull also supported “free love,” which championed women’s rights to marry, divorce and have children without government interference. Additionally, she was a pioneer on Wall Street, co-founding the first female-led brokerage firm with her sister, Tennessee Claflin. Together, they also ran a newspaper that once published an exposé on the extramarital affair of a prominent minister, resulting in Woodhull’s arrest on obscenity charges. Woodhull passed away in 1927, and was posthumously inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2001.

This Nigerian princess and poet was born in 1793 to Usman dan Fodio, the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate in present-day Northern Nigeria. Dan Fodio prioritized universal education in his kingdom, and so, Asma’u was well-educated in global classics and fluent in four languages. Determined to pass on this knowledge, she established a network of female teachers called jajis, who traveled across the Caliphate to educate women in rural areas who, in turn, taught others. This became a movement known as ƴan-taru, which still exists today and continues to play a crucial role in promoting female education especially in Northern Nigeria. Asma’u was also a prolific writer, who produced a vast collection of prose and poetry in different languages.

Often hailed as the mother of American avant-garde filmmaking, Maya Deren was born in Ukraine and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents to escape antisemitic pogroms. She began exploring filmmaking in the early 1940s, using her inheritance to shoot her first film “Meshes of the Afternoon.” Deren’s work broke away from conventional filmmaking techniques, and became known for its innovative editing, visual symbolism and nonlinear storytelling. Her fascination with Haitian Vodou led her to document the religion, although she passed away before she could complete the project. It was later released posthumously as “Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti.” Deren helped to establish experimental film as a respected art form, founding the Creative Film Foundation to support independent filmmakers.

The daughter of a Scottish soldier and a Jamaican traditional healer, Mary Seacole followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a nurse. After treating patients of the 1850 cholera epidemic in Jamaica, Seacole sought to apply her skills during the Crimean War. However, she was rejected by the British War Office, possibly due to her race. Undeterred, she traveled to Crimea independently and opened the British Hotel, offering food, medicine and supplies to soldiers. Despite arriving after the major battles were over, Seacole cared for the wounded and comforted the dying, earning the troops’ affection as “Mother Seacole.” Although her efforts were overlooked for nearly a century, she is now celebrated as a pioneering nurse and humanitarian.

This tough-as-nails spy started out as a freelance journalist, and ended up a French Resistance hero. In the mid-thirties, Wake visited Vienna, and saw Nazis assaulting Jews in the streets. From then on, she knew that she had to stop them. When Germany invaded France in 1940, Wake joined the Resistance as a courier and guide for Allied soldiers and refugees. Trained in England, she strengthened ties between Britain and the Resistance, and her efforts led to many guerrilla victories. Always on her tail, the Gestapo could never catch the woman they called “the white mouse.” Wake passed away in 2011 at the age of 98, and is one of the most decorated servicewomen of World War II.

Not only was this brave woman a British spy, she was also a Sufi princess! Khan was a children’s author in Paris when the war broke out, and fled to England in 1940. She became a radio operator for British intelligence shortly thereafter, and was next sent to Paris to work for the French Resistance. While many members of her network were arrested, Khan continued to work while trying to evade capture. In October 1943, a colleague betrayed her and Khan was imprisoned in Paris by the SS. Even though she faced horrible conditions, Khan defied her captors until the end. She was executed at Dachau, Germany in 1944, and has since earned her place among Britain’s wartime heroes.

Before the WWE Divas, there was Khutulun, a beautiful Mongol princess who happened to love wrestling. A descendant of Genghis Khan, she was a skilled warrior who often joined her father in battle. When she wasn’t killing it at the front, she could be found wrestling opponent after opponent. Khutulun could wrestle anyone she wanted, and she didn’t do it just for kicks. If Khutulun won, she’d get 100 horses; if she lost, she’d marry her opponent. Needless to say, Khutulun ended up with a lot of horses. She allegedly married someone she met outside her lucrative hobby, and died in 1306. Largely unknown outside of Mongolia until recently, this unbeatable princess wrestled her way into history.

She was the only female emperor to reign in her own right in Chinese history – and a polarizing figure to boot. Depending on the sources, Wu Zetian was either a ruthless woman who wasn’t above having her own relatives killed to take the throne, or a highly effective leader who improved the lives of commoners. The truth lies somewhere in between. Wu purged a lot of the competition to become emperor, but also managed to purge corruption, expand the civil service system, and make Buddhism more prominent. She even headed a brand new dynasty for 15 years, which ended upon her abdication and death in 705. Despite her controversial reign – or maybe because of it – Wu continues to captivate us centuries later.

At a time when U.S. flying schools barred African-Americans, Native Americans and women, Bessie Coleman, who ticked all three boxes, faced a slim chance of becoming a pilot. However, she decided to move to France to actualize her dream. In 1921, Coleman earned her international pilot’s license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, becoming the first African-American woman and Native American to do so. After returning to the U.S., she became known for her daring aerial shows, which drew large crowds. She also challenged racial inequality by refusing to perform for audiences that excluded African-Americans. Coleman aimed to open a flight school for people like her, but that dream was cut short when she tragically died in a plane crash in 1926.

As the Queen Mother of the Ashanti Empire in present-day Ghana, Yaa Asantewaa’s primary duty was to protect the Golden Stool, a symbol of Ashanti sovereignty. In the late 19th century, after exiling the King to Seychelles, the British colonists demanded the Golden Stool. This enraged Asantewaa. While some male leaders hesitated, she took charge and led Ashanti forces in a rebellion known as the War of the Golden Stool. Despite being in her 60s at the time, Asantewaa fought on the frontlines, inflicting significant losses on the British side. Although the Ashantis eventually lost the war and Asantewaa was exiled, the colonists never laid hands on the Golden Stool. Today, Asantewaa’s bravery and resistance are celebrated in Ghana and across Africa.

These Dominican sisters – Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa – fought the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. Through their resistance group, the Movement of the Fourteenth of June, they issued anti-Trujillo pamphlets and planned revolts. Minerva and Maria Teresa were arrested, but were freed after the Organization of American States intervened. Their freedom was short-lived, however. On November 25, 1960, the sisters were driving home from visiting Minerva and Maria Teresa’s jailed husbands when Trujillo’s henchmen beat them to death. Trujillo was assassinated six months later, and the Mirabals’ surviving sister Dede dedicated her life to preserving the women’s memory. To commemorate the sisters, November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. These sisters were not only badass, they’re also national heroes.

Fourteen hundred years before Cleopatra, another female pharaoh ruled over Ancient Egypt. After her husband Thutmose II died, Hatshepsut ruled alongside her stepson Thutmose III, eventually becoming a pharaoh in her own right. Hatshepsut was usually depicted with feminine features, along with the king’s false beard to show her power. Her 20-year reign was mostly peaceful and prosperous. Hatshepsut built many monuments and embarked on a landmark trade expedition to the Land of Punt. 20 years after her death, traces of her memory were destroyed, with some believing that her stepson Thutmose III was to blame. While later research casts doubt on this theory, we’re fortunate that enough has survived from her reign so that Hatshepsut won’t be forgotten any time soon.

When WWII began, Irena Sendler, a social worker for Warsaw, Poland, couldn’t ignore the horrors around her. Working with the Polish Underground Resistance, Sendler helped smuggle 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto, giving them new identities and placing them in convents or with sympathetic families. She also kept meticulous records, hoping to reunite these children with their families when the war was over. In 1943, Sendler was arrested by the Gestapo and tortured, but she refused to reveal any information. For this, she was sentenced to death. However, she narrowly escaped execution after the resistance bribed Nazi officials to release her. Sendler’s bravery saved countless lives and after the war, she was recognized by Israel, Poland and the United States.

This former sex worker became one of the most feared and successful pirates of the South China Coast. Her husband Cheng I was already known as the commander of the Red Flag Fleet. After he died in 1807, Ching took the helm. By 1810, she oversaw a fleet of up to 80,000 pirates – no small feat! She also set up a strict code of conduct to keep them in line, unless they wanted to lose their heads. Whether it was Chinese officials, the Portuguese, or the British, nobody could defeat the Red Flag Fleet. When the government offered amnesty to pirates, Ching retired, keeping her loot and running a gambling house. By land or by sea, Ching was unstoppable.

Born into the royal family of Ndongo, in modern-day Angola, Queen Nzinga was privy to military and diplomatic training at a young age. This would prove invaluable in her adulthood. Nzinga became known for her political savvy and led a fierce resistance against Portuguese colonization. After her brother, King Mbandi, died in 1624, Nzinga, who had previously negotiated with the Portuguese and spoke their language fluently, became Queen. However, the Portuguese, threatened by her policies, backed a rival and declared war on her in 1626. Nzinga responded with guerrilla warfare, forming a key alliance with the Dutch to counter the Portuguese. Not only did she retain control of Ndongo, she later conquered the Kingdom of Matamba, uniting the two into a formidable regional power.

Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi was born in either 1828 or 1835, which means she was likely only 22 years old when she stood up to the British. Lakshmibai was the wife of the Maharaja of Jhansi, who died before she could give birth to an heir. Before his passing, the Maharaja named an adopted heir, but the British governor-general of India refused to recognize him and annexed Jhansi. Unwilling to surrender her kingdom, Lakshmibai joined the 1857 rebellion, mobilizing her own troops into battle. Despite being vastly outnumbered, she mounted a fierce resistance against the British. When Jhansi fell in 1858, she escaped and continued fighting, but was ultimately killed in the state of Gwalior. Her unwavering courage, however, remains undefeated.

This Breton noblewoman’s third husband was executed for treason during the Hundred Years’ War. Jeanne then swore revenge on France. She sold her belongings to fund a small army, fighting on land before becoming a pirate in the English Channel. She and her children reached England, where Edward III is said to have given her three ships. Along with her forces, Jeanne supposedly beheaded French nobles herself, always sparing a few to report to the French king. Sources differ on her pirating days – she was at sea anywhere from five months to thirteen years – but they ended once she married an English military deputy. While much of her life is the stuff of legends, her resolve was all too real.

The Roman Army was one of the most formidable military forces in ancient history, which enabled Rome to conquer many kingdoms. However, there was one that stood firm against their advances: the kingdom of Kush, led by Queen Amanirenas. After seizing control of Egypt, the Romans attempted to push further south into Kush but were met with an unexpected resistance. Amanirenas launched a bold counterattack, advancing into Egypt and sacking the city of Syene. Her forces managed to hold their ground for years, even in the face of the more expansive Roman Army. Amanirenas, described as having only one eye, eventually forced Rome into negotiating a peace treaty, which allowed Kush to maintain its independence and exempted it from paying any tax.

Which of these powerful ladies do you find the most inspiring? Let us know in the comments below.