6 Crazy/Cool Things You Never Knew About These Trailblazers

It's National Women's History Month, a time to honor women's contributions to history, society, and, well, the world. But, while these names may be familiar to you as Beyoncé lyrics (we hope), we bet there's some information about these legendary women that you didn't know.

Rosa Parks

We all remember her as the tenacious, brave woman who refused to give up her seat, but did you know she was also the first woman to lie in state at the United States Capitol? Following her death in 2005 at the age of 92, the activist was brought to the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, where she received a final tribute reserved for statesmen and military leaders—the first woman to receive such a tribute. Over 30,000 people came to pay their respects to her.

Sonia Sotomayor

Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court and the third female justice ever, is an accomplished woman who knew she wanted to be a lawyer since she was ten years old. (Ten, to be exact.) After being inspired by Nancy Drew books to become a detective, her doctor suggested she try a different goal after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of eight. Her fascination with Perry Mason inspired her to pursue a career in law. And she stuck to her guns.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe is best known for her glamorous film roles and iconic Hollywood status, but she was also a female trailblazer. After being offered only "dumb blonde" roles, Monroe took matters into her own hands—after a film hiatus, she went into business with photographer Milton Greene and established Marilyn Monroe Productions in 1955, becoming only the third woman in the United States to do so. But Monroe didn't just fight for her own career; she also fought for the careers of other incredible women in the industry. What's an example? When a club owner thought Ella Fitzgerald wasn't glamorous enough to perform, Marilyn persuaded him otherwise by promising to sit in the front row and bring people in the seats. 

Gloria Steinem

The feminist icon had a strong stance on marriage—as in, she would never marry—but everything changed in 2000, when she married animal-rights activist David Bale at the age of 65. (Fun fact: He is the father of Christian Bale.) When pressed about changing her mind about marriage, or as she used to call it, ""I didn't change the model of slavery," she said. Marriage evolved. We spent 30 years changing marriage laws in the United States. If I had married when I was supposed to, I would have forfeited my name, legal residence, credit rating, and many of my civil rights. That is no longer the case. It is possible to marry on equal terms."

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is obviously accomplished, but you might not have guessed that she began accumulating accolades at such a young age. The Tennessee native, who was raised by her maternal grandparents, claims she learned to read at the age of three and that on the second day of kindergarten, she handed her teacher a note that read: "I don't think I belong here because I know a lot of big words." She skipped first grade after the teacher agreed. At this point, driven is an understatement.

Hillary Clinton

From being the first lady to becoming the first woman elected to the New York Senate to becoming the first woman to be made a full partner at Rose Law Firm, Hillary Clinton has had an incredible run of firsts. Her ambitions, however, seemed to be met with resistance from organizations and, well, men early on. When a young girl wrote to NASA asking how she could become an astronaut, NASA politely replied that there was no program for female astronauts and that they did not "contemplate any such plan." 

Later, after being accepted to both Yale and Harvard law schools, a friend introduced her to a Harvard Law professor, claiming that Hillary was debating between the school and its "competitor." His response? "First and foremost, we don't have a direct competitor, and secondly, we don't need any more women." She went with Yale.

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