May 16th

Born this day in 1718, Maria Gaetanna Agnesi, mathematician best known for the curve "Witch of Agnesi". (pictures above)and philosopher. Agnesi born in Italy and was a child prodigy. By the age of nine she spoke, read and wrote in Italian, French, Latin, Greek, German, Spanish and Hebrew. She wrote the first book about differential and integral calculus in 1748. In 1750, Agnesi was appointed by Pope Benedict XIV chair of mathematics and natural philosophy and physics of Bologna.
When Agnesi was nine years old, she wrote an hour long speech in Latin about women's right to be educated.
Even though it would seem that Maria Agnesi would make a career in academia, her true calling was to become a nun. Maria joined the convent of the Blue Nuns at Milan to help the poor, homeless and sick. Maria spent the rest of her life at the convent fulfilling her true calling.

May 15th

Born this day in 1937, Madeleine Korbel Albright, first woman Secretary of State for the United States.

On this day in 1991, Edith Cresson became to first woman premier of France.

On this day in 1930,Ellen Church became the first airline stewardess, flying San Francisco to Cheyenne.

On this day in 1970, Elizabeth Hoisington and Anna Mae Mays became to first United States generals.

And on this day in 1940, the first nylon stockings were sold in the United States....and in the first year 64 million pairs were sold!

May 14th

On this day in 1995 the NAACP swore in Myrlie Evers-Williams as chair-person of the NAACP. She was the first woman elected to the Board of Directors of the NAACP.

On this day in 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court approved equal rights to females in the military.

On this day in 1971, the first female pages were appointed to the Senate.

On this day in 1942, the United States Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was formed. (and it only took 31 years to the day for these gals to gain the same rights the male counter parts enjoy!)

On this day in 1921, Florence Allen was the first female judge to sentence a man to death.

The reason for this delay in daily entries - blogger was down from May 10th-May 14th. It was in reader mode only.

May 13th

On this day in 1995, Alison Hargreaves reached the peak of Mount Everest unaided meaning without the aid of oxygen or sherpas. She was the first woman to do this and the second person to achieve this Peak.
When I was reading Hargreaves bio, her death year is 1995. Her intention was to climb Everest,K2 and Kanchenjunga all in one year. Hargreaves was the mother of two young children, after her successful climb of Everest, she went home briefly (United Kingdom) to visit her family and then off the join the teams at K2 located in Pakistan. Alison died on the descend of K2; a storm blew her off the mountain.

On this day in 1923, Willa Cather was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, One of Ours. Other novels include O Pioneers!, My Antonia, and The Song Of The Lark

On this day in 1917, Mary mad her first appearance to 3 shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal.

On this day in 1888, Princess Isabel of Brazil signed, "Lei Aurea" abolishing slavery.

May 12th

Born this day in 1849, Matilda Coxe Evans Stevenson, a pioneer ethologist.

Ethnology (from the Greek ἔθνος, ethnos meaning "people, nation, race") is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.

Evans Stevenson had no formal education in her chosen field, but this was a woman who believed in herself and her vision. The first woman to work in the American Southwest concentrating on the Zuni. The first woman to be part of the first research team of the Bureau of Ethnology. The collecting of thousands of ethnographic objects of Pueblo cultural and social life. She was the first ethologist to consider women and children in the everyday life of these ancient cultures they are studying!
And all these "first woman" are really an account of how hard Evans Stevenson fought for women rights in her field. Which also meant she was fighting for a salary! And she did achieve this important issue. Making her the first government anthropologist to be paid. BUT, at first she was paid as a temporary employee. And then in 1890 she was paid as a permanent employee until her death in 1915. And yes, her salary was always lower than her fellow male counterparts. And it wasn't until 1960 that another woman was paid for her work in the anthology department.

"It is my wish to erect a foundation upon which students may build... I make no claim that my paper on Zuni will exhaust the subject. On the contrary, it but opens the subject but I think and hope it may open wide the gates for other students to pass the more rapidly over the many, many parts which I have left unexplored."