Today in Women�s History

Women's History - January 19th

1905 - Today, Oveta Culp Hobby was born in Killeen, Texas USA. She went on to become the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. She also went on to become the first commanding officer of the Women�s Army corp, and also became the chairman of the board of the Houston Post (newspaper).

Source: http://www.famoustexans.com/OvetaCulpHobby.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oveta_Culp_Hobby

Women's History - January 21st

1840 - Today, Sophia Jex-Blake was born in Hastings (England). She went on to become one of the first female doctors in the UK, and was instrumental in the foundation of a Women�s Medical School.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Jex-Blake

Women's History - January 23rd

1893 - Today, Mother Marianne of Molokai was born in Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. Two years after her birth, the family emigrated to New York (USA). She subsequently joined the Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis in Syracuse (NYC), where she became Mother Marianne. She volunteered (along with 35 other �Syracuse sisters�) to go to Hawaii and run the Kakaako Receiving Station for people suspected of suffering from leprosy and took charge in Maui, where she also opened a hospital and a school for girls. Mother Marianne then (along with 2 other sisters) went to Molokai to open a home for �unprotected women and girls� there. While she was there, she also took charge of a home which had been established for men and boys by Damien DeVeuster (d.1889). She dedicated 30 years to working and helping other people, some even claiming that she performed miracles - for which she received beatification (became a saint) in Rome in 2005.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessed_Marianne_of_Molokai

Women's History - January 25th

1933 - Today, Corazon Aquino was born in Manila, Philippines. She went on to become the first woman to run for President in the Philippines, becoming Asia�s first female President (she was President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992).    Her husband, Benigno Aquino was assassinated when he returned (from exile) to the Philippines to renew his opposition to President Ferdinand Marcos. Corazon Aquino ran for President against Marcos and won the seat.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corazon_Aquino

Women's History - January 27th

1888 - Today, Vicki Baum (a/k/a Hedwig Baum) was born in Vienna. She went on to become one of the most widely read authors of her time. Her novel �Menschen Im Hotel (People in a Hotel, 1929) was made into an Oscar winning film in 1932 in Hollywood (under the title Grand Hotel), starring Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Lionel Barrymore. She also wrote �Hell In Fauemsee�, �A Tale from Bali�, �The Ship and The Shore�, and so many others too numerous to mention here.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicki_Baum


Greta Garbo & Lionel Barrymore in the movie "Grand Hotel"


Poster advertising the movie

Women's History - January 29th

1895 - Today, Muna Lee was born in Mississippi (USA). She went on to become an author and a feminist. She helped shape the social and literary landscapes of the Americans during the early 20th century. She was a translator and advocate of Latin American literature and made contributions to the modern Pan-America literary tradition. She also made important contributions to the women�s movement - as the founder of the Inter-American commission of Women. She also joined the U.S. State Department as an inter-American cultural affairs specialist.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muna_Lee_%28writer%29


Muna Lee

Women's History - January 31st

1938 - Today, Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard was born in Soestdijk, WC Netherlands. She has been the present queen of the Netherlands since April 30th, 1980. She married (in 1966) a West German diplomat, Claus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Ger von Amsberg. Her son, Prince Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand is the first male heir to the Dutch throne in over a century.

Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/beatrix-of-the-netherlands

Women's History - February 2nd

962 - Today, Saint Adelaide was crowned empress of the Holy Roman Empire with her husband, Otto I. She was the daughter of Rudolf II of Burgundy and was married to Lothair (king of Italy). After the death of Lothair in 950 (assumed to be poisoned by Berengar II), BerengarII took Adelaide prisoner and wanted her to marry his son. But, Otto I �the Great� of Saxony defeated Berengar II and rescued Adelaide. Otto I declared himself king of Italy and married Adelaide, and she was crowned as empress when he was crowned as Holy Roman Emperor.

What a beautiful love story! Makes me want to cry tears of joy!     

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_of_Italy

"Morty

Women's History - February 4th

1983 - Today, Karen Carpenter, one-half of the sibling musical group known as THE CARPENTERS, died today after a lengthy battle with the life threatening eating disorder known as Anorexia Nervosa. In her lifetime, she won 3 Grammy awards, had 8 gold albums, 10 gold singles, and 5 platinum albums. Together with her brother, Richard, they made beautiful music!

Source:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Carpenter

Women's History - February 6th

43 C.E. - Today is the traditional date for the suicide of the Trung sisters (Trung Trac and Trung Nhi) when facing defeat by the Chinese army. These sisters led a rebellion against Chinese rule in Vietnam in the first century of the Christian era. On the 6th of February of Lunar calendar every year, the Vietnamese organize a ceremony to remember the bravery of the two sisters. Trung sisters Day was observed as the Vietnamese National Women Day.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trung_Sisters
http://www.richmond.edu/~ebolt/history398/TrungSisters.html