Wikipedia:WikiProject Women in Green/DYK/2007 DYK Blurbs

2007 DYK Blurbs: Transcluding 10 of 321 2007 DYK blurbs
 * ... that Empress Dowager Wu of Tang China had Wu Youji’s wife secretly killed in 690 CE so that he could marry her widowed daughter, the Princess Taiping? (2007-12-31)
 * ... that in March 2007, Agnes Devanadera ' became the 41st and first woman Solicitor General of the Philippines? (2007-12-30)
 * ... that American artist Sybil Gibson started painting in 1963, aged 55, using the medium of powdered tempera paints on brown paper grocery bags? (2007-12-29)
 * ... that Shruti Haasan, the daughter of Indian actors Kamal Haasan and Sarika, is a singer turned model who is now also venturing into acting? (2007-12-28)
 * ... that besides utility poles (example pictured), anonymous knitters from Knitta have also left their tags on the Great Wall of China and the Notre Dame de Paris? (2007-12-28)
 * ... that Tom Collen resigned over a discrepancy about his résumé a day after becoming Vanderbilt University's women's basketball head coach, but his résumé was correct? (2007-12-27)
 * ... that netball in New Zealand is the most popular women's sport in the country, led by its high-profile national team, the Silver Ferns? (2007-12-27)
 * ... that many churchgoers in the 1920s believed that Ronald Reagan's mother, Nelle Wilson Reagan, had the gift to heal due to her strong belief in the power of prayer? (2007-12-27)
 * ... that, with Christine Scanlan's appointment to the Colorado House of Representatives, the state house's Democratic caucus became majority-female? (2007-12-25)
 * ... that Rudyard Kipling wrote a short story about a group of World War I soldiers who were committed Janeites, that is, fans of Jane Austen novels? (2007-12-21)
 * ... that in 1289, when the Mamluks led by Qalawun captured Tripoli (depicted in artwork) in present-day Lebanon from the Franks, they ended 180 years of uninterrupted Christian rule, the longest of any of the major Frankish conquests in the Levant? (2007-12-21)
 * ... that Ann C. Noble, inventor of the "Aroma Wheel", was the first woman hired as a faculty member of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology? (2007-12-21)
 * ... that Dove's Evolution is the first entry to win two Grand Prix awards at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival? (2007-12-20)
 * ... that Venus figurines are Palaeolithic figures of women (example pictured), made in Eurasia between 20,000 and 30,000 years ago? (2007-12-17)
 * ... that Elizabeth Woodville was the first English royal mistress to become the English queen consort? (2007-12-17)
 * ... that the only elements of the Nativity of Jesus in art (example pictured) to span the whole history of its depiction are the baby, the ox and the ass? (2007-12-16)
 * ... that Marsha Looper, a Republican state legislator elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2006 by a 2-to-1 margin, is also a systems engineer, real estate broker, and rancher? (2007-12-16)
 * ... that Wales had one of the highest literacy rates in eighteenth century Europe thanks to the wealthy Bridget Bevan (pictured), who sponsored a system of "circulating schools"? (2007-12-16)
 * ... that the Duchess of Marlborough egg is the only Fabergé egg to have been commissioned by an American? (2007-12-15)
 * ... that the development of a hydrosalpinx was first recognized in the 17th century as a cause of female infertility by Dutch physician Regnier de Graaf? (2007-12-13)
 * ... that Claudia Blum de Barberi is a Colombian politician and psychologist, who became the first woman to ever be elected President of the Congress of Colombia? (2007-12-13)
 * ... that Simone Ortega has received prizes from both France and her native Spain for her bestselling range of cookery books, one of which has been updated 48 times and sold millions of copies in Spanish and English? (2007-12-11)
 * ... that Yoky Matsuoka, a neuroscience and robotics researcher, was once the 21st ranked tennis player in Japan? (2007-12-10)
 * ... that Glafira Dorosh is the only recipient of a Soviet Order for a culinary recipe? (2007-12-10)
 * ... that the work of Cornificia, a Roman poet of the first century BC, was read for centuries, but has since been lost entirely? (2007-12-10)
 * ... that Jane Austen's (pictured) novels increased dramatically in popularity after the publication of her nephew's A Memoir of Jane Austen in 1870? (2007-12-08)
 * ... that the first co-ed school in Azerbaijan was founded by Hamida Javanshir in 1908? (2007-12-07)
 * ... that actress Evelyn Venable, the voice of the Blue Fairy in the animated film Pinocchio, was the original model for the Columbia Pictures logo? (2007-12-07)
 * ... that Alpha Kappa Alpha founder, Marie Woolfolk Taylor was one of two African-Americans who assisted the Red Cross during the Great Atlanta Fire? (2007-12-06)
 * ... that herpetologist Doris M. Cochran, the Smithsonian Institution's first female curator, died four days after her retirement? (2007-12-04)
 * ... that the Indian novelist M. K. Indira started writing novels only after the age of forty-five? (2007-12-02)
 * ... that Norma Elizabeth Boyd, founder of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, was a United Nations observer in 1949 and supported the Principle 10 of the Declaration of Human Rights? (2007-11-30)
 * ... that billionaire Leonore Annenberg (pictured, left), wife of business magnate Walter Annenberg, was the Chief of Protocol of the United States from 1981 to 1982 under President Ronald Reagan? (2007-11-29)
 * ... that, after hitting another driver from behind in heavy traffic, screenwriter Jennifer Philbin and her husband Michael Schur raised $26,000 for charity in a retaliation campaign instead of paying $840 to fix the driver's broken bumper? (2007-11-29)
 * ... that Irena Iłłakowicz, a secret agent of the Polish resistance during WWII, was formerly married to a Persian prince? (2007-11-29)
 * ... that in 1902, 23-year-old British archaeozoologist Dorothea Bate discovered a new species of dwarf elephant in a cave on the island of Cyprus? (2007-11-28)
 * ... that Colorado Rep. Stella Garza-Hicks dropped out of high school in the ninth grade? (2007-11-26)
 * ... that Filipino film producer Narcisa de Leon did not start her career in the film industry till she was 61 years old? (2007-11-26)
 * ... that Pancha Carrasco became Costa Rica's first woman in the military by joining the defending forces at the Battle of Rivas? (2007-11-22)
 * ... that a complete backstory was constructed by Mike Leigh for Vinette Robinson ' s character in Vera Drake, even though the role was minor? (2007-11-21)
 * ... that the gardens of the Petit Trianon were once thought to be haunted? (2007-11-19)
 * ... that in 1656, Judith Catchpole was tried before colonial Maryland's first all-female jury because a woman's expertise was needed to evaluate the evidence? (2007-11-19)
 * ... that Colorado state representative Amy Stephens wrote an abstinence-based sex education curriculum that was translated into over a dozen languages? (2007-11-19)
 * ... that Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (pictured) was a devoted companion to her mother, Queen Victoria, for over forty years? (2007-11-17)
 * ... that New York Journal cartoonist and illustrator Nell Brinkley created the "Brinkley Girl" (pictured), an iconic representation of independent working women popular in the early 20th century? (2007-11-16)
 * ... that The O.C. ' s music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas worked in the music department of over fifty Roger Corman B-movies before her television debut? (2007-11-16)
 * Toni Preckwinkle (article's talk page missing blurb) (2007-11-15)
 * ... that shortly after the Revolution of 1848, the socialist feminist Jeanne Deroin became the first woman to stand in a national election in France? (2007-11-15)
 * ... that the Sanskrit literature scholar Barbara Stoler Miller, whose translation of the Bhagavad Gita helped to popularise Indian literature in the United States, also translated Spanish poetry? (2007-11-15)
 * ... that Wendy Kaminer's critique of the self-help movement, I'm Dysfunctional, You're Dysfunctional, was highlighted among The New York Times ' "Notable Books of the Year 1992"? (2007-11-13)
 * ... that Ève Curie did not receive a Nobel Prize, unlike her parents Marie and Pierre, her sister Irène, and, on behalf of UNICEF, her husband Henry Richardson Labouisse, Jr.? (2007-11-12)
 * ... that Manuela Beltrán (monument pictured) was a Colombian woman who organized a peasant revolt against excessive taxation in 1780? (2007-11-11)
 * ... that actress Ethel Jackson remarried with the lawyer who had obtained her divorce the same month? (2007-11-11)
 * ... that Agatha Christie's longest book was her autobiography? (2007-11-10)
 * ... that Singaporean Teresa Hsu, a 110-year old social worker who teaches yoga and selfless service to the needy, was named 'Hero for Today' by the Chinese edition of the Reader's Digest? (2007-11-09)
 * ... that Marcela de Agoncillo, who made the first Philippine flag, was married to the first Filipino diplomat? (2007-11-08)
 * ... that Kirsten Sheridan, director of the new movie August Rush, got her start in film portraying the younger sister of Irish artist Christy Brown (Daniel Day-Lewis) in her father Jim Sheridan's 1989 film, My Left Foot? (2007-11-08)
 * ... that vaudeville performer Birdie Reeve was billed as the "World's Fastest Typist" in the 1920s, typing 200 words a minute using just two fingers of each hand? (2007-11-07)
 * ... that Lavinia Fisher is widely recognised as the first female serial killer in the United States of America? (2007-11-05)
 * ... that French poet Ronsard correctly predicted that Tuileries Palace, one of the many building projects of Catherine de' Medici (pictured), would be deserted within a hundred years? (2007-11-05)
 * ... that Song Hye-rang is a North Korean defector who looked after Kim Jong-nam, the child of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il? (2007-11-04)
 * ... that Prema Karanth is the first woman to direct a Kannada film? (2007-11-04)
 * ... that Julia Ward Howe, author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and champion of emancipation and women's suffrage, was also a founder of the Women's Rest Tour Association of Boston? (2007-11-02)
 * ... that Bhadda Kundalakesa attained arahantship faster than any other Buddhist nun? (2007-11-01)
 * ... that Nanda, the half-sister of Gautama Buddha, went on to be the foremost nun in the practice of jhana? (2007-10-31)
 * ... that the standard version of Sojourner Truth's famous speech "Ain't I a Woman?" was recorded by Frances Dana Barker Gage (pictured)? (2007-10-31)
 * ... that Ellen Hammer is regarded as one of the first Americans to study the history of Vietnam? (2007-10-31)
 * ... that Belinda Dann, a member of Australia's Stolen Generation, died just months after being reunited with her family, who had been searching for her for over a century? (2007-10-31)
 * ... that before U.S. short track speed skater Cathy Turner won a gold medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics, she had left the sport for eight years to pursue a singing career under the stage name "Nikki Newland"? (2007-10-30)
 * ... that before competing in luge, Bonny Warner competed for Stanford University on a field hockey scholarship? (2007-10-30)
 * ... that Ann Northrop gave up a successful career at CBS to eventually become an AIDS educator for the Hetrick-Martin Institute and co-host of TV news program Gay USA? (2007-10-30)
 * ... that poet Violet Kazue de Cristoforo wrote haikus while she and her family were detained in Japanese American internment camps during World War II? (2007-10-29)
 * ... that Anna Laetitia Barbauld's (pictured) Lessons for Children (1778–79) revolutionized children's literature, introducing what novelist Frances Burney called a "new walk"? (2007-10-26)
 * ... that Yekaterina Zelenko was the only woman to perform an air ramming and the only female pilot in the Winter War? (2007-10-23)
 * ... that Mdm2, whose role in regulating p53 was discovered by British scientist Karen Vousden, is a potential target for anti-cancer drugs? (2007-10-23)
 * ... that the Colombian journalist Diana Turbay (monument pictured) was killed while kidnapped by the Medellin Cartel in order to create pressure against the Colombia-USA extradition treaty? (2007-10-22)
 * Vi Daley (article's talk page missing blurb) (2007-10-21)
 * ... that Sakina Akhundzadeh is considered the first female playwright and dramatist in Azerbaijani literature? (2007-10-21)
 * ... that when Dorothy Andrews Elston married Walter Kabis, she became the first, and so far the only, Treasurer of the United States to have her name changed while in office? (2007-10-21)
 * ... that Elizabeth F. Ellet was the first writer to record the lives of women who contributed to and survived the American Revolutionary War? (2007-10-19)
 * ... that A Gift to Young Housewives, a Russian cookbook condemned under communism, contained nearly 4,000 recipes in some editions? (2007-10-19)
 * ... that Horace Engdahl, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, said that The Four-Gated City is Nobel laureate Doris Lessing's most important work? (2007-10-17)
 * ... that Milly Witkop and her common-law husband Rudolf Rocker, both notable anarchist activists and writers, were rejected admission to the United States in 1898, because they refused to get legally married? (2007-10-17)
 * ... that Princess Vera Konstantinovna was the last surviving member of the Romanov family who could remember Imperial Russia? (2007-10-16)
 * ... that Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the king of the Kingdom of Mysore in India, was also a collector and an inventor of board games? (2007-10-14)
 * ... that Hema Sardesai is the only Indian singer to have won the Grand Prix award at the International Pop Song Festival in Germany? (2007-10-14)
 * ... that Adriana Pirtea lost the 2007 Chicago Marathon to Berhane Adere when Adere slipped down the side of the street and crossed outside of the finish-line tape? (2007-10-14)
 * ... that the Niedermünster in Regensburg was the wealthiest and most influential house of canonesses in Bavaria? (2007-10-13)
 * ... that Vernice Armour was the first female African-American combat pilot in U.S. military history? (2007-10-12)
 * ... that the Mona Lisa is named for Lisa del Giocondo? (2007-10-11)
 * ... that Nellie Farren was best known for her roles as the "principal boy" in burlesques at the Gaiety Theatre in London? (2007-10-10)
 * ... that Mary Howitt wrote "The Spider and the Fly" (the poem parodied in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) and 120 other books, and translated Hans Christian Anderson? (2007-10-09)
 * ... that Singaporean Venerable Ho Yuen Hoe worked nineteen-hour days hairdressing for nearly thirty years, and used the money to open a nursing home at age 61? (2007-10-09)
 * ... that Icelandic operatic soprano Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir, better known as Diddú, began her singing career in the 1970s with a folk and pop group? (2007-10-06)
 * ... that in April 1999, Australian Justice Carolyn Simpson joined Margaret Beazley and Virginia Bell to form the first all-female bench to sit in Australia, England or New Zealand? (2007-10-06)
 * ... that Ethel Benjamin was the first woman in the British Empire to present a legal case in court? (2007-10-05)
 * ... that an essential component for hillclimbing cars is named after racing driver Patsy Burt, who was once said to be a "waste of a beautiful motor car"? (2007-10-02)
 * ... that Silma Ihram decided to found Al-Noori Muslim Primary School in Greenacre, New South Wales after Presbyterian Ladies' College would not allow her daughters to wear hijabs in school? (2007-10-01)
 * ... that musical theatre star Phyllis Dare (pictured) published her autobiography in 1907, but continued to perform in Edwardian musical comedy and on stage until 1951? (2007-10-01)
 * ... that 17-year-old Emily Benn, granddaughter of veteran politician Tony Benn, is the youngest ever Labour Party parliamentary candidate, and would, if elected, become the youngest British MP since the Reform Act 1832? (2007-09-30)
 * Gertrude Barrows Bennett (article's talk page missing blurb) (2007-09-26)
 * ... that Japanese artist Atsuko Tanaka wore a costume made of lit lightbulbs—her 1956 work Electric Dress—to exhibitions? (2007-09-26)
 * ... that South African anti-conscription activist Nan Cross once climbed a tank at a weapons exhibition and attached stickers to it reading: "Arms are for hugging, not killing"? (2007-09-23)
 * ... that Linda Chavez-Thompson was the first woman, colored person, and Hispanic elected an officer of the AFL-CIO? (2007-09-21)
 * ... that Turkish-German professional boxer Hülya Şahin, the undefeated junior flyweight world champion, is the only female member of her club Universum? (2007-09-21)
 * ... that 18-year-old online poker phenom, Annette_15, became the youngest person to ever win a World Series of Poker bracelet at the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event? (2007-09-20)
 * ... that Carnegie Medal-winning children’s author Berlie Doherty has written the libretti for three operas? (2007-09-19)
 * ... that Rachel Carson was so disappointed in the Oscar-winning film adaptation of her 1951 bestseller The Sea Around Us that she never again sold film rights to her work? (2007-09-18)
 * ... that one reviewer of Mary Wollstonecraft's Rights of Men apologized for his harsh review once he discovered a woman had written the book? (2007-09-18)
 * ... that the Loch Lomond Golf Club occupies land previously held by Clan Colquhoun and uses the clan's seat of Rossdhu Mansion (pictured) as its clubhouse? (2007-09-17)
 * ... that Harriet Howard was not only Louis Napoleon's mistress, but also financed his successful 1851 coup d'état? (2007-09-17)
 * ... that Vera Pezer, current Chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan, is a four-time Canadian Ladies' curling champion and a member of the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame? (2007-09-16)
 * ... that Sophie of Schönburg-Waldenburg, born in Potsdam, Brandenburg, became Princess of Albania in March 1914 (arrival pictured), but had to leave the country just six months later because of nationalist turmoil? (2007-09-14)
 * ... that swimmer Katherine Rawls, Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for 1937, flew in the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron during World War II? (2007-09-11)
 * ... that Amri Hernandez-Pellerano, a Puerto Rican electronics engineer and scientist, designed the power systems electronics for the NASA WMAP mission? (2007-09-11)
 * ... that Mercedes Reaves, a Puerto Rican research engineer and scientist, is responsible for the design of a viable, full-scale solar sail at the NASA Langley Research Center? (2007-09-09)
 * ... that Ah Jook Ku, a journalist and writer based in Hawaii, was the first Asian American reporter for the Associated Press, as well as the first Asian American female reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin? (2007-09-09)
 * ... that Boston Legal actress Meredith Eaton-Gilden (pictured) is also a practicing clinical psychologist? (2007-09-08)
 * ... that Charles de Talleyrand described his wife, Catherine Grand (pictured), as "an Indian, very beautiful, very lazy, the most idle woman he had ever known"? (2007-09-08)
 * ... that Rachel Plummer wrote the first book about being a slave to the Comanche Native Americans? (2007-09-06)
 * ... that American folklorist Helen Hartness Flanders recorded, transcribed and catalogued traditional ballads from New England at a time when people were ceasing to sing them? (2007-09-06)
 * ... that Henry III of France took to calling Catherine of Cleves "the mistress of Saint-Mégrin", in reference to a young nobleman killed by her illustrious husband? (2007-09-06)
 * ... that Olga D. González-Sanabria, a Puerto Rican scientist and inventor, is the highest ranking Hispanic at NASA Glenn Research Center? (2007-09-05)
 * ... that romance novelist Nancy Warren wrote real-life NASCAR driver Carl Edwards into two of her novels? (2007-09-02)
 * ... that zoologist Georgina Sweet was the first woman to receive a DSc from the University of Melbourne and the first female recipient of the David Syme Research Prize? (2007-09-01)
 * ... that National Medal of Science recipient Evelyn M. Witkin's interest in mutagenesis led her to discover mechanisms of bacterial DNA repair? (2007-09-01)
 * ... that Christine Langan distracted a man from jumping off of a multi-storey car park by speaking to him in a Manchester accent until the police arrived? (2007-09-01)
 * ... that in 1949, the Swedish dentist Alice Timander (pictured) was considered for expulsion from the Swedish Dental Association after she appeared publicly in a bikini? (2007-09-01)
 * ... that Michelle Rocca, longtime girlfriend of singer Van Morrison, was the first woman to appear on one of Morrison's album covers since his then-wife Janet Minto in 1971? (2007-08-30)
 * ... that actress, writer and producer Michelle Paradise created the television series Exes and Ohs without an agent? (2007-08-30)
 * ... that the first labor investigations by a United States government body were prompted by petitions from the Lowell girls, textile workers in Lowell, Massachusetts, during the mid-nineteenth century? (2007-08-30)
 * ... that Jane Storms was the first female war correspondent in American history? (2007-08-29)
 * ... that Singaporean dancer, choreographer and teacher Neila Sathyalingam, who dances in the classical Indian style (example pictured), decided to devote her life to dance after performing for Queen Elizabeth II? (2007-08-26)
 * ... that the popular YouTube star Christine Gambito attributes her nickname Happyslip to her Filipino mother's mispronunciation of half slip? (2007-08-25)
 * ... that Shushanik Kurghinian (pictured) was the first revolutionary female poet in Armenian literature? (2007-08-24)
 * ... that a 300-page iPhone bill became the subject of a viral video by blogger Justine Ezarik viewed more than 3 million times? (2007-08-24)
 * ... that Eleanor Davies-Colley was the first woman admitted as fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England? (2007-08-23)
 * ... that several universities now offer courses on the politics of Harry Potter? (2007-08-22)
 * ... that Lutgardis (pictured) is reported as having levitated and dripped blood from her forehead when entranced? (2007-08-19)
 * ... that Susan Kiefel is only the third woman appointed to the bench of the High Court of Australia? (2007-08-17)
 * ... that Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous poem “Kubla Khan” drew inspiration from Mary Wollstonecraft's (pictured) Letters Written in Sweden, Norway and Denmark? (2007-08-17)
 * ... that Minnie D. Craig, the first female speaker of a legislative body in the US, was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives just three years after gaining suffrage? (2007-08-14)
 * ... that Mary Saunderson played several female Shakespearean characters previously portrayed only by men, including Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Ophelia in Hamlet? (2007-08-14)
 * ... that South Korean actress Jang Jin-young was only the second winner of two Blue Dragon Film Awards for Best Actress, having won in 2001 for Sorum, and again in 2003 for Singles? (2007-08-12)
 * ... that then-President of the United States Franklin Pierce and all of his cabinet attended the second wedding of playwright Anna Cora Mowatt? (2007-08-10)
 * ... that Mary Wollstonecraft was born the same year that Voltaire's Candide and Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments were published? (2007-08-08)
 * ... that Michelle Morgan, a child abuse victim murdered by her stepmother at age four, was featured on an episode of Cold Case Files? (2007-08-08)
 * ... that Marion Harris was the first widely known white singer to sing jazz and blues songs? (2007-08-08)
 * ... that the Beyoncé song "Suga Mama" features a sample of the song "Searching for Soul" by funk band Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers? (2007-08-07)
 * ... that Major Derek Cooper and his wife, Pamela, assisted with refugee relief efforts from the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 to the Siege of Beirut in 1982, and established the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians in 1984? (2007-08-07)
 * ... that novelist Amelia Barr's most successful body of work is called the "Cherry Croft novels", after the summer house where she wrote them? (2007-08-07)
 * ... that Éva Gauthier (pictured) was the first classically trained singer to present the works of George Gershwin in concert? (2007-08-06)
 * ... that Odile Crick sketched the DNA double helix for the 1953 paper in Nature by her husband Francis Crick and James Watson announcing its discovery? (2007-08-05)
 * ... that Kathleen Parlow (pictured) was the first foreigner admitted to the St. Petersburg Conservatory? (2007-08-05)
 * ... that fetal movement begins as early as seven weeks after conception? (2007-08-03)
 * ... that at the age of 10, Megan Zheng became the first Singaporean to win a Golden Horse Award? (2007-08-02)
 * ... that the great-granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Leela Gandhi, is a senior lecturer at La Trobe University in the English program? (2007-07-31)
 * ... that in 1926, author Helen Dore Boylston and Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, drove from Paris to Albania in a Model T Ford called "Zenobia"? (2007-07-31)
 * ... that when Nizah Morris, an African American transgender woman, was murdered, the medical examiner immediately labeled it a homicide, but the Philadelphia police took over a month to do so? (2007-07-31)
 * ... that the Austrian government gave the American soprano Teresa Stich-Randall the title of Kammersängerin given to esteemed artists? (2007-07-28)
 * ... that Catherine Troeh, a Native American activist, often signed her letters "member of the Chinook Tribe Allottee 1865 Quinault reservation" as a reference to 80 acres of land granted to her by the U.S. federal government? (2007-07-26)
 * ... that after reading the Vietnam War memoir When Heaven and Earth Changed Places, Oliver Stone realized that his films Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July lacked a Vietnamese perspective, leading to his directing of Heaven & Earth? (2007-07-25)
 * ... that Taiwanese alternative musician Deserts Chang wrote her first song at the age of 13 before she learned how to play a musical instrument? (2007-07-25)
 * ... that Rani Abbakka, who fought the Portuguese in the 16th century, is regarded as the 'first woman freedom fighter of India'? (2007-07-25)
 * ... that, in addition to having a passion for opera, dramatic soprano Othalie Graham enjoys music by Prince and Jamaican reggae musician Jimmy Cliff? (2007-07-24)
 * ... that Citoyenne Henri (illustration pictured) was only allowed to take a balloon trip with Andre-Jacques Garnerin after it was ruled that "there was no more scandal in seeing two people of different sexes ascend in a balloon than it is to see them jump into a carriage"? (2007-07-24)
 * ... that the title of Mary Wollstonecraft's conduct book Thoughts on the Education of Daughters alludes to John Locke's Some Thoughts Concerning Education, one of its primary philosophical influences? (2007-07-23)
 * ... that Olimpia Maidalchini, the sister-in-law of Pope Innocent X (pictured), spent three days after his death looting the papal palace before his body was found? (2007-07-22)
 * ... that the English-born activist Maria Rosetti (pictured) was the model for Constantin Daniel Rosenthal's personification of Romania? (2007-07-21)
 * ... that Canada's first female columnist wrote under the pseudonym Faith Fenton so she could retain her day job as a teacher? (2007-07-21)
 * ... that Juliana Anicia commissioned the largest church of pre-Justinian Constantinople? (2007-07-17)
 * ... that the modern-day role of women in the Philippines is similar to their social status during pre-colonial times? (2007-07-16)
 * ... that Anna Mae Winburn led the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, the only integrated, all-female big band of the 1940s? (2007-07-15)
 * ... that Delta Sigma Theta Sorority founder Myra Hemmings starred, co-produced and co-directed the 1941 film Go Down, Death! The Story Of Jesus and the Devil? (2007-07-13)
 * ... that advertising executive Lois Wyse came up with the slogan "With a name like Smucker's, it has to be good!"? (2007-07-13)
 * ... that Emma Crawford was described as "the principal benefactress" of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane for her work in establishing several religious schools? (2007-07-13)
 * ... that while Mary Wollstonecraft (pictured) wrote her revolutionary treatise the Rights of Woman in six weeks, its novelistic sequel, The Wrongs of Woman, was still unfinished at her death, despite a year's work? (2007-07-12)
 * ... that Gunnhild, "Mother-of-Kings", the wife and queen of Erik Bloodaxe of Norway, was rumored to be a witch? (2007-07-12)
 * ... that Claude Pompidou was responsible for choosing much of the art for the Centre Georges Pompidou, named after her husband? (2007-07-09)
 * ... that American systems theorist Debora Hammond explores new ways of thinking about complex systems that support more participatory forms of social organization? (2007-07-08)
 * ... that Crystle Stewart won the Miss Texas USA title on her fifth attempt, after placing first runner-up for two consecutive years? (2007-07-08)
 * ... that Texas Tech track and field runner Sally Kipyego is the first Kenyan woman to win an NCAA cross country individual championship? (2007-07-07)
 * ... that the bestselling children's book The History of the Fairchild Family by Mary Martha Sherwood inspired the character of Pip in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations? (2007-07-04)
 * ... that Sycorax, an unseen character in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, is viewed by some as a symbol of the silenced African woman? (2007-07-04)
 * ... that the airport in the Nigerian city of Calabar is named after Margaret Ekpo, the 1950s civil rights activist? (2007-07-02)
 * ... that American sculptor Lynda Benglis sought to confront the male ethos in the arts community with an advertisement in which she only wore a pair of sunglasses? (2007-06-29)
 * ... that Louise Pitre, a Tony Award-nominated musical theatre actress, was turned down after auditioning for the role of Josephine in the London musical Napoleon? (2007-06-29)
 * ... that Gabriele Kohlisch is one of only two people to ever win World Championship gold medals in both bobsledding and luge? (2007-06-29)
 * ... that according to legend, the Polish Princess Wanda would rather commit suicide than marry a leader of an invading German force? (2007-06-27)
 * ... that Iraqi poet Nazik Al-Malaika was the first person to write in free verse in Arabic? (2007-06-25)
 * ... that Jeronima de la Asuncion (pictured) was the foundress of the first Catholic monastery in Manila and the Far East? (2007-06-25)
 * ... that Czech saint Zdislava Berka ran away from home to live as a hermit when she was only seven years old? (2007-06-22)
 * ... that Kuh Ledesma was the first Philippine singer to receive the Salem Music Awards in London in March 1989? (2007-06-17)
 * ... that Sophia Collier used profits from her autobiography Soul Rush, which she wrote at age nineteen, to develop her own soft drink company? (2007-06-16)
 * ... that Judith Quiney, one of William Shakespeare's daughters, was illiterate? (2007-06-16)
 * ... that Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrovna  left her unfaithful husband and became a nun? (2007-06-16)
 * ... that Australian pop singer Lynne Randell was the first Australian recording artist to shoot a colour music video for her 1967 hit "Ciao Baby"? (2007-06-14)
 * ... that in 2003, Kimberly Casiano became the first Hispanic woman to serve on the board of one of the Fortune 1000 top five companies when she was appointed to the board of Ford Motor Company? (2007-06-14)
 * ... that Maria Bertilla Boscardin, who was rejected by one religious order for her slowness, became a nurse and was eventually canonized a saint in the presence of several of her earlier patients? (2007-06-13)
 * ... that Bona of Pisa, after seeing a vision of James, son of Zebedee, became a leader of pilgrimages to his shrine at Santiago de Compostella? (2007-06-13)
 * ... that Deborah Lawrie became the first female pilot with an Australian airline after winning a landmark sex discrimination case against Ansett Airlines? (2007-06-11)
 * ... that Leyla Mammadbeyova (pictured) was the first Azerbaijani female aviator and the second parachutist woman in the former Soviet Union? (2007-06-10)
 * ... that the recently released diary of teenaged Polish Holocaust victim Rutka Laskier has been compared to the diary of Anne Frank? (2007-06-08)
 * ... that Elsa Eschelsson, the first woman both to finish a doctorate in Law and to teach in a university in Sweden, was denied the right to serve even as acting professor because of her sex? (2007-06-07)
 * ... that Cecilia Krieger, who translated the work of Sierpinski into English, was the first woman to receive a Ph.D in mathematics in Canada? (2007-06-07)
 * ... that Oregon Governor Oswald West sent his personal secretary Miss Fern Hobbs to Copperfield, Oregon, to shut down illegal activities and impose martial law in 1914? (2007-06-05)
 * ... that debt-relief activist Ann Pettifor staged a 70,000 person protest which formed a human chain and encircled the 1998 G8 summit? (2007-06-03)
 * ... that Paula Cooper, sentenced to death at age 15, had her sentence commuted in 1989 after an international uproar ensued and Pope John Paul II appealed to the Governor of Indiana for leniency? (2007-06-01)
 * ... that Alse Young is believed to have been the first person to be executed as a witch in the American colonies? (2007-05-31)
 * ... that not only have Isobel Joyce and her twin sister Cecelia played for the Ireland women's cricket team, three of their brothers have played for the men's team? (2007-05-30)
 * ... that England has won six of the seven Women's European Cricket Championships to date? (2007-05-29)
 * ... that Sajjida Shah debuted for Pakistan's women's cricket team aged just twelve? (2007-05-29)
 * ... that when noted American poet Lucretia Maria Davidson (pictured) died at age 16, she had written over 278 poems of varying lengths? (2007-05-27)
 * ... that alpine skier Jean Saubert won one-third of all medals earned by the entire United States Olympic team at the 1964 Winter Olympics? (2007-05-22)
 * ... that the Duke of Wellington had not seen Kitty Pakenham for ten years when he proposed marriage to her in 1806? (2007-05-22)
 * ... that Betty Roberts was the first woman to serve on Oregon's Supreme Court? (2007-05-22)
 * ... that major portions of Japanese writer Shōko Ieda's 1991 book Yellow Cab, about the eponymous sexual stereotype of Japanese women, were later denounced as "fraudulent" by her research assistant? (2007-05-21)
 * ... that Mary Brunner, a member of the "Manson family", was incarcerated after a shootout with police at a robbery? (2007-05-21)
 * ... that BBC radio presenter Margaret Hubble presented Woman's Hour alongside Marjorie Anderson and Jean Metcalfe in the 1950s? (2007-05-21)
 * ... that Marie de France's poem "Chevrefoil", one of the 12 Lais of Marie de France, recounts an episode from the legend of Tristan and Iseult? (2007-05-16)
 * ... that Richard Polwhele's polemic poem The Unsex'd Females deplored the female pastime of amateur botany due to the impropriety of learning about the reproduction of plants? (2007-05-11)
 * ... that Jean Balukas (pictured) began her record-setting streak of seven consecutive U.S. Open straight pool championships when only 13 years old? (2007-05-11)
 * ... that Brazilian indie singer-songwriter CéU was the first international artist chosen for promotion through the Starbucks Hear Music Debut CD series? (2007-05-09)
 * ... that plant collector Mary Strong Clemens sometimes paid for field-trip accommodation with scripture lessons and hymn-singing? (2007-05-08)
 * ... that the football stadium Nya Gamla Ullevi which is under construction in Gothenburg, Sweden, is only the second Swedish top league stadium built since 1966? (2007-05-08)
 * ... that Wiborada, a spiritual mentor of Ulrich of Augsburg, was the first female saint to be canonized by the Vatican? (2007-05-07)
 * ... that Japanese painter Uemura Shoen (work pictured) was the first woman awarded Japan's prestigious Order of Culture? (2007-05-04)
 * ... that Dr. Sue Gordon became the first full-time and first Aboriginal magistrate in Western Australia in 1988? (2007-05-03)
 * ... that poet Anna Williams ' s works include On the Death of Sir Erasmus Philipps, Unfortunately Drowned in the River Avon ? (2007-05-01)
 * ... that between her marriage to Marcus Garvey and her relationship with President of Liberia William Tubman, Pan-Africanist activist Amy Ashwood Garvey ran a club on London's Carnaby Street? (2007-04-27)
 * ... that the performance of "Let Me Try" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 featured performers banging on what appeared to be drums of industrial waste? (2007-04-26)
 * ... that the villagers of Kotor referred to Dominican visionary and anchoress Osanna of Cattaro as "the trumpet of the Holy Spirit" and the "teacher of mysticism"? (2007-04-25)
 * ... that Marthe Richard was a former prostitute and spy who worked to make brothels illegal in France? (2007-04-25)
 * ... that the Portland Power’s Natalie Williams was the leading scorer in the ABL during the 1997 to 1998 season? (2007-04-24)
 * ... that Jacqui Oatley is the first female football commentator in the history of BBC football programme Match of the Day? (2007-04-24)
 * ... that piano player and pupil of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Maryla Jonas, debuted at the age of 9? (2007-04-23)
 * ... that the Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball program is the only college women's team to appear in every NCAA Tournament and every Sweet 16? (2007-04-19)
 * ... that the cities of Viterbo and Narni fought a two-year battle over where the popular nun Lucia Brocadelli of Narni would reside? (2007-04-17)
 * ... that Australian Olympic swimming champion Faith Leech grew up on a diet of carrot juice and beetroot after refusing all other food as a baby? (2007-04-17)
 * ... that Judy Morris, co-writer of the Academy Award winning Happy Feet has also acted in many of the most popular North American and Australian television programs since the age of 10? (2007-04-16)
 * ... that Nihonga artist Ogura Yuki was the first woman to be selected chairperson of the Japan Art Academy, and one of only two women painters to be awarded Japan's Order of Culture? (2007-04-15)
 * ... that aged 14, Sandra Morgan became the youngest Australian to win a gold medal at the Olympics? (2007-04-15)
 * ... that Bollywood actress Shenaz Treasurywala was discovered while stuck in India when Kuwait Airways lost her luggage, including travel documents she needed to return to school in New York? (2007-04-14)
 * ... that when Katherine Ann Power, a fugitive from justice for 23 years before turning herself in, was on the run in Oregon, she was treated for depression by Courtney Love's mother? (2007-04-14)
 * ... that 11th century Muslim Al-Andalusian poet Wallada bint al-Mustakfi dressed in public in the fashion of the harems of Baghdad, without a customary hijab? (2007-04-13)
 * ... that legend says that Osanna of Mantua miraculously learned to read just by looking at a piece of paper with the words Jesus and Mary written on it? (2007-04-13)
 * ... that Elvira Popescu, an actress, theatre director, and recipient of the Légion d'honneur, was one of four women who inspired Henri Matisse's painting La Blouse Roumaine? (2007-04-13)
 * ... that Stephana de Quinzanis once threw herself upon a cartload of thorns in imitation of a penance done by St Thomas Aquinas? (2007-04-12)
 * ... that Leela Majumdar, author of children's books, translated Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea into Bengali? (2007-04-11)
 * ... that 18th century prostitute Sally Salisbury was sent to prison after a riot but was released by a judge who was infatuated with her? (2007-04-10)
 * ... that the "Girl Grimmett", Peggy Antonio, was the first Australian to take a wicket in women's Test cricket? (2007-04-10)
 * ... that 8-year-old Sylvia Mendez played an instrumental role in the 1946 Mendez v. Westminster case, which successfully ended de jure segregation in California schools? (2007-04-08)
 * ... that in five years of operation during World War II, more than 747 vessels were built in the Richmond Shipyards in Richmond, California&mdash;a feat not equaled anywhere else in the world, before or since? (2007-04-08)
 * ... that the mother of Jamila Massey, an Indian actress and writer, refused to allow her to attend drama school, after the death of her father? (2007-04-05)
 * ... that German textile artist Gunta Stölzl was the only female "master" of the Bauhaus? (2007-04-04)
 * ... that Monisha, a South Indian cinema actress, was only 15 years old when she won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her debut performance in Nakhashathangal? (2007-04-03)
 * ... that in 2002, 72% of Swiss voters voted in favour of making abortion in Switzerland legal on demand in the first trimester of a pregnancy? (2007-03-31)
 * ... that the Russian Communist Varvara Yakovleva was a member of the board of the Secret Police and led food inspections that requisitioned food as a punitive measure? (2007-03-28)
 * ... that Varvara Yakovleva, a nun of the Russian Orthodox Church, was canonized as a martyr after she was killed with her former mistress, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna? (2007-03-26)
 * ... that Eilley Bowers (pictured) is one of the most researched, written and talked about women in Nevada history? (2007-03-25)
 * ... that 18th-century operatic star Anna Maria Strada was known as "the Pig" on account of her ugliness? (2007-03-24)
 * ... that Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia claimed to have a tumor to hide the fact she was pregnant with the illegitimate child of her lover? (2007-03-22)
 * ... that the Balık sisters from Turkey claim to be the only identical twins who are both professional opera singers? (2007-03-22)
 * ... that Jamaican actress and singer Amru Sani appeared on the same 1956 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show as Elvis Presley? (2007-03-22)
 * ... that Hilda Hewlett was the first British female aviator to earn a pilot's licence? (2007-03-20)
 * ... that the paintings of the Giant's Causeway by Irish artist Susanna Drury were so detailed that the authors of the French Encyclopédie used an engraving of one as a reference, and included it in a supplementary volume? (2007-03-19)
 * ... that silent film star Norma Talmadge started a famous Hollywood tradition when she accidentally stepped into wet cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater? (2007-03-17)
 * ... that more is known about Neaira, a hetaera who lived during the 4th century BC in ancient Greece, than any other prostitute in classical antiquity? (2007-03-15)
 * ... that Matild Manukyan, a wealthy Turkish businesswoman of Armenian origin, made her fortune as a brothel owner? (2007-03-14)
 * ... that Madame Montour, of Native American and French Canadian heritage, was paid the same as a man when she worked as an interpreter for the colonial governments of New York and Pennsylvania in the first half of the 18th century? (2007-03-13)
 * ... that Australian cricketer Karen Rolton has scored the most runs for the Australian women's cricket team in women's Test cricket? (2007-03-13)
 * ... that Australian soprano Gladys Moncrieff performed her famous role as Teresa in the musical comedy The Maid of the Mountains about 2800 times? (2007-03-12)
 * ... that at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics, Yipsi Moreno became world champion in the hammer throw at the age of twenty, improving from an eighteenth place finish in 1999? (2007-03-11)
 * ... that the English nurse Lucy Osburn was chosen by Florence Nightingale to train Australia's first nurses? (2007-03-11)
 * ... that Great American Country television host Nan Kelley (then Nan Sumrall) became Miss Mississippi in 1985 after her fellow Mississippian Susan Akin was crowned Miss America? (2007-03-10)
 * ... that Luan Jujie is the only East Asian person to have won an Olympic gold medal in the sport of fencing? (2007-03-09)
 * ... that Siba Singha established Shaktism, a Hindu sect, as the major religion in Assam in the early 18th century? (2007-03-07)
 * ... that British Labour Party politician Lena Jeger, Baroness Jeger was the oldest female former member of the British House of Commons at the time of her death? (2007-03-06)
 * ... that for participating in the American premiere of Richard Wagner's Parsifal against the wishes of the composer's family, Milka Ternina was never again invited to perform at Bayreuth? (2007-03-04)
 * ... that 16-year-old Cory Kennedy became an "Internet It girl" in 2006 without her parents even knowing? (2007-03-02)
 * ... that Winnie Winkle by Martin Branner was, in 1920, the first American comic strip to have a working woman as the main character? (2007-02-28)
 * ... that Jennifer Pike was the youngest person to ever win the BBC Young Musician of the Year award, at twelve years of age? (2007-02-28)
 * ... that according to legend, Joseph Stalin remained in Moscow during World War II partly due to a prophecy from Matryona Nikonova, who he covertly visited while she was hiding from his government? (2007-02-27)
 * ... that Anne Lynch Botta (pictured) introduced Edgar Allan Poe to literary society at her receptions? (2007-02-23)
 * ... that Saint Reineldis (pictured) is commonly depicted in art being dragged by the hair by Huns? (2007-02-22)
 * ... that although Russian playwright Viktoriya Tokareva's writing style is often compared to that of Anton Chekhov, none of her work has been published in English? (2007-02-21)
 * ... that Šárka Záhrobská (pictured) was the first Czech alpine skier to win a medal in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships? (2007-02-20)
 * ... that the 101 female Members of Parliament elected in the United Kingdom in Labour's landslide general election victory in 1997 were popularly known as Blair Babes? (2007-02-15)
 * ... that Ann Ebsworth was the first female High Court judge to be assigned to the Queen's Bench Division, the previous five having all been assigned to the Family Division? (2007-02-14)
 * ... that the Minute Women of the U.S.A. was a militantly anti-communist organization for American housewives in the 1950s? (2007-02-13)
 * ... that balloonist Sophie Blanchard (pictured) was Napoleon's Chief Air Minister of Ballooning, and was named "Official Aeronaut of the Restoration" by Louis XVIII of France? (2007-02-12)
 * ... that Corona Schröter, an 18th century German singer, composed musical settings for several works by Friedrich Schiller, as well as two dramas, hundreds of arias and duets, and an autobiography given to Johann Wolfgang Goethe, but that all of these works are now lost? (2007-02-11)
 * ... that Charlotte Stuart (pictured) was the illegitimate daughter of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the secret mistress of the Archbishop of Bordeaux? (2007-02-09)
 * ... that in 1965 Marguerite Legot became the first female Belgian federal government minister? (2007-02-08)
 * ... that the Krazy Kat cartoons printed in the San Francisco Examiner prompted a serious physical assault on author Agnes Newton Keith? (2007-02-07)
 * ... that Lauren Nelson, newly crowned Miss America 2007, is the second consecutive winner from Oklahoma? (2007-02-05)
 * ... that French soprano Germaine Lubin was imprisoned for three years after World War II for her alleged support of Nazi Germany? (2007-02-03)
 * ... that the Strangeways Prison inmate Gordon Park was convicted of murdering his first wife 28 years after the fact? (2007-02-02)
 * ... that Jeannette Piccard piloted a hydrogen balloon to the stratosphere for Jean Piccard, likely namesake of Captain Picard of Star Trek? (2007-02-01)
 * ... that feminist author Yuriko Miyamoto wrote over 900 letters to her imprisoned husband, defying Japan's draconian Peace Preservation Laws? (2007-01-31)
 * ... that Rachel Paulose is the first woman in Minnesota to become a District Attorney? (2007-01-27)
 * ... that poet and epistolary novelist Ann Eliza Bleecker (pictured) lost three generations of her family fleeing to Albany during Burgoyne's Saratoga campaign? (2007-01-26)
 * ... that poet and playwright Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska (pictured), known as the Polish Sappho, discussed topics such as abortion, extra-marital affairs, and incest? (2007-01-24)
 * ... that Hortus deliciarum (pictured) was a medieval illuminated encyclopedia created to teach about everything, including the torments of hell? (2007-01-23)
 * ... that the Witches of Belvoir supposedly believed a cat named Rutterkin helped them cast spells? (2007-01-22)
 * ... that Larin Paraske, a Finnish oral poet, could recite over 32,000 verses of poetry? (2007-01-21)
 * ... that Hawayo Takata, a Nisei fluent in the language and culture of both Japan and the United States, introduced Reiki to the Western World? (2007-01-20)
 * ... that South Korean United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Tanzanian Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro previously worked together as foreign ministers? (2007-01-18)
 * ... that renowned brothel-keeper Elizabeth Needham, depicted in William Hogarth's A Harlot's Progress (pictured), was pelted so severely in the pillory that she died 3 days later? (2007-01-14)
 * ... that the BBC journalist Barbara Plett's admission of having cried at the sight of the terminally ill Yasser Arafat led to a controversy? (2007-01-14)
 * ... that runestones have allowed archaeologists to reconstruct the family saga of the powerful Viking woman Estrid? (2007-01-13)
 * ... that Cecilia Muñoz-Palma was the Philippines' first female prosecutor, district judge, and Supreme Court justice? (2007-01-13)
 * ... that two Viking women named Gerlög and Inga documented their tragic and dramatic family saga on a series of runestones during the civil wars of 11th century Sweden? (2007-01-11)
 * ... that the face of Chicago native Hazel Lavery (pictured) adorned the banknotes of Ireland for seventy years? (2007-01-10)
 * ... that Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia was urged by her mother-in-law to testify in the case of Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be Grand Duchess Anastasia? (2007-01-10)
 * ... that Sandra Feldman, former president of the American Federation of Teachers, was mentored by civil rights activist Bayard Rustin and arrested twice during the Freedom Rides? (2007-01-06)
 * ... that Nikki Haley of South Carolina is the first Republican Indian American state legislator in the USA? (2007-01-06)
 * ... that the Edmonson sisters (pictured) were African American slaves who tried to escape to freedom and became celebrity abolitionists? (2007-01-06)
 * ... that children's writer and illustrator Shirley Hughes has written more than fifty stories, and illustrated over two hundred? (2007-01-05)
 * ... that the Normal School for Colored Girls was incorporated into the University of the District of Columbia? (2007-01-04)
 * ... that Elizabeth Margaret Chandler (pictured) introduced the famous abolitionist image of the kneeling female slave with the slogan "Am I not a Woman and a Sister"? (2007-01-02)