Top 10 Most Inspiring Women in History

In 1955 she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus to a white passenger. Her peaceful resistance led to the Montgomery bus boycott and sparked the American civil rights movement.

Defied the male-dominated world of science and became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (and to this day the only person to win in two different sciences).

Survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for fighting for girls' education and at seventeen became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate ever.

Mexican artist who turned severe physical pain and setbacks into raw, uncompromising art. A worldwide icon of authenticity, feminism and resilience.

Aviation pioneer who became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and set countless records at a time when aviation belonged almost exclusively to men.

Anthropologist and primatologist whose revolutionary chimpanzee research showed that animals have emotions, use tools and have complex social structures.

Escaped slavery herself and then returned to the dangerous South thirteen times to lead dozens of enslaved people to freedom via the 'Underground Railroad'.

Leader of the British suffragettes, who fought for women's suffrage with radical action and made sure women finally got a political voice.

The Dutch pioneer who was the first woman officially admitted to a Dutch university and devoted her whole life to women's rights and better healthcare.

The young peasant girl who led the French army against the English during the Hundred Years' War and became a national symbol of indomitable courage.