Amelia Earhart flew across the ocean. Billie Jean King was a tennis champ. Harriet Tubman saved people from slavery. What do they have in common? Yes, each is a hero from American history. They are also in the National Women’s Hall of Fame!
This museum in Seneca Falls, New York, honors 293 women. They include pilots like Earhart and like Tubman. But there are also poets, politicians, and painters. They are all powerful women!
Seneca Falls is a fitting home for these Hall of Famers. The town hosted the first Women’s Rights in 1848. That event supported equal rights for women. Many call it the birthplace of the women’s rights movement. Today, the museum shares the stories of women.
“Storytelling is how history comes alive,” said Jennifer Gabriel. She leads the Women’s Hall of Fame. “I was never great at memorizing facts,” she admitted. “I prefer stories about people from historical events.” Gabriel said the museum’s stories “shine a light on the women we honor.”
Every year, more women join the Hall of Fame. In 2021, officials said nine women would join the museum. They will be in September. Welcome to the Women’s Hall of Fame:
Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006)
Author of science fiction books
Judy Chicago (Born 1939)
Artist whose art tells about women in history
Rebecca Halstead (Born 1959)
Top officer from the U.S. Army
Mia Hamm (Born 1972)
Championship and Olympic soccer star
Joy Harjo (Born 1951)
The
of the United States
Emily Howland (1827–1929)
Activist in women’s equality
Katherine Johnson (1918–2020)
Mathematician who helped send astronauts to space
Indra Nooyi (Born 1955)
Businesswoman and former leader of PepsiCo
Michelle Obama (Born 1964)
Former first lady of the United States
Want to learn more? News-O-Matic will feature each woman! Check back during Women’s History Month in March. You can discover their stories from the past.
Updated March 1, 2022, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
