While the world is celebrating International Women's Day in its own fashion from hosting free luncheons to offering attractive deals and discounts, Google chipped in with a thoughtful Doodle featuring 13 influential women from the history.
International Women's Day 2017 Doodle is a slideshow, and starts with an old woman narrating a bedtime story to her granddaughter. The tale introduces the little girl to 13 remarkable women. Each woman showcased in the Doodle has made a mark in her own way.
"They pursued a range of professions and passions and hailed from an array of backgrounds and countries. In fact, all of these women have been featured in individual Doodles in the past, but often only in their countries of origin. So today we're taking the opportunity to share their stories with everyone," Google said in its blog.
If you would like to decode the history and significance behind each of the 13 women Google picked to feature in Wednesday's Doodle, we've got it all sorted for you right here. Check it out below:
Ida B. Wells
She was an African-American journalist and a civil rights leader born in 1862 in Mississippi. She played a crucial role in founding the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She had written about injustice towards women and also lynching of black people in the U.S. back in the 18th century.
Lotifa El Nadi
She made history by becoming the first female pilot in Egypt. El Nadi was born in Cairo in 1907, her rebellious nature got her through various obstacles in her life. Due to the lack of financial support, she worked as a secretary and telephone operator at a flying school in return for lessons. She was also the first African and an Arab woman to get a pilot's license.
Lina Bo Bardi
An architect of the Brazilian origin, Lina Bo Bardi dedicated her life to the promotion of social and cultural potential of architecture and design. Her furniture and jewellery designs are a part of her legacy.
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter well known for her self-portraits. Her work has been celebrated by feminists for its honest depiction of female experience.
Olga Skorokhodova
A well-known teacher, therapist and a writer who overcame the toughest battles of her life. Olga Skorokhodova was a Soviet scientist and a researcher in the field of communication. She lost her vision and hearing at the age of five, but that did not bogged her down in any way. She put a lot of effort to promote the education of deaf-blind children.
Miriam Makeba
An extremely popular South African singer and a Grammy winner, Miriam Makeba had to deal with her share of troubles at a tender age. She was a civil rights activist and used her singing talent to send political messages.
Sally Ride
Sally Ride was the first American woman to ever go into space. Ride was an astronaut and physicist and joined NASA in 1978. Following her space expedition, she worked as an academic at the University of California, San Diego.
Halet Cambel
An archaeologist and also the first Muslim woman to compete in the Olympics in 1936 as a fencer, Halet Cambel worked as an architect and worked as an academic in Turkey and Germany. For those who remember the Berlin Olympic games, they would also know Cambel had declined an invitation to meet Adolf Hitler on political grounds.
Ada Lovelace
The apple did fall far from the tree. Daughter of poet Lord Byron, Ada Lovelace was a known mathematician and a writer. She was the world's first computer programmer and well-known for her work on Charles Babbage's computer, the Analytical Engine. She also created the first algorithm to carry out more than just pure calculations.
Rukmini Devi
The Indian-origin dancer and choreographer, Rukmini Devi, was popular in the classical dance form. Although she had to deal with criticism in the 1920s, she is now remembered as one of the most influential people who shaped India. Apart from her art and craft interests, she was also an animal rights activist.
Cecilia Grierson
She was an Argentine physician, reformer, and prominent Freethinker. She worked as a teacher and also was the first woman in Argentina to receive a medical degree, challenging the outcry against women entering medical school at the time. Her struggles at the medical school led her to become a militant advocate for women's rights in Argentina.
Lee Tai-young
Lee was the first female lawyer and judge in Korea, which is now North Korea. She founded the first legal aid center in the country and fought for women's rights. "No society can or will prosper without the cooperation of women," Lee said about women and society.
Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Lenglen was a profound French tennis player who won 31 Champoinship medals and remained a dominant player from 1914 till 1926. She was the first female tennis celebrity and also one of the first international female sports stars. With a record-setting winning streak of 98 percent in 181 matches, Lenglen won 241 titles.
On this day and every other day of the year, we salute all the women out there who've been strong, determined and brave in different paths of lives. Be sure to send a shout out to all the women in your lives, and we have just the right words for you.
