Top 100 Women of History

70. Mother Jones

A labor organizer, Mother Jones was born in Ireland and didn't become active in labor causes until she was in her late 50s. She's best known for her support of mine workers in several key strikes.

69. Mary Queen of Scots

Mary was the Queen of France (as a consort) and Queen of Scotland (in her own right); her marriages caused scandal and her Catholic religion and kinship with England's Queen Elizabeth I caused enough suspicion of her motives that Elizabeth had her executed.

68. Lady Godiva

Did Lady Godiva really ride naked on a horse through the streets of Coventry to protest a tax imposed by her husband?

67. Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston was by profession an anthropologist and folklorist. Her novels, including Their Eyes Were Watching God, have enjoyed a revival in popularity since the 1970s thanks to the efforts of writer Alice Walker.

66. Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni is an African American woman poet whose early work was influenced by the black power movement and whose later work reflects her experience as a single mother.

65. Mary Cassatt

A rare woman among the Impressionist painters, Mary Cassatt focused often on themes of mothers and children. Her work gained in recognition after her death.

64. Julia Child

Julia Child is known as the author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her popular books, television cooking shows and videos kept her in the public eye. Less well known: her brief spy career.

63. Barbara Walters

Barbara Walters is an award-winning journalist specializing in interviews. She was, at one time, the highest-paid woman news anchor.

62. Georgia O'Keeffe

Georgia O'Keeffe was an American painter of a unique style. In her later years she moved to New Mexico where she painted many desert scenes.

61. Annie Oakley

Annie Oakley the sharpshooter performed with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, at first with her husband Frank Butler and later as a solo act.