#womens-history — Public Fediverse posts

A photo for the sunny weather!

Patients and medical staff from the Scottish Women's Hospital enjoy a picnic in the sun in Salonika, c.1916
#WW1 #WomensHistory

A photo for the sunny weather!

Patients and medical staff from the Scottish Women's Hospital enjoy a picnic in the sun in Salonika, c.1916
#WW1 #WomensHistory

I have to admit I am greatly enjoying the fact that all the researchers referenced are women. And in joint cases, the author says things like "Lady X and her husband, who excavated this site" 😄

#Women #WomensHistory #bookstodon #research #books

I have to admit I am greatly enjoying the fact that all the researchers referenced are women. And in joint cases, the author says things like "Lady X and her husband, who excavated this site" 😄

#Women #WomensHistory #bookstodon #research #books

Women’s football #WW1 #womenshistory

Women’s football #WW1 #womenshistory

I love some of the stuff you find in archives! Social history right there. Not first, or second.But wait, applications for women with warmth and imagination' so presumably the 2 top jobs are men's. It is in the Children's sector so ‘obviously’women would be better than men at that #WomensHistory

The moment when you find the perfect travel book!

This is from a series called "Islands and Women" and it is exactly what it sounds like: a book on women in the history of the island, as well as women travelers who visited, and women researchers who worked there. Including a bibliography of sources, and chapters on actual places to visit to connect with historical women.

This was written for me for sure.

#image #books #bookstodon #Greece #Crete #travel #women #WomensHistory

The moment when you find the perfect travel book!

This is from a series called "Islands and Women" and it is exactly what it sounds like: a book on women in the history of the island, as well as women travelers who visited, and women researchers who worked there. Including a bibliography of sources, and chapters on actual places to visit to connect with historical women.

This was written for me for sure.

#image #books #bookstodon #Greece #Crete #travel #women #WomensHistory

Infoclio.ch: New digital archive: Oral Histories of Feminist Theory. “The project «The Many Futures of Gender. Oral Histories of Feminist Theory» documents conversations with protagonists who had and have a formative influence on feminist theories. The interviews also include conversations with prominent historians, such as Joan Wallach Scott and Londa Schiebinger.”

Infoclio.ch: New digital archive: Oral Histories of Feminist Theory. “The project «The Many Futures of Gender. Oral Histories of Feminist Theory» documents conversations with protagonists who had and have a formative influence on feminist theories. The interviews also include conversations with prominent historians, such as Joan Wallach Scott and Londa Schiebinger.”

A June 1970 snapshot: Mildred Hausinger and two other women posed on a motorboat, sun probably high, summer already doing what Texas summers do. The photo asks no permission and explains nothing — just three women, a boat, and a good day on the water. Sometimes the archive hands you pure leisure. #TexasHistory #Houston #1970s #WomensHistory

Bangor Daily News: Balloon team that launched from Maine makes history. “Their success means they’ve soared into ballooning history. The three pilots are the first to complete a trans-Atlantic crossing in an open-basket balloon powered by hydrogen. But the flight is historic for Hempleman-Adams as well, who has become the first woman to cross the Atlantic in a gas balloon.”

Bangor Daily News: Balloon team that launched from Maine makes history. “Their success means they’ve soared into ballooning history. The three pilots are the first to complete a trans-Atlantic crossing in an open-basket balloon powered by hydrogen. But the flight is historic for Hempleman-Adams as well, who has become the first woman to cross the Atlantic in a gas balloon.”

Just thought I would share the story of 4 sisters in our family Some lovely photos! #WomensHistory #Liverpool #FamilyHistory historicalclues.blogspot.com/2022/03/such...

Hexing the Bomb

Hot on the heels of my little foray into the Battle of the Beanfield I decided to dig a little deeper into another important and largely forgotten nugget of social history. This one incorporates a couple of my favourite subjects, neither of which is politics. It does, however, have women standing up together and achieving the seemingly impossible and witches.

Pull up a chair… 🙂

There are moments in history when politics, folklore and belief collide in ways that seem almost impossible to imagine. One such moment unfolded on the windswept perimeter fences of Greenham Common during the final decades of the Cold War, when thousands of women gathered to oppose the presence of American nuclear missiles on British soil. Among the banners, songs and acts of civil disobedience was something few journalists expected to find at the heart of a major political protest. Witches.

For nearly two decades, Greenham Common became one of the most significant centres of peace activism in modern British history. It was a place of arrests, demonstrations, campfires and confrontation. It was also a place where ancient symbols found new life. Women danced in circles, wove webs across military fences, invoked goddesses, cast symbolic spells and drew upon centuries of folklore to challenge one of the most powerful military alliances in the world.

To understand why, we must first return to a Britain gripped by fear.

The early 1980s were shadowed by the threat of nuclear war. Relations between East and West had deteriorated. The Soviet Union and NATO were engaged in a dangerous arms race. Television viewers watched films such as Threads and The Day After, which depicted the horrific consequences of nuclear conflict. Schoolchildren grew up with the knowledge that a single political miscalculation could end civilisation in an afternoon.

Against this backdrop, the British government agreed to host American cruise missiles at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire. To supporters, the deployment was a necessary deterrent. To opponents, it made Britain a target and increased the likelihood of nuclear confrontation.

In September 1981, a small group of Welsh women marched from Cardiff to Greenham Common. Their intention was straightforward. They wanted a public debate about nuclear weapons. When their concerns were ignored, some chose to remain.

Few could have imagined that their decision would create one of the most influential protest movements in modern British history.

The Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp became a permanent presence outside the military base. Women arrived from every corner of Britain and beyond. Some stayed for days. Others remained for years. Grandmothers camped alongside students. Teachers shared fires with artists, nurses, activists and travellers. The camp developed its own culture, traditions and rituals.

Media coverage was often hostile. Newspapers portrayed the women as scruffy, eccentric or dangerous. Politicians dismissed them as naïve. Yet Greenham continued to grow. By December 1982, around 30,000 women joined hands around the nine-mile perimeter fence in one of the largest demonstrations Britain had ever seen.

As the movement evolved, some participants began drawing upon folklore, mythology and spiritual traditions to express their opposition to nuclear weapons.

For many women involved in the peace camp, the figure of the witch held profound significance.The witch has never been simply a character from fairy tales. Across European history she has represented independence, resistance and the refusal to conform. She is the village healer, the wise woman, the outsider and the scapegoat. She embodies knowledge that exists beyond accepted authority.

Many women at Greenham recognised parallels between historical witch hunts and contemporary attempts to dismiss or marginalise female voices. The image of the witch became a powerful symbol of protest.

Some protesters identified as pagans or practitioners of modern witchcraft. Others were not religious at all but embraced the symbolism. Together they transformed folklore into a political language.

At various demonstrations, women dressed as witches, carrying besoms and wearing pointed hats. They conducted symbolic rituals outside the base gates. Circles were formed. Chants were spoken. Songs echoed through the Berkshire countryside.

Perhaps most striking were the webs.Women frequently attached ribbons, wool, photographs, toys and personal objects to the military fences. These creations resembled enormous spider webs stretching across the perimeter. They symbolised connection, community and the fragile threads linking humanity together. Military planners saw security barriers. The women transformed them into canvases for storytelling.

One protest became known as the “Embrace the Base” demonstration, during which thousands of women encircled Greenham Common. The act itself echoed ancient traditions of protective circles and boundary rituals found throughout British folklore.In many folk traditions, circles create sacred space. They mark a distinction between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Whether consciously or unconsciously, Greenham’s protesters drew upon symbolism that would have been recognised by generations of cunning folk, ceremonial magicians and village communities.

There were also reports of symbolic spell-casting directed not at individuals but at the weapons themselves.

These actions were largely theatrical and symbolic. Yet symbolism has always been one of humanity’s most powerful tools. Flags, crowns, crosses and national monuments derive their power from collective belief. Greenham’s witches understood this. They recognised that ritual could attract attention, build solidarity and create memorable images capable of travelling far beyond the camp itself.Photographs from the period remain remarkable. Women dance beneath military floodlights. Costumed protesters stand before coils of razor wire. Sacred imagery appears alongside anti-nuclear slogans. Ancient archetypes confront modern technology.

The contrast could hardly have been more dramatic.

Behind the spectacle lay a serious philosophical question. How should ordinary people respond when faced with systems that appear too vast to challenge?

For some, the answer lay in petitions or political lobbying. For others, it involved direct action. At Greenham, many women chose creativity. They responded to missiles with songs, fences with artwork and military authority with myth.

It is tempting to dismiss such actions as eccentric. Yet history suggests otherwise.Throughout the centuries, folklore has often emerged during periods of uncertainty and upheaval. Communities create stories to explain fears, express hopes and challenge power structures. Ballads mocked landlords. legends criticised rulers. Folk customs strengthened communities during times of hardship.

Greenham Common followed the same pattern.The camp generated its own folklore almost immediately. Stories circulated among protesters. Songs were composed. Rituals evolved. Shared symbols developed meaning through repetition. What began as a political protest became something resembling a living folk tradition.

Even the landscape itself absorbed these stories.

Greenham Common is now remembered not only as a military site but as a place of resistance. The fences have gone. The missiles have long since been removed. Yet the stories remain. Visitors still encounter traces of the movement in memorials, artworks and local memory.

The protest ultimately achieved far more than many observers predicted. Cruise missiles were removed from Greenham Common in 1991 following the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The peace camp remained for several years afterwards before finally closing in 2000.

Whether Greenham alone changed government policy remains a matter of debate. Few historians would argue that it was the sole cause. Yet its influence on public discourse is undeniable. The movement helped shape conversations about nuclear weapons, gender, protest and citizenship. It inspired campaigns around the world and demonstrated the power of sustained grassroots activism.

The witches of Greenham Common occupy a particularly fascinating place within that story.

They remind us that folklore is not confined to dusty books or distant centuries. It remains a living force, capable of adapting to new circumstances and addressing modern concerns. Ancient symbols continue to resonate because they speak to enduring human experiences.

The women who danced around Greenham’s fences were not attempting to retreat into the past. They were using the past to imagine a different future.

In an age dominated by military technology, political rhetoric and the machinery of the Cold War, they answered with stories, songs, rituals and symbols that had survived for centuries.

Whether one believes in magic is ultimately beside the point.

The real magic of Greenham Common lay in its ability to transform fear into action, isolation into community and protest into legend.

More than forty years later, the image remains unforgettable. A line of women standing beneath winter skies, facing one of the most formidable military establishments on Earth armed with banners, determination and the enduring power of folklore.

History remembers the missiles.

Folklore remembers the witches.

Further Reading

Common Women, Uncommon Practices by Sasha RoseneilGreenham Women Everywhere by Rebecca Mordan

Peace Camps: A Study of Greenham Women by Lynne Jones

The archives of the Greenham Common Women’s Peace

CampRecords held by the Women’s Library at the London School of Economics

Imperial War Museum collections relating to Greenham Common

Oral history projects documenting former Greenham residents

Copyright Notice:

© 2026 Mysterious Times. All rights reserved.This article is published exclusively for Mysterious Times. No part may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without prior written permission, except for brief quotations used for review, commentary or educational purposes with appropriate attribution.

Hexing the Bomb

Hot on the heels of my little foray into the Battle of the Beanfield I decided to dig a little deeper into another important and largely forgotten nugget of social history. This one incorporates a couple of my favourite subjects, neither of which is politics. It does, however, have women standing up together and achieving the seemingly impossible and witches.

Pull up a chair… 🙂

There are moments in history when politics, folklore and belief collide in ways that seem almost impossible to imagine. One such moment unfolded on the windswept perimeter fences of Greenham Common during the final decades of the Cold War, when thousands of women gathered to oppose the presence of American nuclear missiles on British soil. Among the banners, songs and acts of civil disobedience was something few journalists expected to find at the heart of a major political protest. Witches.

For nearly two decades, Greenham Common became one of the most significant centres of peace activism in modern British history. It was a place of arrests, demonstrations, campfires and confrontation. It was also a place where ancient symbols found new life. Women danced in circles, wove webs across military fences, invoked goddesses, cast symbolic spells and drew upon centuries of folklore to challenge one of the most powerful military alliances in the world.

To understand why, we must first return to a Britain gripped by fear.

The early 1980s were shadowed by the threat of nuclear war. Relations between East and West had deteriorated. The Soviet Union and NATO were engaged in a dangerous arms race. Television viewers watched films such as Threads and The Day After, which depicted the horrific consequences of nuclear conflict. Schoolchildren grew up with the knowledge that a single political miscalculation could end civilisation in an afternoon.

Against this backdrop, the British government agreed to host American cruise missiles at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire. To supporters, the deployment was a necessary deterrent. To opponents, it made Britain a target and increased the likelihood of nuclear confrontation.

In September 1981, a small group of Welsh women marched from Cardiff to Greenham Common. Their intention was straightforward. They wanted a public debate about nuclear weapons. When their concerns were ignored, some chose to remain.

Few could have imagined that their decision would create one of the most influential protest movements in modern British history.

The Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp became a permanent presence outside the military base. Women arrived from every corner of Britain and beyond. Some stayed for days. Others remained for years. Grandmothers camped alongside students. Teachers shared fires with artists, nurses, activists and travellers. The camp developed its own culture, traditions and rituals.

Media coverage was often hostile. Newspapers portrayed the women as scruffy, eccentric or dangerous. Politicians dismissed them as naïve. Yet Greenham continued to grow. By December 1982, around 30,000 women joined hands around the nine-mile perimeter fence in one of the largest demonstrations Britain had ever seen.

As the movement evolved, some participants began drawing upon folklore, mythology and spiritual traditions to express their opposition to nuclear weapons.

For many women involved in the peace camp, the figure of the witch held profound significance.The witch has never been simply a character from fairy tales. Across European history she has represented independence, resistance and the refusal to conform. She is the village healer, the wise woman, the outsider and the scapegoat. She embodies knowledge that exists beyond accepted authority.

Many women at Greenham recognised parallels between historical witch hunts and contemporary attempts to dismiss or marginalise female voices. The image of the witch became a powerful symbol of protest.

Some protesters identified as pagans or practitioners of modern witchcraft. Others were not religious at all but embraced the symbolism. Together they transformed folklore into a political language.

At various demonstrations, women dressed as witches, carrying besoms and wearing pointed hats. They conducted symbolic rituals outside the base gates. Circles were formed. Chants were spoken. Songs echoed through the Berkshire countryside.

Perhaps most striking were the webs.Women frequently attached ribbons, wool, photographs, toys and personal objects to the military fences. These creations resembled enormous spider webs stretching across the perimeter. They symbolised connection, community and the fragile threads linking humanity together. Military planners saw security barriers. The women transformed them into canvases for storytelling.

One protest became known as the “Embrace the Base” demonstration, during which thousands of women encircled Greenham Common. The act itself echoed ancient traditions of protective circles and boundary rituals found throughout British folklore.In many folk traditions, circles create sacred space. They mark a distinction between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Whether consciously or unconsciously, Greenham’s protesters drew upon symbolism that would have been recognised by generations of cunning folk, ceremonial magicians and village communities.

There were also reports of symbolic spell-casting directed not at individuals but at the weapons themselves.

These actions were largely theatrical and symbolic. Yet symbolism has always been one of humanity’s most powerful tools. Flags, crowns, crosses and national monuments derive their power from collective belief. Greenham’s witches understood this. They recognised that ritual could attract attention, build solidarity and create memorable images capable of travelling far beyond the camp itself.Photographs from the period remain remarkable. Women dance beneath military floodlights. Costumed protesters stand before coils of razor wire. Sacred imagery appears alongside anti-nuclear slogans. Ancient archetypes confront modern technology.

The contrast could hardly have been more dramatic.

Behind the spectacle lay a serious philosophical question. How should ordinary people respond when faced with systems that appear too vast to challenge?

For some, the answer lay in petitions or political lobbying. For others, it involved direct action. At Greenham, many women chose creativity. They responded to missiles with songs, fences with artwork and military authority with myth.

It is tempting to dismiss such actions as eccentric. Yet history suggests otherwise.Throughout the centuries, folklore has often emerged during periods of uncertainty and upheaval. Communities create stories to explain fears, express hopes and challenge power structures. Ballads mocked landlords. legends criticised rulers. Folk customs strengthened communities during times of hardship.

Greenham Common followed the same pattern.The camp generated its own folklore almost immediately. Stories circulated among protesters. Songs were composed. Rituals evolved. Shared symbols developed meaning through repetition. What began as a political protest became something resembling a living folk tradition.

Even the landscape itself absorbed these stories.

Greenham Common is now remembered not only as a military site but as a place of resistance. The fences have gone. The missiles have long since been removed. Yet the stories remain. Visitors still encounter traces of the movement in memorials, artworks and local memory.

The protest ultimately achieved far more than many observers predicted. Cruise missiles were removed from Greenham Common in 1991 following the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The peace camp remained for several years afterwards before finally closing in 2000.

Whether Greenham alone changed government policy remains a matter of debate. Few historians would argue that it was the sole cause. Yet its influence on public discourse is undeniable. The movement helped shape conversations about nuclear weapons, gender, protest and citizenship. It inspired campaigns around the world and demonstrated the power of sustained grassroots activism.

The witches of Greenham Common occupy a particularly fascinating place within that story.

They remind us that folklore is not confined to dusty books or distant centuries. It remains a living force, capable of adapting to new circumstances and addressing modern concerns. Ancient symbols continue to resonate because they speak to enduring human experiences.

The women who danced around Greenham’s fences were not attempting to retreat into the past. They were using the past to imagine a different future.

In an age dominated by military technology, political rhetoric and the machinery of the Cold War, they answered with stories, songs, rituals and symbols that had survived for centuries.

Whether one believes in magic is ultimately beside the point.

The real magic of Greenham Common lay in its ability to transform fear into action, isolation into community and protest into legend.

More than forty years later, the image remains unforgettable. A line of women standing beneath winter skies, facing one of the most formidable military establishments on Earth armed with banners, determination and the enduring power of folklore.

History remembers the missiles.

Folklore remembers the witches.

Further Reading

Common Women, Uncommon Practices by Sasha RoseneilGreenham Women Everywhere by Rebecca Mordan

Peace Camps: A Study of Greenham Women by Lynne Jones

The archives of the Greenham Common Women’s Peace

CampRecords held by the Women’s Library at the London School of Economics

Imperial War Museum collections relating to Greenham Common

Oral history projects documenting former Greenham residents

Copyright Notice:

© 2026 Mysterious Times. All rights reserved.This article is published exclusively for Mysterious Times. No part may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without prior written permission, except for brief quotations used for review, commentary or educational purposes with appropriate attribution.

Unusual to have photos of family members at work, especially womenThese are my husband’s 2 great aunts. Judging by their ages it is during the First World War. One of their sons is still alive and he was amazed to discover his mum had worked in a shop! It’s a great photo. #Womenshistory

Memorial table Castlemartin Olive Jeremiah was the Red Cross Commandant of Castlemartin VAD, and served in military hospitals in South Pembrokeshire in #WW1 with 64 Red Cross nurses under her supervision. #Woodensday #WomensHistory

Memorial table Castlemartin Olive Jeremiah was the Red Cross Commandant of Castlemartin VAD, and served in military hospitals in South Pembrokeshire in #WW1 with 64 Red Cross nurses under her supervision. #Woodensday #WomensHistory

It’s #volunteerweek apparently So here is an Interesting "case study" of women's roles and motivation in volunteering, mainly about middle class women's roles. #WW1 #WomensHistory www.voicesofwarandpeace.org/portfolio/wo...

It’s #volunteerweek apparently So here is an Interesting "case study" of women's roles and motivation in volunteering, mainly about middle class women's roles. #WW1 #WomensHistory www.voicesofwarandpeace.org/portfolio/wo...

Musical Interlude: Dickey Chappelle is a person we need a movie about. A photojournalist and war correspondent, she blazed trails for other women and was noted for her fearlessness in combat situations. She was famous for her uniform of fatigues, harlequin glasses, and pearl earrings, and won the respect of the Marines she was with. She was sadly killed by a land mine in Vietnam, and was given a full Marine funeral. And in recent years, she was named an honorary Marine. I learned of her from this song by Nanci Griffith.

"Pearl's Eye View (The Life of Dickey Chappelle)," performed by Nanci Griffith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QRicsY5hOk

#MusicalInterlude #NanciGriffith #DickeyChappelle #WomensHistory #OverlookedTrailblazers #Pioneer

Musical Interlude: Dickey Chappelle is a person we need a movie about. A photojournalist and war correspondent, she blazed trails for other women and was noted for her fearlessness in combat situations. She was famous for her uniform of fatigues, harlequin glasses, and pearl earrings, and won the respect of the Marines she was with. She was sadly killed by a land mine in Vietnam, and was given a full Marine funeral. And in recent years, she was named an honorary Marine. I learned of her from this song by Nanci Griffith.

"Pearl's Eye View (The Life of Dickey Chappelle)," performed by Nanci Griffith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QRicsY5hOk

#MusicalInterlude #NanciGriffith #DickeyChappelle #WomensHistory #OverlookedTrailblazers #Pioneer

Robertine Barry: Canada's Feminist Pioneer

Robertine Barry, writing under the name 'Françoise,' became one of Quebec’s first female journalists in the 1890s. A bold advocate for women's education and suffrage, she used her pen to champion social justice and amplify women's voices in public life. 🇨🇦 #Canada #WomensHistory #Quebec #RobertineBarry

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/robertine-barry-francoise

Robertine Barry: Canada's Feminist Pioneer

Robertine Barry, writing under the name 'Françoise,' became one of Quebec’s first female journalists in the 1890s. A bold advocate for women's education and suffrage, she used her pen to champion social justice and amplify women's voices in public life. 🇨🇦 #Canada #WomensHistory #Quebec #RobertineBarry

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/robertine-barry-francoise

#Postboxsaturday WInifred Wimbush (1884-1958) - provided the artwork for a variety of stylish postcards published by Raphael Tuck & Sons. The Postwoman is from a series (8872) of Tuck's “Oilette” PCs showing “Women in War Time.” #WW1 #WomensHistory

#Postboxsaturday WInifred Wimbush (1884-1958) - provided the artwork for a variety of stylish postcards published by Raphael Tuck & Sons. The Postwoman is from a series (8872) of Tuck's “Oilette” PCs showing “Women in War Time.” #WW1 #WomensHistory

Castle Cottage, Lafayette IN:
built 1897 by Helen Gougar, suffragist, attorney, and woman who sued her county for the right to vote.

Now Fisher Funeral Chapel.

The building outlasted every argument made against her. https://blueribbonteam.com/blog/2026/05/29/castle-cottage-funeral-home-man-made/ #WomensHistory

It was a start. #OnThisDay, 29 May 1970, the Equal Pay Act received Royal Assent in the UK. It's seen as the lasting legacy of Barbara Castle MP. #WomensHistory

#music #musichistory #womenshistory #history

#SylviaRobinson The Godmother of #HipHop

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/mchQYOpsGgs

Now online - #newspapers published by two women during the #Revolutionary War!

Revolutionary Women: The Women Who Published Newspapers During Our Nation’s Founding | Headlines & Heroes https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2026/05/revolutionary-women-the-women-who-published-newspapers-during-our-nations-founding/

#history #Americanhistory #AmericanRevolution #womenshistory

“Have ye come far?”
“Only from America.”

#OnThisDay, 21 May 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman - and only the second person - to fly solo and without stops across the Atlantic.

She lands unexpectedly in Ireland. There’s some wonderful images of her here: https://joecampbellart.com/2015/03/12/amelia-earhart-in-ireland-solo-atlantic-crossing-may-21st-1932/

Watch newsreel of her taking off here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-itPeJOyzI

#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #AviationHistory @histodons #Histodons

I’m doing a blog about a nurse who married a soldier in Ipswich and came across this other nurse in my researches LEEPER, Miss Mildred (6.1.1916-24.4.1916? V.A.D. Nurse. Died 28 April 1916, of blood poisoning) #WW1 #nursinghistory #womenshistory greatwarhomehospitals.wordpress.com/home/ipswich...

I found this photo in a copy of the Nursing Times in Jan 1916.It shows a nurse holding triplets! I wondered what the story was behind the photo.Did they survive into adulthood?who were their parents and did their dad survive the War? #WW1 #WomensHistory Read on….! historicalclues.blogspot.com/2026/

“I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year's fashions.”

#OnThisDay, 19 May 1952, Lillian Hellman writes to the House of UnAmerican Activities refusing to testify against others.

In the 1940s, Hellman had been twice nominated for an Academy Award for her screenplays. As a result of refusing to testify about others to HUAC, she was blacklisted by Hollywood.

#HollywoodHistory #AmericanHistory #WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #Histodons

#OnThisDay, 18 May 1991, cosmonaut Helen Sharman becomes the first British person in space.

#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #BritishHistory #Histodons

#OnThisDay, 18 May 1953, pilot Jackie Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier.

#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #AviationHistory #Histodons

#OnThisDay, 18 May 1893, Meri Te Tai Mangakāhia spoke at the Kotahitanga (Māori parliament) in Aotearoa (New Zealand). She was the first woman to address the Kotahitanga, and called for Māori women to have the vote and to be members of the parliament.

#AotearoaHistory #NZHistory #VotesForWomen #WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #Histodons

#OnThisDay, 17 May 1988, Dr Patricia Bath was awarded the first of her three patents on the methods and equipment for laser cataract removal.

#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #WomenInMedicine #AmericanHistory #BlackHistory #Histodons

17 May is Día das Letras Galegas (Galician Literature Day).

#OnThisDay, 17 May 1863, María Rosalía Rita de Castro's poetry is published. It’s the first publication by a single author in Galician for 400 years. The public holiday was introduced to celebrate the centenary of Rosalia de Castro's work.

#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #Galicia #LiteraryWomen #Histodons

#OnThisDay, 17 May 1841, Sarah Losh and her fellow trustees lay the foundation stone of Wreay Church. Sarah designed, funded and had the earliest Romanesque revival church in England built.

#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #BritishHistory #Architecture #Histodons
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#OnThisDay, 16 May 1975, Japanese climber Junko Tabei reaches the summit of Everest. She is the first woman to make it to the peak of the world's highest mountain.

#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #Histodons

#OnThisDay, 15 May 1991, Edith Cresson is appointed Prime Minister of France. She is the first woman to hold the post.

#WomenInHistory #OTD #History #WomensHistory #FrenchHistory #Histodons