1665
Arts
Birth of Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre
Born on March 17, 1665, in Paris, into a family of musicians.
View detailsThis Day
17March
28 indexed achievements across recorded history.
1754
1860
Science
Died in London
Anna Brownell Jameson died on 17 March 1860 in London after contracting a severe cold, leaving behind a landmark body of art-historical and feminist writing.
View details1869
Activism
First woman licensed to preach in the Methodist Episcopal Church
Margaret Newton Van Cott becomes the first woman licensed to preach in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
View details1873
Activism
Birth in Chard, Somerset
Margaret Grace Bondfield was born in Chard, Somerset, England.
View details1884
Law
First woman deputy U.S. marshal
Couzins was the first woman appointed as a deputy U.S. marshal in 1884.
View details1887
Science
US Patent application for Fire-Escape filed
Filed patent for fire-escape bridge, an innovative safety mechanism.
View details1905
Politics
Marriage to Franklin D. Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt marries her distant cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt in New York City, entering the political family that would shape her destiny.
View details1917
Activism
First woman to enlist in the U.S. Navy
Enlists in the U.S. Naval Reserve, becoming the first woman to enlist in the Navy and first woman in any U.S. armed force in a non‑nursing role.
View details1919
Medicine
Birth of Cordelia Elizabeth Cook
Cordelia Elizabeth "Betty" Cook was born in Fort Thomas, Campbell County, Kentucky, the middle child of five siblings.
View details1937
Aviation
First world-flight attempt begins
Departed Oakland for Honolulu on the first leg of her round-the-world attempt; the flight ended days later when her Electra crashed on takeoff at Luke Field.
View details1949
Science
Death of Aleksandra Ekster in Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
Aleksandra Ekster died on March 17, 1949, in Fontenay-aux-Roses near Paris, France, where she had lived in emigration since the 1920s.
View details1956
Science
Death in Paris
Irène Joliot-Curie dies on 17 March 1956 in Paris of subacute leukemia, likely caused by decades of exposure to radiation in her research.
View details1956
Arts
Emmy Award for Best Comedienne
Lucille Ball won an Emmy Award as Best Comedienne for her performance in "I Love Lucy" at the 8th Primetime Emmy Awards.
View details1961
Politics
Death of Susanna M. Salter
Death of Susanna M. Salter in Norman, Oklahoma, at age 101; she was later buried in Argonia, Kansas, remembered as the first woman mayor in the United States.
View details1962
1964
Science
Receives the Federal Woman’s Award
Blanch received the Federal Woman’s Award in Washington, D.C., a national honor recognizing her as a pioneering woman federal employee.
View details1969
Politics
Becomes Prime Minister of Israel
The first, and to date only, woman to lead the Israeli government.
View details1972
Sports
Birth of Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm was born in Selma, Alabama, U.S., becoming a celebrated soccer icon.
View details1976
Science
Howard N. Potts Medal awarded
Kwolek received the Howard N. Potts Medal from the Franklin Institute.
View details1978
1980
Science
Debut solo album released independently
Jett released her debut solo album (later reissued as "Bad Reputation") independently, asserting artistic and business control.
View details1993
Science
Death of Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes died in Nyack, New York, closing a career that spanned more than seven decades across theatre, film, radio, and television.
View details2006
Science
Filed U.S. application for biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyester
U.S. patent application for a biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyester filed by Novamont, listing Catia Bastioli among the inventors.
View details2007
Science
Formal presentation of Turing Award to first female laureate
The 2006 ACM Turing Award was formally presented to Frances Allen at the ACM Awards Banquet, confirming her place as the first woman to win the prize.
View details2012
Arts
"Do What You’ve Never Done Before" talk published online
"Do What You’ve Never Done Before" TEDx talk released.
View details2020
Science
Death of Betty Williams
Betty Williams died in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at age 76, after decades as an internationally recognized peace activist and Nobel laureate.
View details2025
Activism
NYPL blog feature on early life and organizing
NYPL features Baker's early life and organizing in a published blog.
View details