1692
Exploration
Defends Fort Verchères against Iroquois attack
At age 14, Madeleine de Verchères organized the defense of her family's fort during a surprise Iroquois raid, becoming a celebrated heroine of New France.
View detailsThis Day
22October
24 indexed achievements across recorded history.
1720
Science
Capture with John Rackham off Jamaica
Anne Bonny was captured with Calico Jack Rackham's crew by pirate hunter Jonathan Barnet's squadron near Negril Point, Jamaica.
View details1837
Science
Death of Mary Dixon Kies
Mary Dixon Kies died on October 22, 1837, in Brooklyn, New York, in poverty, largely unrecognized for her groundbreaking patent.
View details1844
Arts
Birth of Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt (born Henriette-Rosine Bernard) was born in Paris, France.
View details1875
Exploration
Birth in Stockton, California
Harriet Chalmers Adams was born in Stockton, California, USA.
View details1909
Aviation
First solo airplane flight by a French woman
Raymonde de Laroche became the first French woman to pilot a solo flight in an airplane on 22 October 1909.
View details1919
Science
Birth of Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing was born Doris May Tayler on October 22, 1919, in Kermanshah, Persia (present-day Iran), to British parents.
View details1922
Aviation
Women's world altitude record
Flew her Kinner Airster to 14,000 feet, setting a world altitude record for female pilots.
View details1938
1956
Law
First woman Recorder and England’s first woman judge
Heilbron was appointed as the first woman Recorder and judge in England.
View details1965
Law
Leads first major legislative campaign initiated by a First Lady: Highway Beautification Act signing
LBJ signed the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, 'Lady Bird's Bill,' after her sustained lobbying to regulate billboards and beautify federal highways.
View details1976
Aviation
Death of Nancy Harkness Love
Death of Nancy Harkness Love from cancer at age 62, ending the life of a pioneering WWII military pilot and commander.
View details1979
Arts
Death of Nadia Boulanger in Paris
Nadia Boulanger died in Paris at the age of 92, closing a career that shaped the course of twentieth-century music through generations of students.
View details1992
Science
"Sex" book sets record for largest first edition
Madonna's coffee-table book "Sex" is released, later recognized by Guinness as the best-selling coffee-table book in history.
View details1997
Arts
Induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame
Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, 1997.
View details2007
2009
Activism
UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Appointment
Marta was appointed as a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador.
View details2010
Literature
Appearance on *Who Do You Think You Are?*
Rowling appears on BBC’s *Who Do You Think You Are?*
View details2013
Science
Wins Google Science Fair with the Hollow Flashlight
At age 15, Ann Makosinski won the Google Science Fair for inventing the Hollow Flashlight, a body-heat-powered thermoelectric light source requiring no batteries.
View details2017
Arts
Presentation of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
Ellen DeGeneres received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center.
View details2019
Science
University of Rochester feature profile on Strickland's Nobel-winning work
The University of Rochester published a news profile celebrating Strickland's doctoral research and her Nobel Prize win.
View details2021
Science
Presentation of 2021 Princess of Asturias Award
Karikó and Weissman were honored with the Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research in Oviedo, Spain.
View details2023
Politics
Wins Venezuelan Opposition Primary
María Corina Machado won Venezuela’s opposition primary election with over 90% of the vote on October 22, 2023.
View details2025
Arts
Final bow and retirement from ABT
Misty Copeland took her final bow at an ABT gala, marking her retirement.
View details