The Call of the Wild
This lens is part of a series saluting women who broke down barriers in their accomplishments in fields such as sports, politics, science and more.
"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."
- Amelia Earhart
Aviation: All About Harriet Quimby
Harriet Quimby (May 11, 1875 - July 1, 1912) was an early American aviator and movie screenwriter. She was the first woman to gain a pilot license in the United States when, in 1911 she earned the first U.S. pilot's certificate issued to a woman by the Aero Club of America. Less than a year later, she became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. Although Quimby lived only to age 37, she had a major impact on women's roles in aviation.
Aviation
- 1906 - E. Lillian Todd is the first woman to design and build an aircraft.
- 1908 - Edith Berg becomes the first woman to go up in an airplane. She was a passenger in the Wright Brother's Flyer in a demonstration in France.
- 1910 - On March 8, Frenchwoman Baroness Raymonde de Laroche passes her qualifying tests to become the first woman in the world to be issued a pilot's license.
- 1910 - Blanche Stuart Scott, 19, becomes the first woman to fly a plane solo in Hammondsport, NY on Sept. 2. Earlier that year she completes a cross-country trip in an Overland automobile with a woman journalist along to record the trip.
- 1911 - Harriet Quimby makes her professional aviator debut with a moonlight flight over Staten Island before a crowd of 20,000 spectators to become the first woman to make a night flight on Sept. 5. She later becomes the first woman to fly across the English Channel.
- 1928/1930 - Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, traveling from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, to Ireland in approximately 15 hours.
- 1929 - Florence "Pancho" Barnes becomes the first woman stunt pilot in movies.
- 1953 - Jacqueline Cochrane becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier.
- 1964 - Jerrie Mock completes the trip Amelia Earhart attempted, becoming the first woman to fly around the world.
- 2000 - Jennifer Murray becomes the first woman to fly solo around the world in a helicopter.
"I have found adventure in flying, in world travel, in business, and even close at hand ... . Adventure is a state of mind - and spirit."
Jacqueline Cochran
Military: All About Mary Edwards Walker
Mary Edwards Walker (November 26, 1832 ? February 21, 1919) was an American feminist, abolitionist, prohibitionist, alleged spy, prisoner of war, surgeon, and the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor.
Military
- 1846 - Elizabeth Newcom enlists in Company D of the Missouri Volunteer Infantry as Bill Newcom for the Mexican War, making her possibly the first woman to serve in the military. She marches 600 miles from Missouri to winter camp at Pueblo, Colorado, before she is discovered to be a woman and discharged.
- 1866 - Women provide casualty care and nursing to Union and Confederate troops at field hospitals and on the Union Hospital Ship Red Rover. Women soldiers on both sides disguise themselves as men in order to serve. In 1866, Dr. Mary Walker receives the Medal of Honor. She is the only woman to receive the nation's highest military honor.
- 1914 - Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick, demonstrating air-jumping techniques to the US Army in San Diego, CA, pulled her release manually, becoming the first person to make an intentional free-fall parachute jump from an airplane on June 21.
- 1942 - Women Airforce Service Pilots become the first U.S. women pilots to fly military aircraft.
- 1943 - WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) become the first U.S. women navigators for the military.
- 1953 - Barbara O. Barnwell becomes the first female U.S. Marine to be awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism after saving fellow Marines from drowning.
- 1955 - Private Esther Arditi became the first (and still only) female soldier to be awarded an Israeli Defense Forces decoration, the Medal of Distinguished Service.
- 1967 - Barbara Dulinsky becomes the first female U.S. Marine to serve in a combat zone when her request to be sent to Vietnam is granted.
- 1970 - Anna Mae Hays becomes the first woman in U.S. military to be promoted to general officer rank. Elizabeth P. Hoisington is promoted the same day.
- 1971 - The first Air Force woman is promoted to brigadier general.
- 1974 - Barbara Allen Rainey becomes the first woman pilot in the U.S. military.
- 1978 - Margaret A. Brewer becomes the first woman to reach the rank of general in the U.S. Marine Corps.
- 1980 - The first classes with women graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Women's Firsts in the U.S. Military
Climbing: All About Alison Hargreaves
Alison Hargreaves (February 17, 1963 - August 13, 1995) was an English (from Derbyshire) female mountain climber. She was educated in Derbyshire at Belper School. Her accomplishments included being the second person to scale Mount Everest solo without supplementary oxygen in 1995. She also soloed all the great north faces of the Alps in a single season—a first for any climber.Scottish Climber Alison Hargreaves and Six Others Killed on K2 by Paul Roberts This feat included climbing the famously difficult north face of the Eiger in the Alps in 1993. Hargreaves also climbed Ama Dablam (6812m) in Nepal.
In 1995 Alison Hargreaves intended to climb the three highest mountains in the world—Mount Everest, K2 and Kangchenjunga—unaid...
Climbing
- 1808 - Marie Paradis becomes the first woman to ascend Mont Blanc.
- 1871- Lucy Walker is the first woman to summit the Matterhorn.
- 1906 - Australian Freda du Faur becomes the first woman to ascend Mt. Cook.
- 1908 - Suffragist and adventurer Annie Smith Peck became the first person Mount Nevado Huascarán. The 6648 m northern peak of the Huascarán was named Cumbre Aña Peck in her honor in 1928. In 1911, at the age of 61, she climbed Mt. Coropuna in Peru, placing a "Votes for Women" banner at the summit.
- 1975 - Japanese Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to climb Mt. Everest.
- 1988 - Lydia Bradey becomes the first female to complete a solo ascent of Mt. Everest without oxygen.
- 1995 - Alison Hargreaves is the first woman to completed an unassisted climb of Mt. Everest, but dies on descent from K2 summit.
- 1996 - Chantal Mauduit becomes the first woman to summit Lhotse solo.
- 1998 - Ginette Harrison becomes the first and only woman to summit Kanchenjunga. She dies in an avalanche on Dhaulagiri in 1999.
History of Women in Climbing
First Woman To ... The Series
Share Your Adventures Here!
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Reply
- lisadh lisadh Aug 22, 2008 @ 11:32 pm
- I particularly admire the women who have conquered Everest. I think they're crazy (considering 1 in 10 people die up there), but I admire them nonetheless!
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- RinchenChodron RinchenChodron Jun 5, 2008 @ 11:47 am
- Thanks for all your great lenses! I used to jump out of perfectly good airplanes, so I enjoyed these stories. I've also been to the Himalayas - climbed up to the Tiger's Nest in Bhutan.
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- spirituality spirituality May 25, 2008 @ 11:33 am
- I was never brave like any of these ladies, but I did go to India by myself when I was in my twenties. :) Great lens.
"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature ... . Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
- Helen Keller
All My Lenses
Like this lens? Want to see what else I've done? Here's my lensography.-
SusanVillasLewis
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Well, probably for my mom and my husband. But I guess the rest of you won't love me just for existing. So here's more about me, links to my various lenses, thoughts on future lenses and just the general randomness that is Susan. This will forever be...
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Basic gal from the Dallas area who has a lot to say!! I'm working on lens related to my odd-ball interests, as well as some tying back to my husband'...
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