History That's More Than 2-Dimensional.

Collection: Disabilities

Sarah Biffin (1784-1850)

The Artist Who Painted With Her Mouth

Born without arms or legs, this artist learned to write, sew, and paint with her mouth - and came to work for kings and queens.

Virginia Hall (1906-1982)

The Most Dangerous Spy of All

This "most dangerous of all spies" staged daring mountaintop escapes, prison breaks, and railway bombings -- all on her trusty wooden leg, codenamed "Cuthbert."

Amanirenas (c.60 BCE - c.10 BCE)

The One-Eyed Queen Who Fought Rome Tooth and Nail

When Rome set its eyes on her country, this one-eyed queen fought them tooth and nail, until they left her alone.

Sophie Morigeau (1836-1916)

Hard-Living, Hard-Bargaining Frontier Woman

The only use this Canadian badass had for pretty pink bows was to adorn her own rib — which she amputated from her own body after an accident.

Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941)

The Queen of Modern Astronomy

This astronomer threw off all the social conventions of her day to pursue her one true calling: the stars.

Viśpálā (12th? century BCE)

Warrior Queen of the Rig Veda

The first prosthetic limb in human civilization went to this ancient warrior queen. Or did it? The story is more complex than you might think.

The Handless Princess

When her brother of this fairytale princess decided to marry her, she warded him off by cutting off her own hands. Then she gave birth to a dog. It got weirder after that.

Wilma Rudolph (1940-1994)

The Olympic Runner Who Beat Polio

Overcame polio, poverty, measles, mumps, scarlet fever, racism, whooping cough, and teenage pregnancy to make Olympic history by winning three gold medals.