Comics Luisa Capetillo (1879-1922) The Activist Arrested For Wearing Pants In 1915, this rowdy Puerto Rican activist was arrested for wearing pants in public. It wouldn't be the last time she wore pants, or got arrested.
Comics 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.
Comics Sutematsu Oyama (1860-1919) Japan's First College-Educated Woman The first Japanese woman to go to college didn't have a choice. But the experience changed her - and she changed Japan in return.
Comics Anahit (Armenian Folktale) The Queen Who Made the King Get a Job This Armenian folktale princess saved her hapless beau - by making him get a job.
Comics Soraya Tarzi (1899-1968) The Human Rights Queen of Afghanistan 1920s Afghanistan was a progressive and rapidly-modernizing country in large part to the most powerful, empathic, and maligned queen it had ever seen.
Princess Pyeonggang (6th century) The Weeping Princess This princess held her father to his word in the most unexpected way: by demanding to marry the stupidest man in Korea.
Zelia Nuttall (1857-1933) The Queen of Mexican Archaeology This single mom developed the field of Mexican archaeology, while fiercely protecting it from the sleazy and opportunistic.
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.
Naziq al-Abid (1898-1959) The Sword of Damascus She traded a life of privilege for one spent fighting for justice on both literal and political battlefields so tirelessly that even exiling her five times couldn't keep her down.
Hypatia (350~370? - 415) The Martyr Mathematician The first female mathematician in recorded history, and one of the luminaries of the ancient world - but her grisly death at the hands of a mob was only the start of her troubles.