August 26: TODAY'S INSPIRING WOMEN

19th Amendment

Today in 1920, the 19th Amendment of the US Constitution was ratified granting women the right to vote.

Women’s Equality Day

The first Women’s Equality Day, initiated by Representative Bella Abzug, is established by Presidential Proclamation and reaffirmed annually

Cynthia Wedel

Cynthia Wedel, the first woman elected President of the National Council of Churches (1969-1972), was born today in 1908. She argued that women should be treated as equals in the church.

Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run for Vice President of the U.S. on a major party ticket (with Democratic candidate Walter Mondale), was born today in 1935.

Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson, an African-American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. manned spaceflights, was born today in 1918. During her 35-year career at NASA and its predecessor, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and helped the space agency pioneer the use of computers to perform the tasks.

Deeper Dive

Learn more about the life of Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson.