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Women of History

• Melisende of Jerusalem

• Joan of Arc

• Isabella of Spain

• Elizabeth I

• Grace O'Malley

• Hannah Emerson Dustin

• Catherine the Great

• Ada Byron Lovelace

• Victoria Woodhull

• Emmeline Pankhurst

• Countess Markievicz

• Jane Digby 

• Indira Ghandi

• Sirimavo Bandaranaike

• Fanny Pearson

• Meena

• Lilian Ngoyi

QUEEN ELIZABETH 1  Born 1533

Even if you don't count all the Oscar nominations her movie biographies have collected, Elizabeth Tudor was arguably the most powerful woman in the world ever. When she took the throne in 1558, England was riven by religious turmoil and impoverished by endless wars. But in 44 years as queen, Elizabeth achieved peace and unparalleled prosperity for her country while promoting cultural brilliance. Consider just a few career highlights: defeating the Spanish Armada, supporting Shakespeare, Marlowe and more, sending Francis Drake off to circumnavigate the globe and sending Walter Raleigh to start a colony. She also managed peerless popularity among the masses, and all without any official consort to lean on.