“The most important thing is that we give them their dignity back.” 1170: Dr. Ruth Pfau German-born Nun and Medical Missionary Born: 9 September 1929, Leipzig, Germany Died: 10 August 2017, Karachi, Pakistan Dr. Pfau was an advocate for Lepers in Pakistan, but oddly enough, she was never supposed to stay in Pakistan in the…
1169: Hessy Levinsons Taft Jewish Woman Whose Baby Portrait was Used by the Nazis in Propaganda Work Born: 17 May 1934, Berlin, Germany Hessy’s parents were from Latvia but had moved to Germany a few years before Hessy was born. Her parents had dreams of being opera singers, but unfortunately once it was discovered that…
1168: First Lieutenant Rachel Washburn Gave up Being a Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader to Join the United States Army Born: c. 1988, Unknown (Probably somewhere in the United States) As a child, Rachel was an army brat, meaning her father served in the armed forces. Rachel herself moved at least twelve times in her formative years,…
1167: Nellie Tayloe Ross The First Female Governor to be Inaugurated in the United States Born: 29 November 1876, St. Joseph, Missouri, United States of America Died: 19 December 1977, Washington DC, United States of America Nellie was the fourteenth governor of Wyoming (and obviously the first woman to serve in such a capacity). She…
1166: Ethel Robertson Macia The First Lady of Tombstone, Arizona Born: 16 August 1881, Tombstone, Arizona Territory, USA (Present-day Tombstone, Arizona, United States of America) Died: 6 August 1964, Tombstone, Arizona, United States of America Ethel was the oldest of five children. Sadly, her mother died when Ethel was fourteen, soon after giving birth to…
1165: Urraca of Zamora Infanta of Zamora Born: c.1033, Present-day León, Spain Died: c.1101, Present-day León, Spain Urraca was one of five siblings who split their father (Ferdinand the Great)’s empire after his death. Urraca was bequeathed the city of Zamora and ruled with palatine authority over the walled city. Urraca’s eldest brother tried to…
1164: Elizabeth Tabor One of The Most Dramatic Rags to Riches Then Back to Rags Story Born: 1854 (Exact date is in dispute), Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States of America Died: 5 March 1935, Leadville, Colorado, United States of America Also Known As: Baby Doe Tabor or The Silver Queen of Colorado Elizabeth was born fifth…
“It’s got to be blue and it’s got to be new! I never bought anything used—except husbands!” 1163: Bessie Stringfield First African American Woman to Motorcycle Drive Across the United States Solo (in 1930) Born: c.1911, Kingston, Jamaica* Died: 16 February 1993, Opa-locka, Florida, United States of America Bessie was dubbed the “Motorcycle Queen of…
1162: Frances Culpeper Stephens Berkeley Ludwell Wife of Three Colonial Governors Born: 1634, Kent, England (Present-day Kent, United Kingdom) Died: c.1695, Jamestown, The Colony of Virginia (Present-day Jamestown, Virginia, United States of America) Also Known As: Lady Frances Berkeley Frances was one of the leaders of the Green Springs Virginia Political Faction, which effectively controlled…
1161: Mary Rowlandson Early Colonial Eyewitness Author Born: c.1637, Somerset, England (Present-day Somerset, United Kingdom) Died: c.1710/1711, Massachusetts Bay Colony (Present-day Wethersfield, Connecticut, United States of America) Also Known As: Mary Talcott Mary and her family moved to the New World when she was a small child, and Mary herself was the sixth of ten…