1138: Zoë Porphyrogenita Byzantine Empress Born: c.978 AD, Constantine, Byzantine Empire (Present-day Istanbul, Turkey) Died: c.1050 AD, Constantine, Byzantine Empire (Present-day Istanbul, Turkey) Zoë was married to the heir presumptive, Romanus III Argyrus, and became the empress consort upon his ascension. However, Zoë didn’t really like her husband to say the least and became very…
1137: Theodora III Byzantine Empress Born: c.984 AD, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire (Present-day Istanbul, Turkey) Died: 1056 AD, Constantinople, Byzantine Empire (Present-day Istanbul, Turkey) Also Known As: Theodora Porphyrogenita Theodora was the daughter of Constantine VIII. Theodora spent most of her life in and out of convents and was placed there by her own sister on…
1134: Puabi Occupant of One of the Most Preserved Tombs in Mesopotamian History Lived: c.2,600 BC, Ur, Sumer (Present-day Iraq) Also Known As: Shub-Ad or Shudi-Ad Her name means “Word of My Father” and her tomb was excavated in the mid 1920’s to mid 1930’s (the exact years are different in various sources). Her grave…
1132: Puduhepa Hittite Queen Born: c.1289 BCE, Lawanzantiyas, Kizzuwatna (Present-day Adana Province, Turkey) Died: after 1215 BCE, Most Likely Somewhere in the Hittite Empire Also Known As: Tawananna Puduhepa was married to Hattusili III and has been referred to as “one of the most influential women known from the Ancient Near East.” Unlike the vast…
1130: Pompeia Plotina Roman Empress and Wife of Trajan Born: c.65 AD, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire (Present-day Southwestern France) Died: c.123 AD, Rome, Roman Empire (Present-day Rome, Italy) Pompeia was renowned for interest in philosophy, dignity, virtue, and simplicity. She served as empress from 98 to 117 AD (though it took her a full seven…
1128: Xochitl Queen During the Toltec Empire Lived: c.877-c.916 AD, Toltec Lands (Present-day Mexico) She may be a legend, actual archaeological and historical documentation on her life does not exist for certain. According to those legends, however, a civil war erupted, and Xochitl led a squadron of female warriors in the fighting, before dying in…
“I will have him, because I believe he needs me. I have no shame.” Mary writing to a friend after meeting her future husband for the first time 1125: Mary Curzon Vicereine of India Born: 27 May 1870, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America Died: 18 July 1906, London, United Kingdom Full Name: Mary Victoria…
1123: Merneith Served as Regent for Her Son Den of the First Dynasty of Egypt Lived: c.2925 BCE, Ancient Egypt Merneith was the daughter of Pharaoh Djer and most likely served as a queen to her husband, the Pharaoh Djet (if they were in fact married, this fact is also in dispute). Merneith was named…
1116: Ka’ahumanu Queen Consort and Later Regent of the Kingdom of Hawaii Born: c.1768-1777, Kingdom of Maui (Present-day Maui, Hawaii, United States) Died: 5 June 1832, Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii (Present-day Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States) Ka’ahumanu was incredibly influential as consort to her husband and regent and advisor to her stepsons. Ka’ahumanu was born to…
1115: Jadwiga of Poland The First Female Monarch of the Kingdom of Poland Born: c.1373, Buda, Kingdom of Hungary (Present-day Budapest, Hungary) Died: 17 July 1399, Present-day Kraków, Poland Also Known As: Hedwig or Hedvig Feast Day: February 28 Jadwiga’s father was the king of Poland and Hungary. When her father died, Jadwiga’s older sister…