885: Martha Matilda Harper Entrepreneur Who Emphasized Healthy Hair Care Born: 10 September 1857, Oakville, Ontario, Canada Died: 3 August 1950, Rochester, New York, United States of America Full Married Name: Martha Matilda Harper MacBain Martha is credited with creating the first formal business franchising system in the United States. When Martha was seven, her…
873: Margaret Heffernan Borland Drove 1000 Longhorns Along the Chisholm Trail Born: 3 April 1824, Ireland* Died: 5 July 1873, Wichita, Kansas, United States of America Margaret was one of the first female cattle drivers in the United States. She immigrated from Ireland at the age of five. Margaret was married and was widowed three…
857: Mary Ann Conklin Manager of Seattle’s First Known Brothel Born: 1821, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States of America Died: 1873, Seattle, Washington, United States of America Also Known As: “Mother Damnable” or “Madame Damnable” Mary was married (or at least in a relationship with) a sea captain. After he abandoned her in Washington state,…
“I’d rather be a corpse than a coward.” 854: Mary Ellen Pleasant African American Entrepreneur & Abolitionist Born: 19 August 1814, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America* Died: 11 January 1904, San Francisco, California, United States of America Mary Ellen listed ‘Capitalist by Profession’ as her official career description in the 1890 Census. Hell yeah…
847: Christie Hefner Former Playboy Enterprises Inc CEO Born: 8 November 1952, Wilmette, Illinois, United States of America Christie is the daughter of Hugh Hefner. She is his oldest child. Christie’s parents divorced when she was four and her only full sibling was one. Her mother remarried and moved Christie and her brother to a…
“The true worth of a race must be measured by the character of its womanhood.” 831: Mary McLeod Bethune Civil Rights Activist and Educator Born: 10 July 1875, Mayesville, South Carolina, United States of America Died: 18 May 1955, Daytona Beach, Florida, United States of America Mary is most remembered for starting a private all…
823: Dr. Oluwo Adedunmola What, Like Its Hard or Something? Born: c.1992, Nigeria Also Known As: Dr. Dedun Oluwo finished medical school while running four businesses before the age of twenty-four. Her story went semi-viral on the internet, and for good reason. Oluwo calls herself the Doctorpreneur. She didn’t have to repeat a single course…
“Necessity is a stern taskmistress and my every want gave me courage…Besides I had promised my dying husband I would remain, and where else could I go and live?” 808: Rebecca Lukens Owner and Manager of One of the Most Successful Metalworking Factories in US History Born: 6 January 1794, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States…
760: Donatella Versace Artistic Director of the Versace Group Born: 2 May 1955, Reggio Calabria, Italy Donatella is also the sister of founder Gianni Versace. Donatella and her brother built the fashion house from the bottom up and after his death she was left to continue on the legacy. Despite the siblings being almost a…
758: Mary K Horony-Cummings Doc Holliday’s Common Law Wife Born: 7 November 1850, Pest, Kingdom of Hungary (Present-day Nové Zámky, Slovakia) Died: 2 November 1940, Prescott, Arizona, United States of America Also Known As: Big Nose Kate Original Name: Mária Izabella Magdolna Horony Mary’s family was from Eastern Europe, though sources differ on whether she…