Famous Women in Science You Should Know | We've Collected a List of 9 Outstanding Female Scientists

Famous women in science did a remarkable job for the development of this field and their achievements should be engraved in the history.

Throughout centuries women have made major contributions and achievements in many fields, including the world of science and innovation. Science is mainly considered to be the stronger part of men. But despite the gender stereotypes and discrimination these female scientists displayed an iron will and proved the other thing.

Just look around and you’ll see the proof of their inventions everywhere.There have been many gifted female scientists in our history that made crucial discoveries in the world of science. So, let us introduce you the list of some of the most famous women in science whose creativity and inventiveness helped to shape the world as we know it today.

Famous Women in Science #1 | Rachel Zimmerman

Photo via International Space University

It will be really hard to imagine but in the 1980s, a twelve-year-old girl advanced a creation that helped people who have some difficulties while communicating. Based in Canada, Rachel Zimmerman invented a software program using symbols that allowed non-speaking people, with physical disabilities to communicate.

The user of this Blissymbols program communicates by pointing to various symbols on a page through the use of a special touchpad. As soon as the user touches the symbols, the so-called “Blissymbol Printer” translates them into a written language. Thus, it enables the user to record his or her thoughts via e-mail.

Zimmerman’s project competed at the World Exhibition of Achievement of Young Inventors, won a silver medal at the Canada-wide contest as well as YTV Television Youth Achievement Award.

Rachel Zimmerman now works for The Planetary Society in California, where she teaches her students about space exploration. By the way, her greatest goal is to take NASA innovations and change them so that they will fit the needs of people with disabilities.

Famous Women in Science #2 | Ruth Wakefield

Any chocolate lovers out there? Then you are going to love our next female inventor of our list, Ruth Wakefield. It will be really hard to find a person that doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies.

But few of you know that without the help of Ruth Wakefield, the world might never have the opportunity to taste those sweet delights. She was a dietician and food lecturer and she had a tourist lodge named the Toll House Inn, where she prepared the recipes for the dishes for her guests.

Once when she was making some cookies she discovered that she was out of baker’s chocolate. She decided to substitute it with the broken pieces of a semi-sweet chocolate, hoping that it will melt and absorb into the dough. Nonetheless, that did not happen, but the result made Wakefield one of the 20th century’s most famous female scientists.

Her chocolate chip cookies became extremely popular; furthermore, the recipe was soon published in a newspaper. By the way, the chocolate chip cookie is the most popular variety of cookie in America till today.

Famous Women in Science #3 | Ruth Benerito

The following outstanding woman in our list is Ruth Benerito who saved the industry of cotton with her discovery of wrinkle-resistant cotton.

She and her team managed to make cotton fabric not just wrinkle resistant but also stain and flame resistant. By the help of her method now we have cotton clothing that is wrinkle-free and durable without ironing or treating the surface.

Famous Women in Science #4 | Maria Agnesi

Born in 1718, mathematician, philosopher and philanthropist Maria Agnesi is the author of the first mathematics book by a woman that survived to our days. Her two-volume book, “The Instituzioni Analitiche” covered algebra, trigonometry, arithmetic, analytic geometry, and calculus.

Before her, no one had published a text on calculus that included the methods of both Isaac Newton and Gottfried Liebnitz. Maria Agnesi put forward ideas from different contemporary mathematical thinkers and integrated many of the ideas in such a way that greatly impressed the scholars of her day.

Another huge achievement in her career was in 1750 when she became the first woman who was appointed to the chair of mathematics and natural philosophy at a university.

Famous Women in Science #5 | Stephanie Kwolek

Up next in our list of famous female scientists is American chemist Stephanie Kwolek, one of the first women research chemists. She became popular and gained national recognition in 1960 for her work with long molecule chains at low temperatures.

But her most important invention was in 1971 when she made an important discovery of a liquid crystalline polymer solution. Its exceptional strength and stiffness led to the invention of poly-para phenylene terephthalamide, or else known as Kevlar.

By this token, this synthetic material is five times as strong as steel, is resistant to wear, corrosion and flames. Moreover, it is the main ingredient of bulletproof vests and is used in dozens of other products, including safety helmets, camping gear, and many others.

This wonderful woman won numerous awards for her work in polymer chemistry, including the National Medal of Technology, the Kilby Award, the IRI Achievement Award and some others.

Famous Women in Science #6 | Marion Donovan

Born in 1917, Marion Donovan had that inventive spirit from a very young age. As a post-World War II housewife and mother of two, Donovan was frustrated by the thankless and repetitive task of women changing their children’s stained cloth diapers, bed sheets.

Once she decided to create a diaper that will keep her baby and, why not, the surrounding area dry. Surprisingly, after several attempts, Donovan completed a waterproof diaper cover.

Donovan’s designed diapers did not cause any rash and didn’t pinch the baby’s skin. The soon-to-be-famous female inventor started to perfect her invention, substituting the dangerous safety pins that were common at that period by snap fasteners that was a huge success.

The next project of Donovan was a fully disposable diaper, for which she had to design a special type of paper that would be strong, absorbent, and what’s more important would convey water away from the child’s skin.

In 1961, famous chemical engineer Victor Mills drew upon Donovan’s vision to create the world’s first widely marketed disposable diaper, Pampers. So, this woman deserves the unlimited gratitude of new parents around the planet.

Famous Women in Science #7 | Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

English physician, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson had to fight many battles to be allowed to actually get an apothecary license. She established the only teaching hospital in Britain that offered courses for women.

Today this hospital is called the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital and is part of the University of London. She is the first woman to successfully complete the medical degree in Great Britain; furthermore, Elizabeth is the first woman physician in Great Britain.

Among all these, she was also an active advocate of women’s suffrage and opportunities in higher education. In 1908, Anderson became the first woman in England elected as mayor.

Famous Women in Science #8 | Virginia Apgar

Photo via Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Physician, educator and medical researcher, Virginia Apgar is best known for her work in obstetrics and anesthesia. She developed the Apgar Newborn Scoring System that helped to increase the survival rates of an infant.

While doing some researches she noticed that cyclopropane that was used as an anesthetic for the mother had a negative impact on the baby and as a result, its use was discontinued.

In 1938, this brightest representative of female scientists was appointed Director of the Department of Anesthesiology of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center thus becoming the first woman to head a department at this institution.

She also served as the first female full professor of anesthesiology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She has numerous awards and medals, including Gold Medal of Columbia University, Ralph Walters Medal, Woman of the Year, 1973, Ladies Home Journal and many others.

Famous Women in Science #9 | Gertrude Bell Elion

We cannot conclude our list of most popular female scientists without American biochemist and pharmacologist Gertrude Elion.

She is known for discovering many new medications, including drugs for HIV/AIDS, herpes, immunity disorders, and leukemia. In 1988 she was awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.