women’s history

Meet Berniece Baker Miracle, Marilyn Monroe’s Long-Lost Half-Sister

Berniece Baker Miracle first met her half-sister Norma Jeane, better known as Marilyn Monroe, in 1944 and later wrote a memoir about their relationship titled My Sister Marilyn.

By Kaleena Fraga • Mar 3, 2022

Meet Berniece Baker Miracle, Marilyn Monroe’s Long-Lost Half-Sister

Berniece Baker Miracle first met her half-sister Norma Jeane, better known as Marilyn Monroe, in 1944 and later wrote a memoir about their relationship titled My Sister Marilyn.

By Kaleena Fraga • March 3, 2022

The Wild Life Of Julie D’Aubigny, The Bisexual, Sword-Fighting 17th-Century Opera Star

Also known as La Maupin, Julie D'Aubigny was famous for her beautiful voice in the world of French opera, but she was also a formidable fencing master.

By Genevieve Carlton • Mar 3, 2022

The Wild Life Of Julie D’Aubigny, The Bisexual, Sword-Fighting 17th-Century Opera Star

Also known as La Maupin, Julie D'Aubigny was famous for her beautiful voice in the world of French opera, but she was also a formidable fencing master.

By Genevieve Carlton • March 3, 2022

25 Photos Of How The Gibson Girl Became America’s Preeminent Lifestyle Influencer Of The Early 1900s

The Gibson Girl first appeared in the 1890s illustrations of artist Charles Dana Gibson and helped inform the beauty standards for American women of the time — for better and for worse.

By Erin Kelly • Mar 2, 2022

25 Photos Of How The Gibson Girl Became America’s Preeminent Lifestyle Influencer Of The Early 1900s

The Gibson Girl first appeared in the 1890s illustrations of artist Charles Dana Gibson and helped inform the beauty standards for American women of the time — for better and for worse.

By Erin Kelly • March 2, 2022

How Peggy Shippen Became The Highest-Paid Spy Of The American Revolution

The wife of American traitor Benedict Arnold, Peggy Shippen played a crucial role in her husband’s espionage ring during the Revolutionary War.

By Genevieve Carlton • Mar 1, 2022

How Peggy Shippen Became The Highest-Paid Spy Of The American Revolution

The wife of American traitor Benedict Arnold, Peggy Shippen played a crucial role in her husband’s espionage ring during the Revolutionary War.

By Genevieve Carlton • March 1, 2022

Dorothy Gibson Survived The Titanic — Then Starred In The First Movie About It

Dorothy Gibson's career as a silent film actress was in full swing when she survived the Titanic sinking in April 1912. Then, just a month later, she played herself in "Saved From The Titanic."

By Genevieve Carlton • Feb 28, 2022

Dorothy Gibson Survived The Titanic — Then Starred In The First Movie About It

Dorothy Gibson's career as a silent film actress was in full swing when she survived the Titanic sinking in April 1912. Then, just a month later, she played herself in "Saved From The Titanic."

By Genevieve Carlton • February 28, 2022

How Did Whitney Houston Die? Inside The Iconic Singer’s Tragic Final Days

One of America's most successful singers, Whitney Houston died from a drug-related drowning in her hotel bathtub in Beverly Hills on February 11, 2012.

By Marco Margaritoff • Feb 27, 2022

How Did Whitney Houston Die? Inside The Iconic Singer’s Tragic Final Days

One of America's most successful singers, Whitney Houston died from a drug-related drowning in her hotel bathtub in Beverly Hills on February 11, 2012.

By Marco Margaritoff • February 27, 2022

Meet Nellie Jackson, The ‘Mississippi Madam’ Who Ran A Brothel In Plain Sight For 60 Years

From 1930 until her death in 1990, Nellie Jackson operated a bordello in Natchez, Mississippi and became a pillar of the community, even helping the FBI fight the Ku Klux Klan.

By Jessica O'Connor • Feb 25, 2022

Meet Nellie Jackson, The ‘Mississippi Madam’ Who Ran A Brothel In Plain Sight For 60 Years

From 1930 until her death in 1990, Nellie Jackson operated a bordello in Natchez, Mississippi and became a pillar of the community, even helping the FBI fight the Ku Klux Klan.

By Jessica O'Connor • February 25, 2022

Meet Masako Katsura, The Enigmatic ‘First Lady Of Billiards’

In the 1950s, a Japanese woman named Masako Katsura took the billiards world by storm — and made a name for herself in the traditionally male-dominated sport.

By Genevieve Carlton • Feb 24, 2022

Meet Masako Katsura, The Enigmatic ‘First Lady Of Billiards’

In the 1950s, a Japanese woman named Masako Katsura took the billiards world by storm — and made a name for herself in the traditionally male-dominated sport.

By Genevieve Carlton • February 24, 2022

Meet Betty Brosmer, The Pinup Queen With The ‘Impossible Waist’ Who Built A Female Fitness Empire

After establishing herself as the highest-paid pinup in mid-century America, Betty Brosmer helped popularize the now-famous fitness magazine "Shape."

By Kaleena Fraga • Feb 23, 2022

Meet Betty Brosmer, The Pinup Queen With The ‘Impossible Waist’ Who Built A Female Fitness Empire

After establishing herself as the highest-paid pinup in mid-century America, Betty Brosmer helped popularize the now-famous fitness magazine "Shape."

By Kaleena Fraga • February 23, 2022

Meet Emma Of Normandy, The Formidable Queen Who Steered England Through The Viking Age

Queen Emma of Normandy navigated both political instability and Viking usurpers on her way to becoming the richest and most powerful woman in England.

By Marco Margaritoff • Feb 23, 2022

Meet Emma Of Normandy, The Formidable Queen Who Steered England Through The Viking Age

Queen Emma of Normandy navigated both political instability and Viking usurpers on her way to becoming the richest and most powerful woman in England.

By Marco Margaritoff • February 23, 2022