The Listener: Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, the Father of American Sign Language
When a minister and law student met a little girl named Alice, he became determined to help her communicate with the world.
When a minister and law student met a little girl named Alice, he became determined to help her communicate with the world.
The syringes used by medical professionals today can be traced back to her 1899 patent.
The courts ruled that the newly passed Massachusetts Constitution guaranteed that Freeman was indeed a free woman.
Elizabeth Fry championed prison reform, particularly for women and children, in 19th-century England.
Frank Frazetta redefined fantasy in the 20th century, one gloriously violent painting at a time.
When news of Christine Jorgensen’s gender-affirming surgery made headlines, she decided to use the exposure to help people.
Edmonia Lewis shaped her own identity in clay and marble, becoming one of the most renowned sculptors of the 19th century.
The U.S. capital might have been a very different place if not for the surveying work of Benjamin Banneker.
In 1953, Renault penned the UK's "first openly homosexual novel by a serious writer"—and that was just the beginning of her groundbreaking career.
The oil tycoon tried to use a monkey named Titan to help find the sunken ship.
In early 20th-century Harlem, gambling belonged to “Madame Queen.”
Georgia Gilmore played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement—one of feeding and funding those at the frontlines. A marvelous cook, she took it upon herself to bring together a secret society-esque group of women who used food to fuel the movement.
With kitty litter, Ed Lowe changed how cats and humans bonded. But not everyone understood the idea: One woman tried feeding it to her cat.
From the 1920s to the 1940s, Oscar Micheaux led the way in shining a spotlight on Black culture in the movies.
While women jockeys face obstacles, perhaps none has faced the level of challenge that Eliza Carpenter did.
Eugene Bullard survived some of the deadliest battles in history and became the world's first Black fighter pilot—all before the age of 30.
Alice Dunnigan overcame racism, sexism, and other obstacles to make history as the first Black woman credentialed to cover the White House.
No matter what Manhattan neighborhood you’re in, there’s probably a sculpture of Audrey Munson nearby.
Between seven marriages, two dead husbands, and one fraudulent baby, opera singer Lydia Locke's life had enough scandal to fill a gossip rag several times over.
At a time when women were rarely, if ever, were considered for roles in law enforcement, Kate Warne became a top investigator—and helped saved Abraham Lincoln's life.
Kitty O’Neil, a stuntwoman, drag racer, and diver, challenged assumptions about what it meant to be a deaf woman and set 22 speed records.
No aviation schools in America would teach Bessie Coleman how to fly in the 1920s. So, she sailed to France and became the first African American and the first Native American woman to earn a pilot's license.
In May 1918, Henry Johnson found himself alone in a French forest with a wounded ally, an empty rifle, and dozens of German soldiers closing in. He didn't run. He fought.
An artist and sculptor, Anna Coleman Ladd offered her talents to soldiers who had been badly disfigured fighting in World War I. Her masks helped restore their appearance and their self-confidence.