From @joannechocolat

Louise Thuliez (1881 – 1966) was a French schoolteacher, author and #resistance fighter during World War I and World War II.

Despite having been caught, condemned to death, and narrowly escaping a German firing squad during World War I, Thuliez volunteered again in World War II.

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Personal note: When asked why she took such risks - especially since she was already well-known for her actions in WWI and the danger would be so much greater, she replied 'Because I am a French-woman'' Vive la France! 🇫🇷

Again, her life is so much more interesting than these few lines can show. She wrote of her time in prison (during the first war) in 'Condemned to Death' in 1933,which won a #Montyon Prize in 1935

#CelebratingWomen #France #Teachers

From @joannechocolat

Savitribai Phule (1831 – 1897) was an Indian educator, social reformer, and #poet, regarded as the first female #teacher of modern India.

She played a pivotal role in advancing women's rights and education, and her legacy continues to influence social reform movements across #India.

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Personal note: again, Joanne only has limited characters with which to write a bio; I encourage you to do even a single rudimentary search on #Savitribai_Phule - what she did for women, child brides, widows, and lower castes was extraordinary.

#CelebratingWomen #Education #WomensRights #Poetry #SocialReform

From @joannechocolat

Élisabeth Thible (1757–1785) was the first woman to fly in an untethered hot air balloon.

She was a professional #opera singer, and during her first flight, sang several operatic duets whilst also feeding the balloon's firebox, dressed as the goddess #Minerva.

Illustration credit: Bernardo França

#CelebratingWomen #Élisabeth_Thible #HotAirBalloon #Hot_Air_Balloon

From @joannechocolat

Caroline Herschel (1750 – 1848) was a German astronomer, whose most significant contributions to #astronomy were the discoveries of several comets, including the periodic comet 35P/Herschel–Rigollet, which bears her name.

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Personal note: I hope these posts whet some appetites! Joanne is limited to less than 300 characters, and there is always SO much more that could be said about these women!

One can start with 'The Comet Sweeper: Caroline Herschel’s Astronomical Ambition' by Claire Brock. It is based substantially on the autobiographical writing of Herschel, but she was sufficiently well-known at the time to be referenced elsewhere, and later in her life she was bestowed with various honours and medals for her astronomical work.

#CelebratingWomen #Caroline_Herschel #BookRecommendation

From @joannechocolat, March 17, 2026

Renée Richards (b. 1934) is a former tennis player who fought to compete as a woman in the 1976 US Open.

The New York Supreme Court ruled in her favour, a landmark case in transgender rights.

After retiring from play, she coached Martina Navratilova to two Wimbledon titles.

#CelebratingWomen #TDOV #Renée_Richards #Tennis

From @joannechocolat

Elizabeth, Lady Wilbraham (1632 – 1705) was a member of the English aristocracy and a major architectural patron.

Unable to become an #architect because she was a woman, she studied in #Italy and tutored Christopher Wren, who may have been given credit for hundreds of her designs.

. . ...

(For those of you who may not know, this series originally began as # Neglected Women & was to highlight women whose achievements have been usurped by men.

It became # CelebratingWomen', which is much more positive, and then became more about remarkable women in general - including many now who are still alive - but it is still interesting to see this calling back to the original idea, and to realise how much of the *full* identity of woman has been lost.)

This ainting of Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham is by Sir Peter Lely, 17th century. (Peter Lely, 1618-1680)

#CelebratingWomen #Christopher_Wren #Architecture #Lady_Elizabeth_Wilbraham #Sir_Peter_Lely

From @joannechocolat

Amina (1533 -1610) was a #Hausa #queen in the city-state of #Zazzau (now #Zaria), in what is now the north-west region of #Nigeria.

A fearsome leader, she built huge fortifications, massively expanded her territory over 35 years and created trade routes throughout Northern #Africa.

#CelebratingWomen

From @joannechocolat

Rani Lakshmibai was a leading figure of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British rule.

Born in 1828, she became the queen of #Jhansi after marrying the king, was widowed at a young age and refused to surrender to the British, leading her own army in the rebellion.

#CelebratingWomen #Rani_Lakshmibai #India

From @joannechocolat

Sigríður Tómasdóttir (1871–1957) was an Icelandic environmentalist whose activism helped preserve the Gullfoss waterfalls, protecting them from industrialization.

She is widely seen as Iceland's first #environmentalist and is memorialized on a sculpture near #Gullfoss.

#CelebratingWomen #Sigríður_Tómasdóttir #Iceland #Environmentalism

From @joannechocolat

Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din (1205 – 1240), popularly known as Razia Sultan, was the Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate from 1236 until her deposition in 1240.

She was the first female #Muslim ruler of the subcontinent, and the only female Muslim ruler of #Delhi.

#CelebratingWomen