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Marie Curie voted most significant woman in history, topping list of women who changed the world

Marie Curie has been voted the woman who made the most significant impact on the world according to a BBC poll [Photo: PA Images]
Marie Curie has been voted the woman who made the most significant impact on the world according to a BBC poll [Photo: PA Images]

It’s a sentiment that both Beyoncé and the BBC agree on – when it comes to running the world, girls are key players. Releasing it’s top 20 list of women who change the world, the BBC named Marie Curie in the number spot according to a public poll.

A household name recognised worldwide, Curie was the pioneering researcher of radioactivity in the early 20 century – a legacy that landed her in the BBC History Magazine’s poll of 100 women who changed the world.

The first woman to win a Nobel prize in physics, as well as the first – and only – person to hold Nobel prizes in two sciences, Curie lead the list of women who significantly impacted world history. Remembered for her research into the treatment of cancer, the scientist’s work has been instrumental in the fight against cancer.

Born in Poland under the Russian regime, Curie had the odds stacked against her but she persevered to pioneer research into radioactivity and became the first female professor at Sorbonne University in Paris.

“The odds were always stacked against her,” Patricia Fara, president of the British Society for the History of Science, told the Guardian. “In Poland her patriotic family suffered under a Russian regime. In France she was regarded with suspicion as a foreigner – and of course, wherever she went, she was discriminated against as a woman.”

With Rosa Parks, Emmeline Pankhurst and Ada Lovelace trailing behind her, the BBC had 10 experts curate a list of 100 influential women and the public voted to rank the matriarchs according to their impact, listing the top 20 most significant women.

Another household name, Rosa Parks was second on the list due to inspiring significant human rights changes after she refused to give up her seat on a bus in Alabama, USA. Her bus boycott became an icon of resistance in racial segregation, later receiving national prominence in the civil rights movement.

Celebrating girl power everywhere, number three in the poll was Emmeline Pankhurst, a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement. Instrumental in winning the right to vote for women, Pankhurst represented the modern woman, inspiring females everywhere to follow suit in standing out.

Ada Lovelace also made the top five due to her role in recognising that machines could hold applications beyond calculation. Lovelace was a British mathematician who is remembered as the first computer programmer.

Number five on the BBC’s list is Chemist and X-ray Crystallographer Rosalind Franklin. Contributing to the understanding of coal and viruses, Franklin is renowned for her discoveries related to the structure of DNA.

‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher also made the cut due to her title as the first woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom.

Angela Burdett-Coutts was included in the list thanks to her title as ‘richest heiress in England’ in 1837, but her wealth isn’t the reason for making the cut. Burdett-Coutts is named due to her role in philanthropy – it is believed she spent the majority of her wealth on scholarships, endowments and philanthropic causes.

Women’s rights advocate Mary Wollstonecraft holds eighth place. Recognising her work as a writer and philosopher, in 1792 she penned A Vindication of the Rights of Woman where she argued women aren’t inferior to men but simply lack the same access to education.

Renowned social reformer and statistician Florence Nightingale was included due to her history as the founder of modern nursing.

A woman before her time, Marie Stopes also made the cut after founding the first birth control clinic in Britain in 1917.

One of the most powerful women in Western Europe during the Middle Ages, Eleanor of Aquitaine also made the BBC’s list. Leading armies throughout her life, she was also the leader of the Second Crusade.

Coming in at number 12 is the Virgin Mary. In the Catholic Church, she is recognized as Mary, mother of Jesus, and encompasses several devotions such as prayer, pious acts and poetry.

English novelist Jane Austen also made the list due to her 18th century feminist vibes. With her six major novels exploring – and often critiquing – the perceived dependence of women on marriage to become successful members of society.

Queen of the British Celtic Iceni tribe, Boudicca, landed on the list due to leading the rebellion against the occupying Roman Empire. A British folk hero, her legacy goes back to AD 60-61.

The list wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of Lady Di. Princess Diana came in at the 15 spot due to her expansive charity work – including supporting the International Campaign to Ban Landmines – and advocacy for human rights.

Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart was included in the BBC’s list as the first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean – by herself.

Inheriting the throne at 18 years old, Queen Victoria was a mastermind in royalty. Despite holding very little political power, the Queen would privately attempt to influence government policy. Her iconic standards of morality have stood the test of time – nabbing her a spot on the BBC’s list.

Another feminist before her time, Josephine Butler was a 19 century social reformer. Playing a major role in improving the conditions in education and public health for women, Butler is renowned for pressuring authorities for equality.

British- Jamaican business woman, Mary Seacole was included in the top 20 list due to setting up the ‘British Hotel’ during the Crimean War. Behind the lines, Seacole provided a comfortable quarters for sick and wounded servicemen.

The final woman in the BBC’s top 20, Mother Theresa is on the list thanks to her congregation supporting people dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis. Also renowned for her soup kitchens and mobile clinics, the nun is envisioned as the icon of compassion and generosity.

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