Six Of The Greatest Women Who Went The Distance

Absolut Vodka have gone the distance and given you the chance to win a trip to Stockholm for two and more Absolut prizes as part of their Absolut Purity campaign. This got us thinking about women who have gone the distance. Throughout history, many women have struggled to fulfil dreams that would change the world as we know it. These six women are not only highly regarded in their field of interest but have become legends in their own right. Here are six women who went the distance.

1. Marie Curie

Famous for her pioneering work on radioactivity, Curie dedicated her life to Science and became the first woman to win a Nobel prize, the only woman to win in multiple fields. She also became the first female professor at the University of Paris. Curie died of aplastic anemia, a condition which was brought on by years of exposure to radiation. She literally dedicated her life to her astounding work.

2. Constance Markievicz

An early volunteer for the Revolutionary movement in Ireland, Markievicz was one of the only women who was hailed as a commander during the 1916 Rising. She later went on to become the first woman elected to the British parliament and the only woman to serve in cabinet for the first Government of Ireland.

3. Amelia Earhart

Another formidable woman, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and also received the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross for this record. Earhart supported many causes for women, The Ninety-Nine, an organization for female pilots, she counselled women in Purdue University to help develop their careers and was an early supporter of equal rights. Earhart mysteriously disappeared over the Pacific Ocean and her plane was never found.

4. Aung San Suu Kyi

Fundamental to the peace process in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyei remained under house for 21 years and became one of the most important political prisoners. She has received many awards, most notably the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. She is one of the main spokespeople for human rights in the World and is supported for her peaceful approach to politics. Aung San Suu Kyi even used the Nobel Peace Prize money to establish a health and education trust for the Burmese people.

5. Rosa Parks

Most commonly known as the "First Lady of Civil Rights", Parks changed the face of the civil rights movement in the States when she famously refused to obey a bus driver who insisted she give up her seat on the bus for a white person. She later became an international symbol of resistance to segregation and worked closely with civil rights leaders, Edgar Nixon and Martin Luther King Jr.

6. Cleopatra

Famous for capturing the heart of not just Julius Caesar but his protege Marc Anthony, Cleopatra removed her half brother from the throne and later became the supreme ruler of Egypt. She secured Roman backing in her claim to throne and worked her magic to make sure she entangled both the Roman soldiers in her web. Reports from the era claim that she was not particularly beautiful but exuded a sexual dominance that was hard to resist. A formidable schemer, she was the leading woman of her age.

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