Certain women from the past have had a tremendous impact on our lives. Here are 5 outstanding women who were born in the month of August and I’d like to give a salute to them.
Lucille Ball (b. August 6, 1911)
We remember her largely for her role in I Love Lucy (a show that ran from 1951 to 1957 but is still being shown regularly today). But her real claim to claim is that she was the first woman to head a major Hollywood production company, Desilu Productions (she was president and CEO). It produced not only her show but also Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and The Untouchables, and major shows, including I Spy and Hogans Heroes, were filmed at Desilu. You can learn more from the Lucy Desi Museum.
Annie Oakley (b. August 13, 1860)
Immortalized in the show Annie Get Your Gun, this sharpshooter was the star of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. She outgunned the best sharpshooters and campaigned for equal pay. You can learn more about her from the History channel.
Maria Mitchell (b. August 1, 1818)
While not exactly a household name, she was the first female astronomer in this country and became the first woman member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the America Association for the Advancement of Science. She discovered a comet in 1847 and uncovered the nature of sunspots. She was the director of the Vassar College Observatory and demanded and received equal pay when she learned male counterparts were being paid more. You can learn more about her from Space.com.
Julia Child (b. August 15, 1912)
Hers is indeed a household name, bringing gourmet cooking to the masses through her renowned TV shows and as author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and many other books. During WWII she worked for the OSS (the forerunner of the CIA) as its first research assistant. She was the first woman inducted into The Culinary Institute of America’s Hall of Fame. Her kitchen is now in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Learn more from the Julia Child Foundation.
Dorothy Parker (b. August 22, 1893)
A poet and witty writer, she was part of the Round Table at the Algonquin hotel in NYC, an informal literary club comprised for such luminaries as Robert Benchley, George S. Kaufman, and Robert E. Sherwood. She was also a prolific screenwriter in Hollywood until she was blacklisted. One of her famous quips: “Living well is the best revenge.” Learn more from the Dorothy Parker Society.
