Three Most Famous Women Scientists

I am sure you have all heard about Albert Einsten, Nikola Tesla, Sir Isaak Newton and many other famous male scientists, but how many women scientists do you know? Let me introduce you to three most famous female scientists and their amazing contributions to science.

1. Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958)

Rosalind Franklin was a British chemist. She is best known for discovering the molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal, and graphite. Using a technique called X-ray crystallography, she revealed the helical shape of DNA. While Rosalind made a critical impact on science, her work and contributions to the field are still rarely acknowledged. Two men — James Watson and Francis Crick — are still most often credited with discovering DNA’s structure.

2. Marie Curie (1867-1934)

Marie Curie was a physicist and chemist who conducted critical research on radioactivity. She discovered two new chemical elements: radium and polonium. Curie led the first research project on the impact of radiation treatment on tumors. She also headed the Curie Institute — formerly the Radium Institute — which is a leading medical research center in Paris, France, focused on cancer research and radiation therapy. She was the first person and the only woman to win a Nobel Prize twice. Curie is also the only person to win the Nobel Prize in two scientific fields: physics and chemistry.

3. Valentina Tereshkova (1937-)

Valentina Tereshkova is an engineer, a member of the Russian State Duma, and a former Soviet cosmonaut. On June 13, 1963, she became the first woman to travel into space. She orbited the Earth 48 times in just three days. She later served in the Communist Party and represented the USSR at numerous international events. Tereshkova remains the only woman to have been on a solo space mission.

There have been a lot of great women scientists throughout history and there are still to come.