You have 12 stars to choose from. They are people who outdid themselves in a time when there was no social media, mobile phones or computers. Yet they led meaningful lives and inspired many. As you roll from month to month in 2019, notice each star. And at any point in this journey if you need a nudge or push, look up to them. They are guiding lights!
January 1892 Bessie Coleman
125 years ago she dared to dream to be a pilot on America where women were forbidden from flying. She saved
from here her meager saving to go to France and get a flying license. She was the first woman of African-American descent
and the first of Native American descent, to hold a pilot license. She inspired a generation.
February 1879 Sarojini Naidu
An inspired Indian independence activist and renowned poet. She took part in the National Movement, became a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and fought for the attainment of Swaraj.
She became the President of Indian National Congress and later she was appointed to the Governor of the United Provinces, now Uttar Pradesh.
March 1865 Anandibai Joshi
A humble beginning. Her child's death drove her to medicine. Through perseverance, she became one of the
earliest Indian female physicians. She was the first woman from the erstwhile Bombay presidency of India to study and graduate with a two-year degree in western medicine in the United States.
April 1816 Charlotte Bronte
An English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels became classics of English literature.
Her life was short, her siblings lived shorter. But her writings endured.
May 1820 Florence Nightingale
She was an English social reformer and statistician. Her lasting contribution has been her role in founding the modern nursing profession. She set an example of compassion, commitment to patient care and diligent and thoughtful hospital administration. The first official nurses' training programme, her Nightingale School for Nurses, opened in 1860 and is now called the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at King's College London.
She is an Iranian lawyer. A former judge and human rights activist. Also, the founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran.
On 10 October 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's, children's, and refugee rights.
July 1907 Frida Kahlo
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is remembered for her self-portraits, pain and passion, and bold, vibrant colors. She is celebrated in Mexico for her attention to Mexican and indigenous culture and by feminists for her depiction of the female experience and form.
August 1818 Maria Mitchell
An American astronomer, who in 1847 by using a telescope, discovered a comet. Which came to be became known as "Miss Mitchell's Comet." She won a gold medal prize for her discovery, which was presented to her by King Frederick VI of Denm
