Last month, we highlighted three historical women who changed the world in December. Now we’re back with three phenomenal women who made history in January. Here are three impactful women who you may not have heard of — but who deserve recognition:
January 7, 1896 – Fannie Farmer
Fannie Farmer was born on March 23, 1857, at a time when society expected all women to cook and clean. However, Farmer used this role in a remarkable way that changed cooking and baking forever.
In January 1896, Fannie created the standardized measurements for cooking and baking — a system that we still use in our kitchens every day. Farmer eventually earned the title “The Mother of Level Measurements.” She also wrote the famous “Boston Cooking-School Cook Book.”
Tripping Over Fannie Farmer’s 1896 Apple Pie Recipe
Without Fannie Farmer’s contributions to the culinary world, today’s chefs and bakers wouldn’t be able to create edible, consistent, recreatable recipes. Mass-scale production of meals and snacks also wouldn’t exist the way we know it today.
January 29, 1926 – Violette Neatley Anderson
Born on July 16, 1882, Violette Neatley Anderson would eventually show generations of African American women that they could have accomplished legal careers. In January 1926, Anderson became the first African American woman to practice law before the Supreme Court.
Anderson originally worked as a court reporter, but she eventually passed the Bar exam and founded her own private law practice. In addition to her historic appearance before the Supreme Court, she also championed the Bankhead-Jones Act, which ensured low-interest loans for farmers.
Anderson was a sister in the Zeta Phi Beta sorority and left her property to her sorority for all future sisters. To this day, the sorority recognizes Anderson every April.
Violette Neatley Anderson is a role model for all women, but she’s especially empowering for African American women who aspire to be lawyers. She showed women everywhere that they can break barriers in careers that wrongly undervalue women of color.
Jan. 25, 1980 – Mary Decker
Mary Decker, who was born on August 4, 1958, is a middle-distance and long-distance running champion.
Decker won many awards in her running career, including two World Championship gold medals. She set numerous records, some of which remain unbeaten today. Most notably, though, on January 25, 1980, Decker returned to elite running after an injury, setting a new record for the fastest women’s mile time: 4 minutes, 21.7 seconds. Her running achievements landed her in the University of Colorado Hall of Fame.
Mary Decker truly redefined what it means to “run like a girl.” She’s an example to women runners everywhere and an important reminder of just how capable women’s bodies are.
These three women made undeniable impacts on the world in the month of January, including in male-dominated fields. Next month, we’ll highlight three women who changed history in February, so stay tuned!]
Featured Photo via Google Creative Commons.
