5 of History’s Most Inspiring Mothers
Mother’s Day is just over a week away — we’re coming up with all sorts of inspiration for our big celebration — brunch, gifts and a lot of quality time. While we are honoring our own moms, there are many mothers throughout history who can be celebrated by everyone. Here are 5 of history’s most inspiring mothers.
Maya Angelou reciting her poem, “On the Pulse of Morning”, at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. The white-haired man seated behind Angelou is Speaker of the House Tom Foley. Source: via Wikipedia, NPR, courtesy of the White House
Maya Angelou It hasn’t quite been a year since author and poet, Maya Angelou, died. She was one of the the first black women to write about her personal life and make it public. She was regarded as a spokesperson for black people and her first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, continues to be used in the classroom to talk about race. Angelou won the National Medal of Arts as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was nominated for both a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony. She served on two presidential committees and was the first poet to read at a presidential inauguration (for President Bill Clinton) since Robert Frost read at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. Her son, Guy Johnson, is also a writer. He says he “grew up in her light.”
Source: Airman Gerald B. Johnson, U.S. Air Force. Public Domain via Wikipedia
Corazon Aquino Corazon Aquino was the 11th president of the Philippines, but the first female president in Asia. She was one of the most important figures in the effort to end the 20-year rule of President Ferdinand Marcos and give way to democracy. Under her administration, congress was restored and limitations were set for the power of the president. She led the Philippines until 1992 when she returned to civilian life. She died from colon cancer in 2009 at age 76. Her son, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, is now president of the Philippines.
Source: Unknown – Christie’s. Public Domain via Wikipedia
Marie Curie Marie Curie was a physicist and chemist who laid the groundwork for radioactivity research (she also coined the term “radioactivity”). She was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize and the first person to win two Nobel Prizes and founded two major medical centers of research in France and Poland. She died in 1934 at the age of 66 from complications from radiation exposure. She had two daughters — Irene Joliot-Curie, who was also a Nobel-Prize-winning scientist and Eve Curie who was a journalist and pianist.
Source: New York World-Telegram and the Sun staff photographer: Sauro, Bill, photographer. – Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Public Domain via Wikipedia
Estée Lauder Estée Lauder was the only woman on Time Magazine’s list of 20 most influential business minds of the 20th century for the work she did with her cosmetics company. She started making skin care products with her uncle who was a chemist and, by selling her products to friends and acquaintances, her business blossomed in the 1930s and it was booming by the 1950s. Believing in what she was doing and hard work is what she said made her successful. She died in 2004 from a heart attack at age 95. Her son, Leonard, is the chairman of the board of Estee Lauder. Her other son, Ronald, is a businessman, philanthropist and political activist.
Source: US Government, Public Domain via Wikipedia
Sandra Day O’Connor Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court. She served on the court as a moderate conservative from 1981 to 2006 and was considered one of the most powerful women in the world. She continues to hear cases on a part-time basis and is the Honorary Chair for the Board of Directors of the Justice at Stake as well as does speaking engagements. She has three children.
Inspiration for Mother’s Day comes in all forms, and so do celebrations. From Christmas Day to Mother’s Day, LTD Commodities has great products to suit all of your special occasions.
