International Women's Day 2017

Happy International Women's Day 2017!

This International Women's Day, we’ve chosen to look to the past to celebrate some of the female pioneers who paved the way to where we are today.

Our slideshow Doodle features a little girl whose grandmother tells her the best bedtime story ever: the tale of her favorite historical heroine. The little girl then visits 13 remarkable women in her imagination, taking us along on a journey that spans centuries and circles the globe.

Although some of the women showcased in today’s Doodle aren't household names, each made a mark in her own way. They pursued a range of professions and passions and hailed from an array of backgrounds and countries. In fact, all of these women have been featured in individual Doodles in the past, but often only in their countries of origin. So today we're taking the opportunity to share their stories with everyone.

After all, that's part of the original spirit of International Women's Day: giving a voice to women who might not otherwise be heard. It all started in 1908, when a group of women gathered in New York City to demand fair pay, better working conditions, and the right to vote. Their commitment to equality sparked similar events in other countries. In 1911, the first official International Women's Day rallies were held in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. The day is now observed in a myriad of countries and a multitude of ways.

We hope you enjoy the journey through time and space to learn about these phenomenal women!

Visit Google Arts & Culture to continue the celebration and explore photographs, videos, and more of the heroines featured in today’s Doodle.

Explore the Doodles of the women featured today (in order of appearance):

Ida Wells

American journalist, suffragist, & civil rights activist

Lotfia El Nadi

Egypt’s first female pilot

Frida Kahlo

Mexican painter & activist

Lina Bo Bardi

Italian-born Brazilian architect

Olga Skorokhodova

Soviet scientist & researcher in the field of deaf & blind communication

Miriam Makeba

South African singer & civil rights activist

Sally Ride

American astronaut & the first American woman in space

Halet Çambel

Turkish archaeologist & the first Muslim woman to compete in the Olympics

Ada Lovelace

English mathematician, writer, & the world’s first computer programmer

Rukmini Devi

Indian dancer & choreographer credited with reviving Indian classical dance

Cecilia Grierson

Argentine physician, reformer, & the first woman in Argentina to receive a medical degree

Lee Tai-young

Korean lawyer & activist who was Korea’s first female lawyer & judge

Suzanne Lenglen

French tennis champion who popularized the sport