🧬 Women & Trans Pioneers in STEM – Timeline

• 1843 – Ada Lovelace: Wrote the first published computer algorithm while translating and annotating Charles Babbage’s work on the Analytical Engine. Ada went far beyond translation—she envisioned machines capable of manipulating symbols, not just numbers, foreseeing concepts central to modern computing more than a century early. Her insight laid the philosophical foundation for software itself.
• 1903 & 1911 – Marie Curie: First woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to receive Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields (Physics and Chemistry). Her pioneering research on radioactivity fundamentally reshaped physics, chemistry, and medicine.
• 1908 – Henrietta Swan Leavitt: Discovered the relationship between a star’s brightness and its pulsation period, enabling astronomers to measure vast intergalactic distances and fundamentally expand our understanding of the universe.
• 1921 – Edith Clarke: Became the first woman professionally employed as an electrical engineer in the United States, making foundational contributions to power transmission and engineering education.
• 1925 – Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: Demonstrated that stars are primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, overturning established astronomical theory and redefining our understanding of stellar physics.
• 1952 – Rosalind Franklin: Produced critical X-ray diffraction images of DNA (including Photo 51), providing essential evidence for the discovery of the double helix structure, though her contribution went largely uncredited during her lifetime.
• 1967 – Jocelyn Bell Burnell: Discovered pulsars as a graduate student—one of the most significant astronomical discoveries of the 20th century—highlighting the importance of observational rigor and persistence.
• 1969 – Margaret Hamilton: Led the software engineering team for NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. Her work helped formalize software engineering as a discipline and ensured the success of the first human Moon landing.
• 1970s – Vera Rubin: Provided early observational evidence for dark matter by studying galaxy rotation curves, fundamentally altering cosmology and our understanding of the universe.
• 1960s–1970s – Dr. Lynn Conway: Computer scientist and electrical engineer who invented dynamic instruction scheduling at IBM and later co-developed VLSI design methodologies at Xerox PARC—cornerstones of modern microprocessor architecture. A pioneering trans woman who reshaped both computing and inclusion in tech.
• 1980s–2010s – Dr. Ben Barres: Transgender neuroscientist whose work transformed understanding of glial cells in the brain, while also advocating powerfully for equity and inclusion in science.
• 1992 – Dr. Mae Jemison: First Black woman in space. A physician, engineer, and lifelong advocate for science education and inclusive futures in STEM.
• 2005 – Limor Fried (Ladyada): Founded Adafruit Industries, helping pioneer open-source hardware and making electronics education more accessible worldwide.
• 2010s – Lucianne Walkowicz: Nonbinary astrophysicist studying stellar magnetism and planetary systems, with influential advocacy for ethics, justice, and care within scientific communities.
• 2010s – Angelica Ross: Trans tech entrepreneur and founder of TransTech, creating pathways for transgender and LGBTQ+ people into technology and digital careers.
• 2010s – Dr. Tiera Guinn Fletcher: Aerospace engineer who contributed to NASA-related programs in her 20s, while also advocating for representation and equity in engineering.
• 2015 – Arlan Hamilton: Queer Black venture capitalist and founder of Backstage Capital, investing in underrepresented founders traditionally excluded from tech funding.
• 2020s – Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein: Black queer theoretical physicist working on dark matter and cosmology, and author of The Disordered Cosmos, bridging science with social justice and care.