RETROBITUARIES

Schlesinger Library, RIAS, Harvard University // No Known Copyright Restrictions

Alice Dunnigan, the First Black Woman Journalist to Get White House Press Credentials

Alice Dunnigan overcame racism, sexism, and other obstacles to make history as the first Black woman credentialed to cover the White House.

Audrey Munson, America’s First Supermodel—And First Nude Movie Star

No matter what Manhattan neighborhood you’re in, there’s probably a sculpture of Audrey Munson nearby.

Photo collage by James Mato, Minute Media. Portraits: Wikimedia Commons. Newspaper clipping: Newspapers.com.

Lydia Locke, the Early 20th Century Opera Singer With a Life Ripped From the Tabloids

Between seven marriages, two dead husbands, and one fraudulent baby, opera singer Lydia Locke's life had enough scandal to fill a gossip rag several times over.

Kate Warne was instrumental in foiling a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.

The Story of Kate Warne, America's First Female Private Detective

At a time when women were rarely, if ever, were considered for roles in law enforcement, Kate Warne became a top investigator—and helped saved Abraham Lincoln's life.

PHOTO COLLAGE BY DAMON AMATO, MINUTE MEDIA. MOTORCYCLE/CAR/DIVINGBOARD, ISTOCK VIA GETTY IMAGES. PORTRAIT, MIDCO SPORTS MAGAZINE // YOUTUBE

Kitty O'Neil, Trailblazing Speed Racer and Wonder Woman's Stunt Double

Kitty O’Neil, a stuntwoman, drag racer, and diver, challenged assumptions about what it meant to be a deaf woman and set 22 speed records.

Photo illustration by Riccardo Zagorodnez, Mental Floss. Plane/landscape, iStock via Getty Images. Portrait, New York Public Library // Public Domain

Bessie Coleman, the Black Cherokee Female Pilot Who Made Aviation History

No aviation schools in America would teach Bessie Coleman how to fly in the 1920s. So, she sailed to France and became the first African American and the first Native American woman to earn a pilot's license.

New York State Military Museum // Public Domain

Henry Johnson, the One-Man Army Who Fought Off Dozens of German Soldiers During World War I

In May 1918, Henry Johnson found himself alone in a French forest with a wounded ally, an empty rifle, and dozens of German soldiers closing in. He didn't run. He fought.

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