Her Half of History

Her Half of History

Women's history doesn't have be boring or depressing. I tell the stories of extraordinary women in history, including queens, slaves, spies, scientists, artists, wives, mothers, and more. But most women didn't leave us enough material for a biography, so I also tell you what it was like to be an ordinary woman, including what they wore, how they did housework, how they worked, and how they played. In short, what were the women doing all that time while men were writing the standard history books? This podcast will tell you what those history books forgot to mention.

Episodes

Junko Tabei, First Woman to Climb Everest (ep. 16.22)

August 20, 2026 • 24 mins
In 1975, Junko Tabei was part of an all-female, all-Japanese team climbing the world's highest mountain. It was touch and go there for a while, but she made: the first woman at the summit of Everest. It's voting time! Please let me know what you want to hear about in series 17. You can vote on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com), which is also where you will find sources, transcripts, and pictures. Sign up for the news...
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On This Day in 1967: Two Women, Two Grizzlies, and Changes in Wildlife Policies

August 13, 2026 • 8 mins
Bonus episode from the newsletter On This Day in Women's History! On August 12-13, 1967, Glacier National Park had a double tragedy: two 19-year-old girls were hiking in separate groups in separate parts of the park. Both were attacked by grizzly bears. For Julie and Michele, the results were deadly. But for other people and bears, the tragedy had more positive consequences. As a result of this night, wildlife management changed. ...
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Valentina Tereshkova, First Woman in Space (ep. 16.21)

August 6, 2026 • 19 mins
In the race for space, the Soviets won all of the opening rounds, including the race to put the first woman in orbit. Her name was Valentina Tereshkova, and while we are clear on her success out there, the exact details are a whole lot less clear. It is time to vote for the topic of Series 17! Please visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) to vote, and also look at sources, transcripts, and pictures. Sign up for the n...
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Sirimavo Bandaranaike, First Woman Elected as Head of Government (ep. 16.20)

July 30, 2026 • 18 mins
Many women have served as the head of government for their respected countries. But usually that's because they were part of a royal family, and they inherited the office. Getting elected to the top job is an entirely different matter. The first woman to do that was Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka. She won the elections for prime minister in 1960. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and...
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Regina Jonas, First Woman Rabbi (ep. 16.19)

July 23, 2026 • 20 mins
Most of the world's great religions have reserved most of the authority for men. This was certainly true of Judaism, but in the early 20th century, Regina Jonas was trained and ordained to serve her people as a rabbi. She continued to do so for all of her short life, even during the Holocaust. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Sign up for the newsletter On This Day in Women...
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On This Day in 1918: The Romanovs Awake for the Last Time

July 16, 2026 • 5 mins
Bonus episode from the newsletter On This Day in Women's History! In the evening of July 16, 1918, the Romanov family went to bed as usual in Ipatiev House, where they were being held under house arrest. But they were awoken in the middle of the night, ostensibly so they could be moved to a safer location. The former Tsar Nikolai and the former Tsarina Alexandra went downstairs to the cellar with their four daughters and one son: ...
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Amelia Earhart, First Woman to Fly Over Oceans (ep. 16.18)

July 9, 2026 • 26 mins
Amelia Earhart was famous as the first woman to fly across the Atlantic (first as a passenger, second as a pilot). She was also the first person to fly from Hawaii to California, as well as any number of other piloting firsts. Sadly, her last grand adventure didn't end in success. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Sign up for the newsletter On This Day in Women's History, ...
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America the Beautiful and Katharine Lee Bates

July 2, 2026 • 25 mins
The words of "America the Beautiful" were written by Katharine Lee Bates after a trip from Massachusetts to Colorado and up to the top of Pike's Peak. This is the story of how they were written and how they became so popular. It's a holiday bonus episode to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Sign up for the news...
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Frances Perkins, First Woman in the US Cabinet (ep. 16.17)

June 25, 2026 • 26 mins
Traditional histories give President Franklin Delano Roosevelt a lot of credit for guiding the United States out of the Great Depression. But his best move may have been appointing the first woman ever to join a presidential cabinet. As Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins won victories on public works for increased employment, 8 hour work days, minimum wage, Social Security, workplace safety standards, and no child labor. Many of h...
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Nancy Astor, First Woman in Parliament (ep. 16.16)

June 18, 2026 • 27 mins
The first woman to serve in UK's Parliament was a surprise to everyone, and most of all herself. Nancy Astor was born American, and of course she was a woman. But when her husband couldn't stand for election after all, the Conservative party needed a quick substitute. Who better than his wife? And she stayed for years. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Sign up for the new...
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On This Day in 1509: Catherine of Aragon Marries Henry VIII

June 11, 2026 • 6 mins
Bonus episode from the newsletter On This Day in Women's History! On June 11, 1509, Catherine of Aragon married Henry VIII. It was her second marriage and his first. No one guessed how many weddings he had in his future... There are two ways to sign up for the newsletter: ⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83998235) ⁠Substack ⁠(https://bit.ly/4wpOe5h) Either way, the story about the historical woman is free,...
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Jeannette Rankin, First Woman in Congress (ep. 16.15)

June 4, 2026 • 25 mins
The House of Representatives had its first woman voting before women were even allowed to vote on a national scale. Jeannette Rankin was elected by the state of Montana in 1916 and again in 1940. She was also firm in her pacifist convictions: she was one of 40 Representatives to vote no on entering World War I and she was absolutely alone in voting no on entering World War II. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) ...
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Olympic Champions: The First Women (ep. 16.14)

May 28, 2026 • 18 mins
The ancient Olympics didn't allow women to compete, or even watch. However, there are a few ancillary ways that women participated: as horse owners and in the Heraean games. The modern Olympics made a half-hearted attempt to ban women too, but we snuck in as early as the year 1900. Helen de Pourtales, Charlotte Cooper, and Margaret Abbott were athletes who won that year. It has only grown since then. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ...
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Marie Curie, First Woman to Win a Nobel Prize (ep. 16.13)

May 21, 2026 • 26 mins
Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, and the first person to win Nobels in two separate disciplines. She continues to inspire women in science even today. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Sign up for the newsletter On This Day in Women's History, available on Patreon or Substack. There are free options in both place...
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On This Day in 1643: Anne of Austria Takes France

May 14, 2026 • 4 mins
Introducing the brand new newsletter On This Day in Women's History! Every Monday I'll be writing about what a historical woman did on that day in history, such as: On May 14, 1643, Anne of Austria took control of France after her husband's death, even though his will forbade exactly that. Listen to find out how. There are two ways to sign up for the newsletter: Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=83998235) Su...
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Madam CJ Walker, First Female Self-Made Millionaire (ep. 16.12)

May 7, 2026 • 26 mins
Plenty of women have been rich. Most of them inherited their wealth. Plenty of women have earned money, even in antiquity, but without leaving us detailed records about how much. Madam CJ Walker is different. She made a lot of money, we know exactly how much, and she didn’t inherit any of it. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the support of list...
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Ada Lovelace, First Computer Programmer (ep. 16.11)

April 30, 2026 • 26 mins
Ada Lovelace wrote the world's first computer program before computers existed. Her friend, Charles Babbage, was inventing an Analytical Thinking Machine, even if he all he had at the moment was a small demo model. Ada thought through what such a machine could do for humanity. Her ideas were grand and far-reaching, and in one case, extremely detailed: she published a paper on exactly how to use such a machine to calculate Bernoulli...
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Caroline Herschel, First Female Professional Scientist (ep. 16.10)

April 23, 2026 • 24 mins
Caroline Herschel and her brother William are sometimes called the discoverers of the universe. In the 18th century, they observed and catalogued the heavens. They were not the first astronomers, but they started with catalogues of hundreds of stars and expanded it into thousands. Caroline in particular was famous as a discoverer of comets. Along the way she was the first woman to have a scientific paper published by a major scient...
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Jeanne Baret, First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe (ep. 16.9)

April 9, 2026 • 30 mins
Jeanne Baret circumnavigated the globe by disguising herself as a man and working as a servant on a French scientific mission. Along the way, she collected and preserved an incredible array of botanic specimens, many of whom are named after ... the man she was working for. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. This show survives on the support of listeners like you. Support the s...
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Anne Marshall and Margaret Hughes, First Women on the English Stage (ep. 16.8)

April 2, 2026 • 22 mins
Shakespeare wrote every word of his plays with the firm expectation that the female parts would be acted by men or boys. No female was allowed to act in a public theater. That would be shockingly indecent. In England, that expectation was dashed in a 1660 production of Othello. We know for sure that Desdemona was played by a woman. We're just not sure which woman it was. This episode explains how English theater came to accept wom...
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