Queen Elizabeth I: Queenship

Aged 25 and Queen of England

On this day in 1559, Queen Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey (I'm not joking on this one; her coronation really was on this day in history). When she first came to the throne, England was surrounded by much more powerful neighbours; hence, the speculation of her capability to govern a country such as this. Also, many people had thought that not only she had no right to the throne, but she was a gullible woman who can easily be manipulated.

Yet, she proved them all wrong: she eventually won the support of the ordinary citizens by avoiding the cruelty that had gone on during the reign of her predecessors. More importantly, she is best known for keeping her thoughts to herself, making her mind an unfathomable realm from her councillors and subjects. Throughout Queen Elizabeth I's life, she had strongly held on to this principle:-

Her mantra was:
Video et taceo-- I see and keep silent.

Queen Elizabeth I: Princesshood

Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I, also known as "The Virgin Queen," is the most famous queen who has ever ruled England. The last of the Tudor Monarch, Queen Elizabeth I proved to be one of the smartest rulers the country has ever had. Despite the arguments on the legitimacy of her crown (some have claimed that her father, King Henry VIII, had never married Anne Boleyn), she was a tough woman who survived plots by people who tried to get rid of her, and if they didn't, were planning to marry her off.

In her time, females were regarded to be less capable to govern a country. So how did she kept her crown and won the respects of her subjects?

Marie Curie: Childhood

In every field, there will be several shining exemplars, role models for aspiring beginners to look up to. The field of science is not lacking of such big names. Newton. Einstein. Darwin. Well, and Stephen Hawking, just to name a few. They were great men who were the distinguished players of their field.

And yet, it seems that women are not often included in this list. There has been many outstanding individuals, but their achievements and contributions were often overlooked or underestimated, and they remained but a faded imprint in the yellowed pages of a history book. Their names were often forgotten, or mentioned in passing, overshadowed by their male counterparts.

Even the great woman scientist Marie Curie was not totally free from gender discrimination during her time.Although  she is now revered as the discoverer of radium, she used to be viewed as a mere helper of her husband, Pierre Curie.

Joan of Arc

One of the Patron Saints of France

Also known as 'The Maid of Orleans,' Joan of Arc became a Saint posthumously-- 489 years after being burnt at the stake. As quick as she rose to fame at the tender age of 17, her downfall and ultimately death came just as quick-- died at the age of 19 years. Having lived in a male dominated society, to get anywhere, people had to be a man, and a rich one for that matter. Yet, Joan was neither of the prerequisites and ended up marking her name in history-- against all odds-- as a military leader. She certainly exemplifies the principle 'nothing is unachievable.'

So how did she changed the course of her country's history: leading armies and all?