She was the most powerful pirate in the history of the world – and you’ve probably never heard her name. How did this brilliant, ruthless, utterly unstoppable woman manage to dodge the Chinese, British and Portuguese navies for a decade, and still end up left out of the history books? Our guest Dr. Jamie Goodall, author of Pirates of the Chesapeake Bay, introduces us to this enigmatic and fascinating figure.           … The post THE PIRATE Ching Shih appeared first on What'shername.

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THE PIRATE Ching Shih

Come along with us on a virtual version of our September 2021 “Lost Women of England” Tour! Hear highlights from the trip, with context, commentary and other fun bonus content from Katie and Olivia, and “armchair travel” your way around the history of England with us in this special bonus episode. (Watch a video version of this episode with photos and visuals of the locations we’re discussing on our YouTube channel coming soon.)   To … The post BONUS EPISODE: Lost Women of England Tour 2021 appeared first on What'shername.

BONUS EPISODE: Lost Women of England Tour 2021

Rani (Queen) Lakshmibai of Jhansi never wanted to be a rebel. She did everything she could to stay on the right side of the law. But when the British East India Company finally pushed her too far, she took up the sword – literally – to fight for her kingdom, her son, and her life! Return guest Pamela Toler is back to tell us about this incredible, unexpected “heroine of Indian Independence.”       … The post THE RANI OF JHANSI Lakshmibai appeared first on What'shername.

THE RANI OF JHANSI Lakshmibai

What if you got to witness the birth of the American Revolution personally? If you got to hear the founding fathers debating liberty, rights, and the pursuit of happiness around the dining table? Eve heard and saw it all…because she was enslaved by one of the founding fathers. Eve kept her ears open, her eyes down, and then, she made her move. Join Katie on location in Williamsburg, Virginia for the astonishing story of Eve, … The post GONE TO THE ENEMY Eve appeared first on What'shername.

GONE TO THE ENEMY Eve

Wangari Maathai was the first woman in Central Africa to earn a PhD, the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize, and the mother of the Ecofeminist movement — and that’s just the beginning! Discover the life of this remarkable, brilliant, world-changing woman with our guest, author and environmentalist Virginia Phiri.   The Green Belt Movement website is here. You can watch Wangari Maathai’s Nobel Prize speech here.     Virginia Phiri is an … The post THE UNBOWED Wangari Maathai appeared first on What'shername.

THE UNBOWED Wangari Maathai

You’ve heard of the Gold Rush. You’ve maybe even heard of the Comstock Lode. But have you heard of the penniless Scottish lass who headed west, and while running a boarding house, struck the richest silver mine in American history? Eilley Bowers became one of the country’s wealthiest women. But Fortune is fickle, and the West was Wild! Join Katie on location at Bowers Mansion near Carson City, Nevada for this surprising, cinematic tale. Our … The post THE QUEEN OF THE COMSTOCK Eilley Bowers appeared first on What'shername.

THE QUEEN OF THE COMSTOCK Eilley Bowers

Stefania Turkevych was one of Galicia’s most talented and prolific classical composers – and then the Russian Revolution turned her world upside down. When she fled the USSR to find a new home, through Italy, Ireland, and to her final home in England, her work was lauded all across the continent. But fame is fickle when nobody speaks your language! Discover this forgotten star – Ukraine’s first female classical composer – with our guest Dr. … The post THE EXILE Stefania Turkevych appeared first on What'shername.

THE EXILE Stefania Turkevych

In 1895, Annie Cohen embarked on a quest to become the first woman ever to cycle around the world. Did she make it? Yes! Were the newspapers engrossed in her story? Yes! Did she actually… um, cycle? Sometimes! By sheer grit, Annie made her life into something (literally) unbelievable. Peter Zheutlin, author of two books about Annie, shares the tale of a woman who “didn’t run away to join the circus; she became the circus.” … The post THE ROUND-THE-WORLD CYCLIST Annie Londonderry appeared first on What'shername.

THE ROUND-THE-WORLD CYCLIST Annie Londonderry

When most medieval Englishwomen wouldn’t travel more than five miles from home in their lifetime, Margery Kempe left behind her abusive husband and fourteen children to walk from France to Jerusalem and back – in the 1400s! Discover the amazing story of the mysterious “Weeping Mystic” who traveled the world, broke all the rules, and – luckily for us – recorded it all for history! Returning guest Mary Sharratt, author of the new historical novel … The post THE MYSTIC Margery Kempe appeared first on What'shername.

THE MYSTIC Margery Kempe

1400 years ago, traveling through the Mayan rainforest was terrifying and deadly (think snakes, jaguars, and crocodiles). Now, new LiDAR scans have revealed a network of elevated ancient roads so sophisticated, some folks give aliens the credit. But the truth is much more interesting! K’awiil, visionary ruler of Coba, one of the great cities of the Mayan Golden Age, built the first roads in the Americas. But did she do it to conquer her neighbors, … The post THE ROADBUILDER K’awiil appeared first on What'shername.

THE ROADBUILDER K’awiil

Helen Duncan was the last person in the UK ever to be convicted of witchcraft… in the mid-20th-century! Her story is one of fraud, fakery and – just possibly – actual communications with the dead!? Hear this fascinating and extremely unexpected story with special guest Nikki Druce, host of the Macabre London podcast! Hear the full-length audio from Helen Duncan’s conversation with “Albert” here. And hear Helen Duncan’s full “appearance” at a 1983 seance by … The post THE MEDIUM Helen Duncan appeared first on What'shername.

THE MEDIUM Helen Duncan

Chances are, every one of us has seen Victorine Meurent. Her delicate, red-headed form appears in at least thirty paintings by the famous Parisian masters of La Belle Époque. It was long assumed that Victorine was a prostitute, who died young in some tragically romantic way. But when our guest Drēma Drudge saw Victorine staring out from Manet’s famous painting Olympia, she felt called to uncover the woman’s story. And now we know that none … The post THE PAINTER Victorine Meurent appeared first on What'shername.

THE PAINTER Victorine Meurent

In the late 18th century, Bibi Sahiba was one of the most important and influential people in the entire Afghan Empire. Honored as “the first and the most perfect” Sufi guide, Bibi Sahiba the Great’s spiritual and cultural influence can hardly be overstated. So how is it possible she’s as unknown in modern Kabul and Kandahar as she is anywhere else? Bibi Sahiba’s story is astonishing enough on its own — but the truths it … The post THE GUIDE Bibi Sahiba appeared first on What'shername.

THE GUIDE Bibi Sahiba

In 1896, Martha Hughes Cannon ran for state senate against her polygamist husband, and won! But becoming America’s first female state senator was only one chapter of Cannon’s story. A whirlwind of triumph and heartbreak dominated her life: wagon trains, Victorian medicine, the suffrage movement, evading federal prosecution, she lived it all! Our guest is Rebekah Clark, author of Thinking Women: A Timeline of Suffrage in Utah   Read Martha Hughes Cannon’s Speech to the … The post THE SUFFRAGETTE SENATOR Martha Hughes Cannon appeared first on What'shername.

THE SUFFRAGETTE SENATOR Martha Hughes Cannon

In an abandoned house in St. Anne, Illinois, an astonishing treasure trove of handwritten sheet music was discovered in 2009. That cache was the life’s work of composer Florence Price, the first African-American woman to have her work performed by major orchestras. But Price’s story is so much bigger – and so much wilder! – than even that headline-grabbing discovery could show.  Her astonishing contributions to classical music are finally getting the attention – and … The post THE CAGED BIRD Florence Price appeared first on What'shername.