Braveheart: 7 women to whom we should be grateful for the victory of equality

One of the main achievements of the XX century is the establishment of equality between people. Including gender equality. And, of course, the women themselves have achieved this. Not women in general, but specific young ladies who were not afraid to challenge the social foundations, to do the wrong thing. Then such behavior or appearance seemed defiant, even offensive to someone, but now no one would be surprised. 

Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman, famous for being the first woman to attempt to swim the English Channel, poses in an extremely indecent swimsuit for 1907. After the publication of this photo, she was arrested on charges of indecent behavior.

In December 1955, Rosa Lee Parks, the founder of the movement for the rights of black citizens of the United States, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger in the colored section of the bus after all the seats in the white section were occupied. In the photo, she is fingerprinting when arrested for such audacity.

It's hard to believe, but until 1971, women were banned from taking part in the Boston Marathon. Five years before the cancellation of this delusional moratorium, Katrin Schwitzer voluntarily went the distance. In the photo, the organizer forcibly takes her off the track.

Billie Jean King, the record holder for the number of wins at the Wimbledon tournament, earned her place in history by the fact that on her initiative the World Women's Tennis Association was created with its own calendar and prize money, no less than in men's tennis. In order to assert the equal rights of women in sports, in 1973, King held a match with former world number one Bobby Riggs and defeated him.

English model Jean Shrimpton was one of the first to have the courage to appear in public in a dress above the knees. In the summer of 1965, she arrived in this form at the races in Melbourne, causing a real sensation.

Of course, it is not known exactly which of the inhabitants of civilized countries was the first to get a tattoo, but the American Maud Wagner, born in 1877, was among the desperate pioneers. Certainly no one could compare with her in the number of tattoos. Moreover, Wagner became the first professional female tattoo artist.

Italian racing driver Maria-Teresa de Filippis is the first female Formula 1 driver. In 1958, she made her debut in the main racing series, becoming the fifth at the "Grand Prix of Syracuse", an off-the-grid race. And the first race of the championship for de Philippis in the same year was the Monaco Grand Prix.