HISTORICAL TIMELINE

1700 - 1799 | 1800 - 1899 | 1900 - 1950 | 1951 - present

1951 - present

1953 - The First Woman to Break the Sound Barrier

On May 18th, flying an F-86 Sabre jet, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier.

Before the United States entered WWII, she served in the British Air Transport Auxiliary, ferrying planes across the English Channel. She later founded and led the Women's Air Force Service, teaching 2,100 women to pilot transport planes. This earned her the Distinguished Service Medal in 1945.

Back to top

1961

Women Strike for Peace

On November 1st, a nationwide coalition called Women Strike for Peace organized a worldwide protest against the U.S. and Soviet arms race, and the dangers of nuclear fallout on children and the environment. Estimates range from 12,000 to 50,000 participants worldwide. Protests continued throughout the decade at the White House, Pentagon, and the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

The President's Commission on the Status of Women

Established on December 14 by President John F. Kennedy, the Commission on the Status of Women consisted of 20 members (led by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt) to examine how current employment policies affected women. Their report documented widespread discrimination in wages, opportunities for advancement, and federal tax laws. Recommendations made regarding hiring practices, affordable child care, and paid maternity leave played a large role in promoting future policies.

1963

The Equal Pay Act

Signed by President Kennedy, the Equal Pay Act prohibited the practice of paying women less money than men for the same job. Though "equal pay for equal work" is still an issue, the Equal Pay Act amended the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 by addressing wage discrimination on the basis of sex and was an important step toward economic equality.

The Feminine Mystique

Written by Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique spoke to a generation of women who wanted a more fulfilling life. The book became a worldwide best-seller and greatly influenced the goals of the women's rights movement.

Back to top

1964 - The Civil Rights Act

In July, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, outlawing discrimination in unions, public schools, and the workplace on the basis of race, creed, national origin, or sex.

1965

Griswold v. State of Connecticut

Estelle Griswold, executive director of Planned Parenthood in Connecticut, and Lee Buxton, a physician, were arrested in 1961 for providing information on birth control and prescribing contraceptive devices to married couples. At the time, Connecticut's "Comstock law" made it illegal to distribute such information.

On June 7, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Connecticut's law unconstitutional based on the protection of the right to privacy in one's home contained in the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. Griswold v. State of Connecticut set a precedent for future legislation to protect a woman's right to choose.

Back to top

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was established on July 2nd. Its function is to enforce federal law prohibiting discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sex, religion, race, color, national origin, age, or disability.

1966 - The National Organization for Women (NOW)

Founded by Betty Friedan, NOW challenged sex discrimination in the workplace through public demonstrations, lobbying, and litigation. By the end of the decade, membership grew to over 3,000.

In the 1970s, NOW's agenda grew to include maternity leave, the Equal Rights Amendment, and pro-choice legislation.

1971 - The National Women's Political Caucus

The National Women's Political Caucus was founded in Washington, D.C., by over 320 members representing 26 states. Its goal was to increase women's participation in every level of government, including elected office, judgeships, and delegates to national conventions, regardless of party affiliation.

Back to top

1972

The U.S. Senate Approves the Equal Rights Amendment

Forty-nine years after it was first introduced in Congress, the Equal Rights Amendment was approved by the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, then sent to the state legislatures for ratification.

At least 38 states must ratify an amendment within seven years of its approval by the Congress for it to become law.

Ms. Magazine is Launched

Under the leadership of Gloria Steinem and Patricia Carbine, Ms. was the first feminist magazine targeted at a national mainstream audience. The magazine offered national and international news on feminist issues, fiction and poetry by women authors, and implemented a policy of banning ads which demeaned or stereotyped women.

The Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention in Miami was the first major political convention where a woman was considered as a presidential nominee. At the time, Shirley Chisholm was serving as a Congresswoman from New York. Although she did not win the nomination, she received 151 of the delegates' votes.

Chisholm was also the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress back in 1968.

Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools which receive federal funding.

Before Title IX, only 18 percent of all women had completed four or more years of college (compared to 26 percent of all men). Today, women make up the majority of students in America's colleges and universities in addition to making up the majority of recipients of master's degrees.

Title IX also requires that schools which receive federal funds give women and girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and to receive millions of dollars in athletic scholarships.

Back to top

1973 - Roe v. Wade

Three years earlier Norma McCorvey, using the pseudonym "Jane Roe" to protect her identity, sued Henry Wade, the District Attorney of Dallas County, Texas, challenging a state statute which prohibited abortion unless the mother's life was in danger.

On January 22nd, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (7-2) that, according to a woman's right to privacy guaranteed in the Fourteenth Amendment, the Texas law was unconstitutional. Stopping short of granting a woman's absolute right to an abortion, the court's opinion said that state laws restricting abortion in the first trimester were unconstitutional.

As a result, anti-abortion laws in nearly two-thirds of the states were declared unconstitutional, legalizing abortion nationwide.

1975 - Women Gain Admittance into Military Academies

Convinced that producing combat officers was not the sole function of institutions such as West Point, the House of Representatives approved the Defense Authorization Bill to admit women into service academies. The bill was approved in the Senate the following month, and signed into law by President Gerald Ford on October 7th.

1976 - Barbara Jordan

U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan of Texas became the first woman, and the first African-American, to make the keynote speech at a Democratic National Convention.

As a Texas state senator and a U.S. Congresswoman, Ms. Jordan championed legislation for the disadvantaged, such as the Workman's Compensation Act, and broadening of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But it was in 1974, while serving on the House Judiciary Committee during President Richard M. Nixon's impeachment hearing, that she gained national attention for her eloquence and dignity.

Back to top

1978

The ERA Deadline is Extended

In July, over 100,000 marched on Washington, D.C., in an appeal to Congress to extend the ratification time limit on the Equal Rights Amendment. An extension to June 30, 1982 was granted.

Only 35 states ratified the amendment (38 were needed).

General Order 20

On October 20, President Jimmy Carter signed the Defense Procurement Authorization Bill, dismantling the Women's Army Corps (WAC) as a separate military entity. The Department of the Army then issued General Order 20, ending the WAC, and began integrating women into the U.S. army.

1980 - Sexual Harassment

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released new guidelines prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace.

Click here to learn more about sexual harassment from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Website.

1981 - Sandra Day O'Connor

On September 25, Sandra Day O'Connor was sworn in as the first woman to serve as U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

A graduate of Stanford Law School in 1952, she was a member of the Arizona State Senate, was elected Superior Court judge in Maricopa County, and was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals.

1983 - The First American Woman in Space

On June 18, astronaut Dr. Sally Ride became the first American woman in space when the space shuttle Challenger launched from Cape Canaveral. Part of a five-member crew, they orbited the earth for six days.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Ride.

1984 - Geraldine Ferraro, Vice-President Candidate

In the 1984 presidential campaign, Walter Mondale, the Democratic party's candidate, selected U.S. Representative Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. She remains the first and only woman to appear on a major political party's national ticket.

1993

Janet Reno

Appointed by President Bill Cllinton, Janet Reno became the first woman to serve as Attorney General of the United States.

A graduate of Harvard Law School in 1963, Ms. Reno was re-elected five times as Florida's Attorney General before she was nominated to head the U.S. Justice Department.

Ada E. Deer

A daughter of the Menominee nation, Ada E. Deer became the first Native American woman to head the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

She led a grassroots effort against the sale of Menominee land. As a result, the tribe's federal recognition was restored when President Richard Nixon signed the Menominee Restoration Act in 1972.

The Family Medical Leave Act

President Bill Clinton signed the Family Medical Leave Act. It allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of leave for reasons of illness, maternity, adoption, or a child's serious health condition.

Click here to learn more about the Family Leave Act from the U.S. Department of Labor Website.

Back to top

1994

Violence Against Women Act

Passed by the 103rd Congress as part of the 1994 Crime Bill, it led to the creation of the Office on Violence Agains Women, which has awarded more than $1 billion in grant funds to states and territories to train personnel, establish specialized domestic violence and sexual assault units, assist victims of violence, and hold perpetrators accountable.

In 1996, the National Domestic Violence Hotline received its first call. Today, it receives an average of 16,000 calls a month.

1997 - Madeleine Albright

On January 23, Madeleine Albright became the first female Secretary of State and the highest ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government.

Ms. Albright previously served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as a member of the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton.

2000 - The First "First Lady" in the U.S. Senate

On November 7, Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first First Lady to be elected to the U.S. Senate.

A graduate of Yale Law School, she served as chair of the American Bar Association Committee on Women (1987), and wrote the best-selling book It Takes a Village: and Other Lessons Children Teach Us.

2002 - American Women's Bobsled Team
Win First Olympic Gold

Americans Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers won the gold medal in the Olympics' first Women's Bobsled event. Ms. Flowers also became the first African-American to win a gold medal in the Winter Games.

Back to top

1700 - 1799 | 1800 - 1899 | 1900 - 1950 | 1951 - present