Mothers of Invention

Grace Hopper, pioneer of computer science, lived in Virginia later in life and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Beulah Louise Henry was an American inventor whose creations—including the double chain stitch sewing machine, vacuum ice cream freezer, hair curler, double-ended umbrella and improved can opener—helped revolutionize manufacturing technology.

By the 1990s, synthetic voices for computers and the disabled were mostly male until researcher Ann Syrdal helped develop the first functional female synthetic voice, paving the way for AI assistants like Siri.

Hedy Lamarr, Hollywood actress, is known for more than her acting—she invented a signal-hopping technology used in Wi-Fi.

Marie Curie, Nobel prize winner, also invented mobile radiology units and saved numerous lives in World War I.