Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu
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Portrait of Zamfirescu
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| Born |
Elisa Leonida
10 November 1887 |
| Died | 25 November 1973 (aged 86) |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Spouse(s) | Constantin Zamfirescu |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives | Dimitrie Leonida (brother) Gheorghe Leonida (brother) |
Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu (born November 10, 1887 – died November 25, 1973) was a brave Romanian engineer. She was one of the very first women in the world to earn an engineering degree! Elisa was born in Galați, Romania, but she studied and became an engineer in Berlin, Germany. During World War I, she even managed a hospital in Romania.
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Elisa's Early Life and Education
Elisa Zamfirescu was born in Galați, Romania, on November 10, 1887. Her father, Atanase Leonida, was an army officer. Her mother, Matilda Gill, was the daughter of an engineer from France.
Elisa grew up in a big family with 10 brothers and sisters. Two of her brothers also became famous. Dimitrie Leonida was an engineer, just like Elisa. Her other brother, Gheorghe Leonida, became a talented sculptor.
Becoming an Engineer
Back then, many people thought that science and engineering were only for men. Because of these old ideas, Elisa was not accepted into the School of Bridges and Roads in Bucharest, Romania.
But Elisa did not give up! In 1909, she was accepted into the Royal Academy of Technology Berlin in Germany. She worked very hard and graduated in 1912 with an engineering degree.
It was once thought that Elisa was the first female engineer in the world. However, we now know that other women also earned engineering degrees around the same time. For example, Nina Cameron Graham from England graduated in 1912. Alice Perry from Ireland actually graduated even earlier, in 1906!
Elisa's Engineering Career
After finishing her studies, Elisa returned to Romania. She started working as an assistant at the Geological Institute of Romania. This institute studies the Earth's rocks and minerals.
Helping During World War I
During World War I, Elisa wanted to help her country. She joined the Red Cross. The Red Cross is an organization that helps people during wars and disasters.
Elisa took charge of a hospital in a place called Mărășești, Romania. In 1917, her hospital cared for many soldiers wounded during the Battle of Mărășești. This was a very important battle between the German and Romanian armies.
The battle lasted for 28 days, and Romania won! But many soldiers were hurt. Over 12,000 Romanian soldiers and more than 10,000 German soldiers were wounded. Elisa's hospital played a vital role in helping them.
Working as a Geologist
Around this time, Elisa met and married a chemist named Constantin Zamfirescu. He was the brother of a famous Romanian writer and politician, Duiliu Zamfirescu.
After the war ended, Elisa went back to work at the Geological Institute. She became a leader in several geology labs. She also went on many field trips to study different areas.
During these trips, Elisa helped find new natural resources in Romania. She helped identify places with coal, shale, natural gas, chromium, bauxite, and copper. These resources are very important for a country's economy. Elisa also taught physics and chemistry.
Later Life and Legacy
Elisa Zamfirescu retired from her work in 1963 when she was 75 years old. Even in retirement, she stayed active. She became involved in working for disarmament. This means trying to reduce or get rid of weapons to promote peace.
Elisa passed away on November 25, 1973, at the age of 86.
Honors and Awards
Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu received many honors for her amazing work. She was the first woman to become a member of AGIR. This is the General Association of Romanian Engineers.
A street in Sector 1 of Bucharest, Romania, is named after her. This is a special way to remember her contributions. In 2018, Google honored her with a Google Doodle on her birthday. This showed her picture on the Google search page for everyone to see.
An award for women working in science and technology was also created in her name. It is called the Premiul Elisa Leonida-Zamfirescu. This award helps inspire other women to follow in her footsteps.
See also
In Spanish: Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu para niños
