Women on US stamps facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The history of women on US stamps began in 1893. That year, Queen Isabella became the first woman ever shown on a US stamp. Queen Isabella was a Spanish queen who helped Christopher Columbus with his famous 1492 voyage to the Americas. The stamp was released to celebrate 400 years since that trip.

The first US stamp honoring an American woman was for Martha Washington, issued in 1902. She was the first First Lady of the United States. In 1907, Pocahontas became the first Native American woman (and the first Native American person) to be honored on a US stamp. Later, in 1978, Harriet Tubman became the first African-American woman featured on a US stamp. She was a brave leader of the Underground Railroad. In 2001, Frida Kahlo, a famous Mexican artist, became the first Hispanic woman on a US stamp.

Sometimes, groups of women have also been honored on US stamps. For example, the "Gold Star Mothers" were honored in 1948. These were mothers who had lost a child serving in the military. Another stamp in 1952 honored "Women In Our Armed Services." Some stamps even show unnamed women, like a woman marching with men for the National Recovery Act in 1933. US stamps have also shown female goddesses or symbols of ideas, such as images representing liberty.

Queen Isabella and Christopher Columbus on the 1893 stamp.

The first Martha Washington postage stamp, issued in 1902.

Famous Women on Stamps

Early Trailblazers

Many amazing women have been honored on US stamps for their important contributions. These stamps help us remember their stories and achievements. From queens to artists, and from scientists to activists, each woman left her mark on history.

A Long List of Honored Women

Here is a list of many women who have appeared on US stamps, along with why they are famous.

Women	Year	Notable for
Isabella I of Castile	1893	Supported Christopher Columbus's voyages to the New World.
Martha Washington	1902	First First Lady of the United States.
Pocahontas	1907	A Powhatan princess known for her role in early American history.
Molly Pitcher	1928	Carried water to soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
Susan B. Anthony	1936, 1955	Fought for women's right to vote.
Virginia Dare	1937	First European child born in America.
Louisa May Alcott	1940	Author of Little Women.
Frances Willard	1940	Educator and supporter of women's rights.
Jane Addams	1940	Founded Hull House, a social welfare center.
Clara Barton	1948	Founded the American Red Cross.
Juliette Gordon Low	1948	Founded the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Moina Michael	1948	Started selling red poppies to support veterans.
Betsy Ross	1952	Famous for making the first American flag.
Sacagawea	1954	Shoshone guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Amelia Earhart	1963	First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Eleanor Roosevelt	1963, 1984, 1998	Diplomat, writer, and First Lady.
Mary Cassatt	1966, 1988	American painter known for mothers and children.
Lucy Stone	1968	Leader in the fight against slavery and for women's rights.
Grandma Moses	1969	Began painting at age 76 and painted until she was 101.
Emily Dickinson	1971	American poet who wrote over 1,700 poems.
Willa Cather	1973	Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist.
Elizabeth Blackwell	1973	First woman doctor in the U.S.
Sybil Ludington	1975	A 16-year-old Revolutionary War hero.
Clara Maass	1976	Nurse who volunteered for a yellow fever experiment.
Harriet Tubman	1978	Leader of the Underground Railroad.
Emily Bissell	1980	Introduced Christmas seals to fight tuberculosis.
Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan	1980	Famous student who overcame challenges and her teacher.
Dolley Madison	1980	First Lady who saved White House treasures in 1814.
Frances Perkins	1980	First woman in a presidential Cabinet (Secretary of Labor).
Edith Wharton	1980	Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist.
Rachel Carson	1981	Her book Silent Spring raised awareness about pesticides.
Edna St. Vincent Millay	1981	American poet.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias	1981	One of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
Mary Walker	1982	Cared for the sick and wounded during the Civil War.
Dorothea Dix	1983	Crusader for the poor and mentally handicapped.
Pearl S. Buck	1983	Author of over 100 books, including The Good Earth.
Lillian Moller Gilbreth	1984	Engineering pioneer who studied how people work.
Abigail Adams	1985	First Lady who influenced American politics through her letters.
Mary McLeod Bethune	1985	Educator and social activist.
Belva Ann Lockwood	1986	First woman candidate for president.
Margaret Mitchell	1986	Author of Gone with the Wind.
Sojourner Truth	1986	Spoke publicly against slavery.
Julia Ward Howe	1987	Composer of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".
Mary Lyon	1987	Education pioneer who founded Mount Holyoke College.
Evelyn Nesbit	1989	American model and actress.
Helene Madison	1990	Olympic gold medalist in swimming.
Marianne Moore	1990	Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.
Ida B. Wells	1990	Civil rights activist and co-founder of the NAACP.
Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman	1990	Helped build women's tennis.
Fanny Brice	1991	Singer and comedian.
Harriet Quimby	1991	First American woman to fly the English Channel.
Dorothy Parker	1992	Poet and short story writer.
Patsy Cline	1993	Popular American country singer.
Sara Carter Maybelle Carter Carter Family	1993	Pioneers of American country music.
Grace Kelly	1993	American film actress.
Dinah Washington	1993	Known as the "Queen of the Blues."
Clara Bow, ZaSu Pitts, Theda Bara	1994	Famous silent film actresses.
Nellie Cashman	1994	An anti-violence advocate known as the "Angel of Tombstone."
Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Mildred Bailey, Ethel Merman	1994	Famous American singers.
Annie Oakley	1994	American sharpshooter.
Virginia Apgar	1994	Doctor who developed a newborn health assessment.
Ruth Benedict	1995	American anthropologist.
Mary Boykin Chesnut, Phoebe Pember	1995	Heroic Confederate women.
Bessie Coleman	1995	First African-American woman to earn an international pilot's license.
Alice Hamilton	1995	Pioneer in industrial medicine.
Marilyn Monroe	1995	American film actor.
Alice Paul	1995	Founder of the National Women's Party.
Jacqueline Cochran	1996	Pioneer pilot and first woman to break the sound barrier.
Georgia O'Keeffe	1996	Abstract American painter known for huge flowers.
Dorothy Fields	1997	Popular songwriter.
Lily Pons	1997	Opera singer.
Rosa Ponselle	1997	Opera singer.
Women in the military	1997	Honored women serving in the U.S. armed forces.
Mary Breckinridge	1998	Founder of the Frontier Nursing Service.
Mahalia Jackson, Roberta Martin, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Clara Ward	1998	Gospel singers.
Margaret Mead	1998	Famous anthropologist.
Madam C. J. Walker	1998	Became wealthy by selling hair care products.
Ayn Rand	1999	Author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.
Patricia Roberts Harris	2000	First African American woman in a presidential cabinet.
Louise Nevelson	2000	American sculptor.
Hattie Wyatt Caraway	2001	First woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
Rose O'Neill	2001	American illustrator.
Lucille Ball	2001	Famed American comedian and actress.
Frida Kahlo	2001	Influential Mexican artist.
Nellie Bly, Marguerite Higgins, Ethel L. Payne, Ida Tarbell	2002	Famous journalists.
Zora Neale Hurston	2003	African American novelist.
Audrey Hepburn	2003	Film actress and goodwill ambassador.
Mary Cassatt	2003	American artist known for portraits of motherhood.
Agnes de Mille , Martha Graham	2004	Famous choreographers.
Wilma Rudolph	2004	Track and field star.
Marian Anderson	2005	First African-American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera.
Greta Garbo	2005	Actress of the silver screen.
Hattie McDaniel	2006	First African-American to win an Oscar.
Frances E. Willis	2006	Diplomat.
Judy Garland	2006	Actress and singer, star of The Wizard of Oz.
Ella Fitzgerald	2007	Jazz singer.
Gerty Cori	2008	Biochemist.
Maria Goeppert Mayer	2008	Nuclear physicist.
Bette Davis	2008	Actress.
Martha Gellhorn	2008	Journalist who covered wars.
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings	2008	Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Yearling.
Mary Church Terrell	2009	Civil rights and women's rights activist.
Mary White Ovington	2009	Civil rights activist.
Daisy Bates	2009	Civil rights activist.
Fannie Lou Hamer	2009	Civil rights activist.
Ella Baker	2009	Civil rights activist.
Ruby Hurley	2009	Civil rights activist.
Mary Lasker	2009	Health activist and philanthropist.
Anna J. Cooper	2009	African-American scholar.
Lucille Ball	2009	Actress.
Vivian Vance	2009	Actress.
Dinah Shore	2009	Entertainer.
Fran Allison	2009	Actress.
Gracie Allen	2009	Entertainer.
Harriet Nelson	2009	Actress.
Katharine Hepburn	2010	Entertainer.
Kate Smith	2010	Singer.
Mother Teresa	2010	Religious figure.
Julia de Burgos	2010	Poet.
Carmen Miranda	2011	Latin music legend.
Selena	2011	Latin music legend.
Celia Cruz	2011	Latin music legend.
Oveta Culp Hobby	2011	First Secretary of the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
Helen Hayes	2011	Actor.
Maria Goeppert Mayer	2011	Scientist.
Greta von Nessen	2011	Industrial designer.
Barbara Jordan	2011	American politician and Civil Rights Movement leader.
Elizabeth Bishop	2012	Poet.
Gwendolyn Brooks	2012	Poet.
Denise Levertov	2012	Poet.
Sylvia Plath	2012	Poet.
Édith Piaf	2012	Singer.
Isadora Duncan	2012	Choreographer.
Katherine Dunham	2012	Choreographer.
Lady Bird Johnson	2012	First Lady.
Rosa Parks	2013	Civil rights activist.
Georgia O'Keeffe	2013	Artist.
Lydia Mendoza	2013	Latin music legend.
Althea Gibson	2013	Tennis player.
Shirley Chisholm	2014	First African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress.
Janis Joplin	2014	Singer and songwriter.
Julia Child	2014	Chef, author, and television personality.
Joyce Chen	2014	Chef, author, and television personality.
Edna Lewis	2014	Chef and author.
Maya Angelou	2015	Poet, author, and civil rights activist.
Flannery O'Connor	2015	Writer.
Ingrid Bergman	2015	Actress.
Sarah Vaughan	2016	Singer.
Shirley Temple	2016	Actress, later a businesswoman and diplomat.
Dorothy Height	2017	Civil rights and women's rights activist.
Lena Horne	2018	Singer, dancer, actress, and civil rights activist.
Sally Ride	2018	Astronaut, engineer, and physicist.
Gwen Ifill	2020	Journalist; first African-American woman to host a major political talk show.
Chien-Shiung Wu	2021	Nuclear physicist.
Edmonia Lewis	2022	Sculptor; first African-American and Native American sculptor to earn international recognition.
Eugenie Clark	2022	American ichthyologist (fish scientist).

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