7 women who did what no one expected and changed history

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124-1204) was an extraordinary person who managed to ruin the image of a medieval woman. She was a Queen twice - of France as the wife of Louis VII, then of England as the wife of Henry II. Eleanor of Aquitaine gave birth to three kings, took part in a Crusade, spent 16 years in captivity and even participated in a plot against her own husband. Eleanor had brilliant education, gave birth to 10 children and lived into old age.

The reign of Elizabeth I is often considered the golden age in English history. She ascended the throne at the age of 25, but wasn't going to marry anyone. In fact, she declared that she would never marry at the age of eight... and kept her word. Elizabeth I even promoted the cult of virginity to maintain her legend and avoid unnecessary questions.

Instead, Elizabeth I decided to make every possible effort to establish a harmonious realm. She didn't want to conquer other countries or start wars, she just wanted England to be safe and prosper. Elizabeth I established Protestantism in England, defeated the Spanish Armada, maintained peace inside her country, and created an environment where the arts flourished.

Keller was born on the 27th of June, 1880. In 1882, she was stricken by an illness that left her blind and deaf. Her talented teacher, Anne Sullivan, taught her to communicate, allowing Keller to get a good education and continue it in college.

After her graduation in 1904, Keller set out to learn more about the people with special needs and how she could help them. She became a well-known lecturer who surprised everyone with her own story and shared different experiences. Ambitious and hard-working, Keller inspired and encouraged millions of people.

Eleanor Roosevelt served as the First Lady of the US during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office, which made her the longest serving First Lady of the United States. One of the most admired and powerful women of her time, Eleanor was a United Nations diplomat, humanitarian, human rights activist, writer, and lecturer.

She traveled around the country a lot, holding meetings with veterans, soldiers, and women's organizations. For her achievements, Eleanor was later called the "First Lady of the World" by President Harry S. Truman.

Cesária Évora was nicknamed the "Barefoot Diva" for performing without shoes. She is often referred to as the best Cape Verdean singer of all time. "Miss Perfumado", the album that made her famous, was released in 1992, when Cesária was older than 50. She made the traditional music of her country popular and loved worldwide. In Cape Verde, Cesária was a child activist and did everything to improve Cape Verdean education.

Pina Bausch is the famous creator of tanztheater ("dance theatre"), a style which blends dance and everyday movement with theater. When her first tanztheater performance came to fruition, the audience didn't like it. Some people even left the hall! Anyway, Pina continued working and became one of the most famous dancers in the world. Tanztheater delivers messages about social problems, human behavior and everyday problems an ordinary person can face.

A style icon, TV star, and one of the richest female entertainers in the US, Oprah Winfrey had a very rough childhood. Her family was very poor, and sometimes Oprah had to wear clothes made from potato sacks. At he age of nine, she was molested by her uncle. At the age of twelve, Oprah fled her abusive home and became pregnant some time later. When she was fourteen, she gave birth to a son, who was born prematurely and died not long after.

Nonetheless, Oprah earned high marks at high school and even took a job at a local black radio station. Later she entered the university and studied communications. When she began her career on television, it was an instant success. Oprah's most famous project, "The Oprah Winfrey Show", aired nationally for 25 seasons from 1986 to 2011.