Famous women have had a place in history since the formation of the first civilization. They are few in number, some fictitious, like Helen of Troy, some notorious, like Cleopatra whose name and deeds are indelibly fixed in the historical record. In every century, indeed every generation, some few women rise to unmatched degrees of accomplishment and enjoy a general admiration. Their fame is the result of special qualities peculiar to themselves. In almost all cases beauty, or talent, or feminine verve, some significant gift, sets them apart from other women. It is the particular fascination of a unique individual that attracts and holds attention from all the others. In these recent times public adulation given to exceptional women is magnified by means of communication almost revolutionary in scope. All is known about them; all is observed, reported upon, judged and commented on. Their power in many sectors of public life is always remarkable and runs through the full range of human activity, from politics, to science, to the arts and to literature. In these pages twelve women are considered who have had a decisive impact on the times in which they lived. A lack of space in a book of brief compass like this does not allow for a consideration of female exemplars worldwide. In the western world, but a small fraction of earth’s humanity, the twelve considered here have exerted influence that extends far beyond the parochial origins of their own lives.