Being a mother, many women create history and earn the title “Famous Mothers” in history. Through their words, actions, and boundless love, mothers have a significant impact on their children. Our mothers give us life, care for us, and support us as we grow from infants to adults. They teach us, take care of us, offer us advice, and often provide this kind of nurturing presence to most others in their lives as well.
Women’s Month is one of those fascinating times each year when we pause to honor influential women who paved the way for all of us. They are the resilient individuals who dared to show and dared to hope beyond what many of us could imagine. However, it is 2019, people! Women are running for president. We are working from home and creating flexible schedules that help us raise our families. We are excelling in male-dominated fields like maths, science, technology, and design. Around us, women are succeeding in countless ways, and that should be celebrated, today and always.
Famous Mothers in History
Mothers are truly great individuals in the world. They rise to accept a responsibility that takes hard work and dedication, often going unnoticed. Chances are you know many amazing mothers, but we must also tip our collective hat to mothers of the past.
Marie Curie
Although the scientist Marie Curie (1867 — 1934) is best known for being the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, she also raised her two young daughters alone after her husband died in an accident in 1906. One of their daughters, Irène Joliot-Curie, went on to co-win the Nobel Prize in Science with her husband for their work with radioactivity.
Joliot-Curie stated that her mother instilled hard work and adaptability in her children: “That one should really accomplish some work and should be independent and not merely amuse oneself in life — this our mother has told us always, but never that science was the only career worth following.”
Julia Ward Howe
A celebrated abolitionist, suffragist, and writer, Julia Ward Howe are perhaps most well-known as the co-founder of the American Woman Suffrage Association. Although her mother passed away when she was only five years old in 1824, she had a formidable influence from her aunt who introduced her to languages, science, literature, and, of course, poetry for which she became renowned.
It is merely a speculation, but it is said that this influence from her aunt impacted her concept of motherhood for her six children. One of the most remarkable things about Julia Ward Howe is that she composed the Appeal to Womanhood Throughout the World — a radical response that would later become notoriously known as the Mother’s Day Proclamation.
In this proclamation, Julia urges all women to unite for peace in the world, advancing the original vision of Mother’s Day in the U.S. for women to “rise from the ashes and devastation” to stand with a message of peace, honor, and support for mothers who had lost children and husbands following the Civil War.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton is most well-known for her dedicated efforts in writing the Declaration of Sentiments for the Seneca Falls Convention and organizing the women’s suffrage movement in the US. Although the suffrage movement was one of her top priorities, Stanton was a devoted mother to her seven children.
It is said that it was her love for her children, combined with her frustration at being confined to the home, that motivated her to fight fiercely against what she called the “absolute tyranny” men had held women in. She fought for women to own property, the right to vote, the right to divorce husbands without losing custody of children, to earn wages and much more.
Stanton is one of the most prominent figures in the women’s rights movement as well as a devoted mother who wanted to fight for a world with a much more level playing field for her children and others.
Queen Victoria
Reigning over the British monarchy for over 63 years, Queen Victoria wins the award for the longest female reign ever. She oversaw a vast expansion of the British Empire, which absorbed the Indian subcontinent under formal British rule in 1858.
And, do you know what, ladies? She also proposed to her husband, Prince Albert! The queen eventually acquired the nickname “the grandmother of Europe” after most of her large brood of children and grandchildren married European nobles.
Irena Sendler
Irena Sendler was a Polish representative at the Warsaw Social Welfare Department who smuggled nearly 2500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust, saving their lives.
Using the code name Jolanta, she provided these children with false identification documents, created temporary identities for them, and placed them in religious circles, orphanages, and Christian homes.
Although the Nazis arrested her, tortured her, and sentenced her to execution, she did not give them any information about the whereabouts of the children or the inner workings of her rescue operation. A mother of three herself, Sendler received Poland’s Order of the White Eagle award in 2003.
Madam CJ Walker
Madam C.J. Walker was an African-American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civil rights activist during a time when people of color could only dream of such things. Born in 1867 as Sarah Breedlove, Walker suffered for years with a scalp condition that caused her to lose most of her hair until she invented a line of hair care products that restored her confidence and saved her life.
In 1905, Walker began traveling from city to city, giving lectures and selling her hair care line to other African-American women, until she eventually was able to establish her laboratory. Her efforts were so successful that she has since been recognized as one of the earliest female self-made millionaires in the U.S. That success soon bred generosity, as Walker began making sizable donations to many causes, including the Harlem Renaissance in New York City, of which she was a major supporter.
Most Famous Moms From TV and Movies
The “mother” characters from TV shows and films and their storylines aren’t always inspiring. If the mother isn’t killed off shortly after the opening credits, she may be ruthless, unfeeling, or downright cruel.
Famous Mothers Clair Huxtable
Ten years after Mrs. Brady, Clair Huxtable, a lawyer at law, maintained a successful career and a strong marriage while raising five children with her obstetrician spouse. She was also notably stylish. Though the show was rooted in comedy, Clair helped foster more serious conversations about topics like learning disabilities and teenage pregnancy.
Famous Mothers Leigh Anne Tuohy
Based on a real-life mom bear by the same name, Sandra Bullock’s Leigh Anne Tuohy already had two children, a daughter named Collins and a son named S.J., with her husband Sean. When she opened her home to Michael Oher, a homeless high school student who had bounced around the foster system, the onscreen and real-life Tuohys would fight fiercely for Michael’s success and go on to adopt him.
Famous Mothers Lorelai Gilmore
Raised by a distant mother who just didn’t understand, young mother Lorelai Gilmore was the complete opposite: laid-back and funny with a deep passion for junk food and equally bad TV. She knew when to give her rebellious daughter room to move and be herself, and also when it was time to set some boundaries.
Famous Mothers Mrs. George
She’s not a typical mother, she’s a cool mother. Alright, fine, she’s over-the-top with her efforts at the teenage talk and photobombing her son’s prom pics, but she’s deeply involved in her daughter’s life and ensures she has ready access to snacks.
Famous Mothers Rainbow Johnson
Tracee Ellis Ross’ Rainbow Johnson has her hands full with areas of strength for five kids, each with their characteristics and charms, and a full-time profession as an anaesthesiologist. She’s funny and sensible and turns “mum jeans” style sayings on their head with a wardrobe that includes pieces from Zara, Victoria Beckham, and Isabel Marant.
Culture Famous Mothers To Celebrate Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is a traditional celebration for those who have bravely undertaken the journey of parenthood. Sometimes, that journey includes giving birth to a child and guiding them throughout life. At other times, parenthood might come in a different form through adoption, step-parenting, or another avenue where an individual can influence someone’s life.
A tutor, mentor, or community leader could display some “mother-like” characteristics as they encourage others and provide them with needed love, guidance, support, and kindness. Do some mothers completely suck? Yes. However, there are also a lot of flawed ones who try their best to be supportive mothers.
Ellen Ripley
Excellent mothers will fight for their children, and there’s no mother more prepared for the fight than Ellen Ripley. In Alien, she established herself as one of the most powerful female heroes ever, and one film later she bonded with Newt over their shared pain of losing everything. Her innate desire to protect this innocent girl led to the iconic scene of her shouting, “Get away from her, you bitch!” before defeating a massive, terrifying alien.
Daenerys Targaryen
The show didn’t give her the title “Mother of Dragons” for no apparent reason. Daenerys may have been willing to kill thousands of people for her gain, but she always treated her dragon children with love and care. Her bond with Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion was strengthened after losing Drogo and their unborn child and, sadly, she would witness more loss before her demise.
Martha Kent
Being a mother to a completely human child is not easy. So, imagine what it is like to raise a supernatural child with superpowers. Martha Kent was instrumental in instilling Clark Kent’s moral compass and teaching him how to assimilate with humans. She creates his most iconic suit, encourages him to use his powers for good, and helps him become an all-American hero.
Bo
Bo manages two generations of superpowered young girls with incredibly clear minds. She raises and protects her granddaughter Lila while her daughter Ruth goes out into the world and battles drug addiction. When things spiral out of control, Ruth turns to the place that gives her security: home. Bo welcomes her daughter back wholeheartedly and allows her to bond with Lila. Eventually, Bo does what many great film mothers do: sacrifice her freedom to save her family’s lives.
Nicole
All mothers have a lot on their shoulders but Nicole carried the burden of dealing with the “death” of her husband Mark, abandoning her passion as a dancer, struggling to pay bills, and raising her son Dion. She navigated everything from conversations about racism to dealing with her son’s brilliant superpowers admirably well while trying to maintain her sanity. Nicole demonstrated a lot of patience and a steadfast determination to keep her son safe no matter what.
Maria von Trapp
No one tackles a problem like Maria. This passage is somewhat of a cheat because The Sound of Music depends on the genuine von Trapp family. Be that as it may, any musical has some degree of performance and made-up elements so let us have this one. The von Trapp children and their very strict father were residing in a home without a ton of happiness and thoughtfulness until a cheerful tutor completely changed them.
Maria brought a much-needed refresher with her warbler voice, patience, and love for lighthearted tomfoolery, mellowing everyone’s hearts all the while. There aren’t many “loving stepmom” films yet this one is a brilliant illustration of how you don’t need to give birth to a child to love them fiercely.