Scientist Marie Curie, who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity, has topped the list of 40 women who ‘changed the world’, but there are some names we think deserved to be there.
The list, which features politicians, campaigners, writers, royal family members, and actresses, was compiled from the results of a poll of 2,000 people in the UK.
Florence Nightingale and former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher rounded out the top three, while Mother Teresa and Princess Diana were fifth and sixth respectively.
Queen Elizabeth II was placed 12th, followed by Amelia Earhart at 14, J.K. Rowling in 16th and bubbly blonde Marilyn Monroe in 17.
Coco Chanel made the cut at 21, while media mogul, Oprah Winfrey was in 26th place. There were two first ladies on the list – Hillary Clinton (29) and Michelle Obama (35) but Jackie Kennedy was notably absent.
The Duchess of Cambridge was positioned in 36th, while actresses Katharine Hepburn was 38th on the list and Ingrid Bergman was 39th.
We think Princess Grace, Melinda Gates and Angela Merkel deserved a spot too. Who do you think should have been on the list?
Margaret Thatcher was number three on the list.
Mother Teresa was ranked number five.
Princess Diana was number six on the list of the world’s top 40 women who changed the world.
Number 12 was Queen Elizabeth II. The royal has served as the monarch for 61 years.
Author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling was listed as number 16.
Legendary designer Coco Chanel was 21.
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Placed at number 29 was Hillary Clinton.
Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai was number 30.
Media mogul, Oprah Winfrey was 26th on the list.
At number 35… It’s America’s first lady, Michelle Obama.
The Duchess of Cambridge was placed 36th.
Angela Merkel was absent from the list. She is the current Chancellor of Germany. She is only the second woman to ever chair the G8 (the other is Margaret Thatcher) and she has been Forbes Magazine’s most powerful woman in the world time and time again.
Princess Grace, formerly known as Grace Kelly, was left off the list.
Melinda Gates founded half of the philanthropic Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and has dedicated much of her life to charity, but she didn’t make the cut.
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