Since 1851, The New York Times has published thousands of obituaries, detailing the lives of heads of state, scientists, athletes, entertainers, and other notable people. But until recent decades, the newspaper devoted the vast majority of these obituaries to White men. Even women who had achieved a measure of fame or made important advances in their fields were often ignored.
In 2018, the Times began making up for that, publishing an ongoing series of obituaries under the heading “Overlooked No More,” of people from the past, including many women, who were left out of the obituary pages—and, in most cases, your history textbooks.
Here are the stories of five such women who were once overlooked in history—but are finally getting their due.
Since 1851, The New York Times has published thousands of obituaries. They detailed the lives of heads of state, scientists, athletes, entertainers, and other notable people. But until recent decades, the newspaper devoted the vast majority of these obituaries to White men. Even women who had achieved a measure of fame or made important advances in their fields were often ignored.
In 2018, the Times began making up for that, publishing an ongoing series of obituaries under the heading “Overlooked No More.” The series includes people from the past, including many women, who were left out of the obituary pages. In most cases, they were also left out of your history textbooks.
Here are the stories of five such women who were once overlooked in history—but are finally getting their due.