In 1784, Elisabeth Thible became the first woman to fly, as a passenger in a hot air balloon. Almost 125 years later Thérèse Peltier circled the Military Square in Turin in an aircraft, becoming the first woman to fly solo in a heavier-than-air craft. And so the "aviatrix," the contemporary term given to women who flew aircraft, was born.



In 1917, after the U.S. entry into WWI, "aviatrix" Ruth Law had fought for women to pilot aircraft in battle. When her campaign was unsuccessful, she published an article in Air Travel magazine with the title "Let Women Fly!" These pictures show some of the many women who, like Law, continued to open a new territory for women, in the sky and on the earth.

From March 2-8, 2015 we continue to honor them with Women of Aviation Week, a time to celebrate the female pioneers who created careers and inspired millions against the odds.