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Cleopatra -

Cleopatra was the most famous ruler of ancient Egypt, but her power and success are often attributed to her skills as a seductress. Historians say this idea is ludicrous. She was able to convince Roman emperor Julius Caesar to support her because she was a capable ruler, not because she was sexy!

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Cleopatra -

Cleopatra led through influence rather than brute force. She used her intelligence and diplomatic skills to maintain her empire during tumultuous times and has gone down in history as one of the great leaders.

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Hatshepsut -

Hatshepsut was a famous ancient Egyptian pharaoh. She ruled more than 1,300 years before Cleopatra, and paved the way for powerful female leaders in the Egyptian empire.

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Hatshepsut -

Hatshepsut is well known for creating important trade routes and bringing great wealth to the empire. She also oversaw the creation of some of the most important buildings and monuments in Egypt.

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Queen Victoria -

Queen Victoria ruled over the British Empire for 63 years. She is one of the longest-reigning monarchs in British history, second only to the current Queen Elizabeth II. This period is known as the Victorian era and is defined by her rule.

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Queen Victoria - During Queen Victoria's reign, slavery was abolished in Britain and voting rights were granted to most men. She also had a significant impact on European royal history, as she strategically arranged marriages for her children and grandchildren to members of royal families all over Europe. This aligned Britain with every powerful country on the continent.

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Margaret Thatcher - Margaret Thatcher is a highly controversial figure in the history of British politics, but her strength has never been questioned. She was the first women to be elected Prime Minister of Britain in 1979, and held that position for 11 years.

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Margaret Thatcher -

She was nicknamed the "Iron Lady" by the Soviets due to her famous obstinacy. Thatcher always took a hard line when it came to economic policies and threats to British territories, and is still remembered as one of the toughest prime ministers in British history.

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Queen Elizabeth I -

Queen Elizabeth I ruled over England from 1558 until 1603. She chose to stay unmarried and focused on her role as leader. She was a powerful and active ruler, known for being incredibly shrewd and intelligent. She also spoke five languages.

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Queen Elizabeth I -

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth defeated the Spanish Armada, turned England into a Protestant country, and encouraged the growth of the Renaissance. She also sustained a 20-year feud with her cousin and rival, Mary Queen of Scots.

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Mary Queen of Scots -

Queen Mary I of Scotland, knows as Mary Queen of Scots, was the Catholic cousin of Queen Elizabeth I. She became queen when she was only a few days old and was raised to believe that she was the rightful ruler of England.

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Mary Queen of Scots -

Mary famously plotted to overthrow her cousin and take over rule of England, restoring it to the Catholic faith. But her plan was foiled, and she was executed by order of Queen Elizabeth.

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Catherine the Great -

Catherine the Great was a German princess who was married to Czar Peter III of Russia. Dissatisfied with his leadership, Catherine carried out a plot to overthrow him and take the throne herself.

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Catherine the Great -

As Empress of Russia, Catherine defeated the Ottoman Empire in war twice, expanded Russia's territories over three continents, and modernized the country to bring it up to speed with the Age of Enlightenment.

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Maria Theresa of Austria -

Maria Theresa was an empress of the Hapsburg empire, ruling over a large part of Europe for 40 years. In addition to this, she had 16 children who went on to become Queen of France, Queen of Naples and Sicily, and two Holy Roman Emperors.

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Maria Theresa of Austria -

Maria Theresa is known for making education mandatory, creating the Royal Academy of Science and Literature in Brussels, and investing in scientific research. She also doubled the size of the Austrian military.

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Indira Gandhi -

Indira Gandhi was the first and only female prime minister of India to date. She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. She was elected in 1966 and served four terms.

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Indira Gandhi -

One of her greatest achievements as leader was the victory over Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War. This led to the creation of Bangladesh as an independent country. She was ultimately assassinated by her Sikh body guards after she attempted to suppress a Sikh uprising that led to many deaths.

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Empress Wu Zetian -

Empress Wu Zetian was the only female emperor in Chinese history. She was alive during the Tang Dynasty and ruled from 665 to 690 CE. During her years in power, she stabilized and expanded the Chinese empire as it was starting to crumble. The Tang Dynasty is now known as a golden age in Chinese history.

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Empress Wu Zetian -

Empress Wu has been portrayed as a bit of a monster in history. It's said that she ruthlessly climbed her way to power by murdering her own family members, but historians disagree on whether this is true or if she was simply demonized by authors at the time. It's not out of the question to think that the only female emperor in 3,000 years may have had a few haters!

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Empress Dowager Cixi -

Empress Dowager Cixi was the mother of the Tongzhi Emperor who ruled as regent. Even after her son came of age, she continued to rule in his place. Her reign lasted 47 years, from 1861 until 1908.

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Empress Dowager Cixi -

She was responsible for overhauling China's corrupt bureaucratic system, instituted military reforms, advanced technology, and promoted anti-Western attitudes.

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Theodora -

Theodora was an empress of the Byzantine Empire through her marriage to Emperor Justinian I. She was his most trusted advisor and wielded a great deal of power, controlling the Empire's foreign affairs and legislation.

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Theodora -

Theodora famously campaigned for women's rights, creating laws against trafficking and improving divorce proceedings for women. Keep in mind this was 2,000 years ago! She also became a saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

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Artemisia -

Artemisia was the 5th century BCE Queen of Halicarnassus, an empire located in modern-day Turkey. She had a reputation as a powerful warrior and commander, allying with King Xerxes of Persia during his invasion of Greece.

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Queen Boudicca of the Iceni -

Boudicca was the queen of the Celtic tribe Iceni. After her husband's death she took power and was brutally attacked by the invading Roman Empire, who tortured her and her daughters.

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Queen Boudicca of the Iceni -

Boudicca called on her tribe to help her take revenge, and they managed to topple the Roman Capitol of Britain, killing tens of thousands. A statue of Boudicca and her daughters was built in London in the Victorian era. She is remembered as the brave warrior queen who fought against the Roman invaders.

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Zenobia -

Zenobia was a queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria in the 3rd century. She is remembered as a proud conqueror, taking over Egypt, Anatolia, Lebanon and Roman Judea during her 14-year reign.

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Zenobia -

Zenobia also challenged the mighty Roman Empire, but was eventually defeated by Emperor Aurelian.

Sources: (National Geographic) (Big Think) (Mental Floss) (Smithsonian)

See also: Assyrian women–history's first-known female entrepreneurs

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