August 26 is Women’s Equality Day. This day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, which allowed women the right to vote.

Women’s Equality Day celebrates the achievements of women’s rights activists and reminds us of the unique daily struggles that women face in their fight for equality. Here are a few notable milestones and influential advocates for the women’s movement:

• July 19-20, 1848 | The First Women’s Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. Sixty-eight women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments, which sparked decades of activism and led to the passage of the 19th Amendment.
•  May 15, 1869 | Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton established the National Woman Suffrage Association, which coordinated the national suffrage movement. 
•  April 2, 1917 | Jeannette Rankin of Montana is the first woman elected to Congress as a member of the House of Representatives.
•  June 30, 1966 | Betty Friedan helps found the National Organization for Women (NOW).
•  July 7, 1981 | Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
•  January 20, 2021 | Kamala Harris became the first woman and woman of color Vice President of the United States.