"Behind Every Great Man, There Is A Woman"

Many powerful women in history were often overshadowed by their male companions. While some wives became famous like their husbands, others remained in the shadows. From Margaret Keane to Mileva Maric, these women deserve more credit than their wife status.

Abbie Rowe, National Park Service on Wikimedia

1. Mileva Maric

Albert Einstein might've been a genius but as it turns out, he wasn't a very nice husband. It's been reported that his wife, Mileva Maric, had a lot to do with his smarts as well. She proofread his work and assisted his calculations but when their relationship went downhill, so did Albert's respect for women's intelligence. Mileva was never properly credited for her genius efforts.

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2. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela

As the second wife of Nelson Mandela, it was hard to be seen over him, but to many Black South Africans she was known as the "Mother of the Nation". She was a revolutionary activist who broke through as a hero, suffering from political brutality in the process. 

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3. Marie Curie

She may be a two-time Nobel Peace Prize winner but it took her husband Pierre's fame to get her acknowledged. Despite that she was an incredible scientist, she struggled to be taken seriously in the male-run field of science in the 1800s. Science was her passion and she didn't let anyone stop her from practicing. She became a university professor after Pierre died and she took his position.

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4. Jackie Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy was a self-made woman but she's known as the first lady of the 35th American president, John F. Kennedy. From speaking multiple languages to editing books, Jackie was very intelligent. Opening a school inside the White House shows she didn't waste time as a president's wife.

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5. Elizabeth Siddal

Elizabeth Siddal may be more recognized from her painted portrait rather than her own paintings. She was sought after by many male artists of the Pre-Raphaelites era, including the founder Dante Gabriel Rossetti whom she married. He painted and drew countless pictures of her until the day she died. 

Attributed to Dante Gabriel Rossetti on Wikimedia

6. Coretta Scott King

Coretta Scott King shouldn't be affiliated standing behind her husband Martin Luther King Jr., she accomplished so much on her own. She worked with him all his life and took over his roles after the assassination while also balancing being a mother, musician, protestor, and activist of several movements. 

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7. Sonya Tolstoy

Sonya is known as the wife of Leo Tolstoy, the famous Russian novelist, but her wife duties were beyond the ordinary. She copied his lengthy manuscripts by hand and never stopped working for him, even after birthing thirteen children. She wrote in a memoir that she suppressed her own intellectual energy to aid her husband. As a thank you, he left her to care for the baker's dozen offspring on her own.

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8. Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor took her husband's presidential status to her advantage and she held press conferences and was a speaker at national conventions. She did many impressive things on her own like working for the Red Cross during WWI and fighting for women's rights. She often disagreed with her husband's political views and wasn't shy to say so. 

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9. Margaret Keane

Margaret Keane became a famous artist in the 70s but that almost wasn't the case because of her lying husband. Walter Keane was best known for the Big Eyes paintings that were actually painted by Margaret. She eventually dragged him to court and to no surprise, he lost the case. 

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10. Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo became more famous than her artist husband but she had to struggle more than he did to get there. She was a talented, disabled, and bisexual artist who endured 32 surgeries over her lifespan and painted hundreds of self-portraits. She became a symbol of feminism, a theme heavily presented in her art.  

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11. Cleopatra

Cleopatra was much cooler than both of her famous ancient lovers, Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. She dominated as Queen of Egypt, heavily influencing Roman politics, and shattering gender barriers.

Napoleon Sarony on Wikimedia

12. Princess Diana

Most of the world agrees that Princess Diana was way cooler than Prince Charles. Her activism made her an international icon. She was the president of over 100 charities and remained famous and loved after her divorce to the prince. 

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13. Michelle Obama

Let's be real, Michelle Obama was co-president of the United States without the title. She's a powerful leader and put her career on hold to support Barack's presidency in every way she could. The list of her accomplishments is endless and she's a role model to many people. 

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14. Lillian Disney

We have to thank Lillian for changing Walt Disney's original "Mortimir Mouse" to "Mickey Mouse". She was her husband's personal secretary and contributed to a lot of Disney's ideas and decisions. She was also an ink artist for some of the films. 

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15. Zelda Fitzgerald

A lot of The Great Gatsby was inspired by Zelda, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald's courageous wife. His stories are all thanks to her and he created characters by taking snippets from her personal diaries. She was a talented writer, dancer, and painter as well.

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16. Rachel Robinson

Jackie Robinson was the first black player in the MLB and his wife Rachel Robinson never left his side, facing adversity head-on. She was a brave activist with a master's degree in psychiatric nursing. Her husband's legacy lives on thanks to her founding the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

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17. Carolyn Garcia "Mountain Girl"

The wild and rebellious "Mountain Girl" is even cooler than rockstar and ex-husband, Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead. She's a former American Merry Prankster with a very fascinating life and out of the ordinary experiences. She's sits on boards of several non-profit organizations. 

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18. Alma Reville

As the wife of the famous director Alfred Hitchcock, Alma's career as a screenwriter, film editor, and assistant director was greatly overshadowed. She already had years of experience in the film industry before Alfred did and she joined the London Film Company at age 16. 

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19. Elena Diakonova

The wife of Salvador Dali, also known as Gala, was his muse for his most famous paintings and she also acted as his agent. She became a model for many other renowned artists as well. She was a woman against the grain, acting on her romantic desires and proudly promoting them. 

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20. Constance Lloyd 

Constance is more known as Mrs. Oscar Wilde and her writing never became famous like his. She was an Irish writer and fashion icon with a scandalous and heartbreaking life, supporting a gay husband who couldn't hide from the public eye.  

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