1940 to 2020 – Check Out Which Female Icons Ruled The World (3 of 8)

1960: Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald was a renowned singer who first worked at the Apollo Theater before she deiced to try her hand in the music industry. She won the Harlem’s Apollo contest at the theater, which brought her to the limelight. Her famous songs include The Object of My Affection, A-Tisket, A-Tasket, and I Found My Yellow Basket. She even starred in a movie called Ride ‘Em Cowboy.

1961: Audrey Hepburn

A Belgian by birth, Audrey Hepburn was one of the most popular actresses and fashion icons of the decade. She was also a philanthropist and starred in a Broadway show called Gigi. She later went on to star in several critically acclaimed flicks such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Sabrina, and Funny Face. She was nominated for several awards, including BAFTA, and Golden Globe.

1962: Jackie Kennedy

Known for her style choices and elegance, Jacqueline Kenney Onassis was the wife of United States President John F. Kennedy. She was a trained ballet dancer who went on to run Kennedy’s campaign from home. She even wrote a column called Campaign Wife. Once Kennedy was elected as the President, she worked tirelessly to restore the old glory and elegance of the White House.

1963: Julia Child

Julia Child was an unrivaled culinary expert, who took up the profession after attending leading culinary school in France. She wrote the popular book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which was a bestseller in the year 1961. She also made numerous appearances on the TV shows, and later launched one of her own, named The French Chef. In fact, the movie Julie & Julia’s was based on her life. She went on to start numerous other cooking shows such as Julia Child and Company, Julia Child and More Company, and Dinner at Julia’s.

1964: Diana Ross

Diana Ross was a leading singer in the 60s, who started singing with her friends Florence Ballard, Barbara Martin, and Mary Wilson on small gigs. Later, the trio found the band known as The Supremes, which went on to become an extremely popular group worldwide. The Supremes gave a number of superhit songs, some of which include You Can’t Hurry Love, Come See About Me, and Where Did Our Love Go. Ross left the group in 1959 and went on to deliver solo hits like Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand and Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

1965: Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews was a famous English singer, author, and actress who made her Broadway debut with The Boy Friend as a child artist. Later, she went on the star in a major Italian classic called The Singing Princess. In fact, she had received so much early success as a kid that she was referred to as ‘Britain’s youngest prima donna’. She went on to work in many feature films as well, some of which include Marry Poppins, The Sound of Music, and My Favorite Things. She won an Academy Award for Marry Poppins, along with several other global awards. She was conferred the title of Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her contribution to performing arts.

1966: Raquel Welch

Raquel Welch was a famous actress whose iconic doe-skin bikini shot was made into posters, and made her immensely popular as a sexy symbol worldwide. She worked in popular movies such as Fantastic Voyage, Bedazzled, Myra Breckinridge, and One Million Years B.C. She even went on to win a Golden Globe Award for best actress for her role in The Three Musketeers.

1967: Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin was a multi-talented woman who was great at everything you could think of – singing, acting, playing piano, and songwriting. She started her music career quite early when she was only eighteen years old as a recording artist for Columbia Records. She released songs that went on to some of the most popular songs of the decade. Some of which include I Say a Little Prayer, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You), Respect, A Natural Woman, Chain of Fools, and Think.

1968: Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda was a popular fashion icon, actress, and activist who became popular from her Broadway play There Was A Little Girl, which even earned her a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. After her initial success and popularity as a theater artist, she was offered roles in the movies, where she made her debut with a rom-com named Tall Story. She went on to star in other popular flicks such as Sunday in New York, Barbarella, and Cat Ballou. Fonda was nominated for the Academy Awards not once or twice but seven times, and she went on to win the Oscars twice. In the 80s, her workout videos became extremely popular, selling more than 17 million copies worldwide.

1969: Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem is a famous American journalist and political activist. She rose to prominence during the 60s and 70s when she spearheaded the American Feminist Movement. She got her first job working for Esquire magazine. Soon, she was hired by the Huntington Hartford’s Show magazine, and later for Playboy Club. Steinem also worked as a leading journalist for New York Magazine, which led her to publish her own magazine, named Ms. She was also one of the writers on NBC’s popular satire show That Was The Week That Was.