Hey Team,

 Today is March 8th. Know what that means? International Women's Day! IWD has been around for over 100 years and serves to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women all around the world. The first observance was held in 1909 in New York and the day March 8th was later suggested by the 1910 International Women's Conference. 

 Some mighty women you may have heard of:

* Rosa Parks - American civil rights activist and hero.

* Catherine the Great - Helped cement Russia as one of the dominant countries in Europe

* Queen Elizabeth II - Longest serving British monarch

* Wangari Maathai - Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to prevent conflict through protection of scarce resources in Kenya

* Wu Yi - Former vice mayor, vice premier, and chief trade negotiator of China.

How the world is celebrating:

* Some McDonald's locations are flipping their signs upside down into a W, employees are wearing special hats and shirts.

* Disney Theatrical Productions is hosting two events featuring the entertainment industry's most accomplished women and a Broadway performance of Frozen. 

* Loads of people will be wearing purple clothes/ accessories!! Purple is a widely accepted "official" color of IWD.

* National Geographic is publishing stories about inspirational women from around the world.

* Barbie is releasing a new set of dolls featuring historical figures. Such as, Amelia Earhart, Chloe Kim, Patty Jenkins, Nicola Adams, and others.