QUIZ: These Czech women changed the world—do you know them?

In Czechia, March 8 is a complicated but fascinating date. While these days it is observed as a day of protest, awareness, or simple celebration, it began as something entirely different.

International Women's Day has its roots in the early labor movement. The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States in 1909, organized by the Socialist Party of America. The date shifted to March 8 after Russian women went on strike on that day in 1917, demanding bread and an end to WWI. When the Bolsheviks came to power, Lenin declared it an official Soviet holiday, and for decades, it was primarily associated with the communist world.

In Czechoslovakia, the day was marked with large Soviet-style celebrations, flowers, speeches, and state-organized events paying tribute to working women. For many Czechs of a certain generation, the holiday still carries that flavor, which perhaps explains the ambivalence some feel about it today. 

After 1989, it gradually shed its ideological associations and is now observed in over 100 countries, in some as a public holiday, others as a day of protest, awareness, or simple celebration.

While no special day is needed to honor the achievements of the women in our quiz, they remain, for the most part, unsung heroes. Test your knowledge!