She was the nation's daughter, brought up under the close watch of both her father Jawaharlal Nehru, who was India's first Prime Minister after decades of British rule, and her country. When Indira Gandhi (no relation to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) was elected Prime Minister in 1966, a TIME cover line read, "Troubled India in a Woman's Hands." Those steady hands went on to steer India, not without controversy, for much of the next two decades through recession, famine, the detonation of the nation's first atomic bomb, a corruption scandal and a civil war in neighboring Pakistan that, under her guidance, led to the creation of a new state, Bangladesh. By the time she was assassinated, in 1984, Gandhi was the world's longest-serving female Prime Minister, a distinction she holds to this day.
１０．Estée Lauder (1908-2004)
By Feifei Sun
Born in Queens, N.Y., Estée Lauder got her start in beauty at an early age by helping her uncle, a chemist, mix creams and fragrances for his skincare business in their kitchen. In 1946, Lauder and her husband Joseph founded the Estée Lauder Co. with just four products. To make up for a small advertising budget, Lauder sold persistently, regularly giving free demonstrations at beauty salons and stopping women on Fifth Avenue to try her products. She also launched the "gift with purchase" deal that is now commonplace at cosmetics counters. In 1953, the company debuted Youth Dew, a bath oil and perfume that became so popular, women used it by the bottle in their bathwater. Even after 40 years in the industry — which saw the company expand to include sister lines Prescriptives, Clinique, Origins and Aramis — Lauder insisted on attending every new counter or store launch. The cosmetics giant died in 2004; her grandson William serves as CEO of the company, which has expanded into a beauty empire based on science and to this day carries on Lauder's legacy as a philanthropist and innovator and the first female magnate of beauty.
１１．Madonna (1958-Present)
By Michelle Castillo
Every pop star of the last two to three decades has Madonna to thank in some part for his or her success. The triple threat who does it all — chart-topping singer, energetic dancer and all-around provocateur — left her home state of Michigan with $35 in her pocket and a dream to make it in New York City, and far exceeded that goal with hit singles like "Vogue," "Like a Virgin" and "Ray of Light." The one-named wonder's memorable music videos and live performances, which almost always include extravagant dance numbers, over-the-top outfits and eyebrow-raising concepts, made her one of MTV's most popular artists. After causing no shortage of controversy with her unabashed sexuality and outspokenness, Madonna has since turned some of her efforts toward being a mother and humanitarian — but not before cementing her place in pop culture as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century.
