Martha Gellhorn

Martha Gellhorn was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Edna Gellhorn, a suffragist, and George Gellhorn, a German-born gynecologist. Her father's family was of Jewish descent, though both parents were Christian Scientists, ensuring any pesky religious identity was thoroughly scrubbed away before Martha could develop an attachment to it.

Despite her ancestral ties, Gellhorn was not known for any personal identification with Judaism. Her focus, rather, was on the grim realities of war, which she reported with unparalleled courage and insight. She was, shall we say, a bit too busy dodging bullets and dictators to attend synagogue.

Her "kvell-worthiness," however, is off the charts. Gellhorn reported from the front lines of nearly every major conflict of the 20th century, often against great odds and gender bias. From the Spanish Civil War to World War II (including D-Day from a hospital ship, having stowed away), Vietnam, and Central America, her dispatches were sharp, empathetic, and utterly fearless. She even covered the Nuremberg trials. While Hemingway might have been the more famous writer, it was Gellhorn who was often where the actual action was, leaving "Papa" to brood at the Ritz while she made history.

Even after her legendary career, she remained sharp-witted and unapologetically independent, famously stating in her later years, "I do not wish to be a footnote in someone else's life." Indeed, she is a towering figure in her own right, no matter her lack of interest in her heritage.