Annie Smith Peck

When Annie Smith Peck completed the 22,205-foot trek up Mount Huascarán in Peru in 1909, in one of the great mountain climbs up to that point in history, she set off a firestorm of fury. For Annie, a 58-year-old woman who never married, was college educated, worked as a university professor, and traveled worldwide adventuring through mountain ranges, there were plenty of opportunities for creating controversy in an era where a woman's independence often provoked outrage.

But this scandal resulted from her decision to wear pants instead of a dress on the trek. It was quite a challenge to social etiquette and offense in the day. A woman wearing pants was committing a crime and could face jail time in some parts of America.

The critical commentary soon abated, and people celebrated Annie's achievement. Harper's Magazine called it "one of the most remarkable feats in the history of mountain climbing."