Wissenswertes

At age 28 in 1963, she worked as a Playboy Bunny in the New York club, as part of a famous undercover investigative report for the magazine "Show", on work conditions for women working in that role. She worked in that position for 11 days under the pseudonym Marie Catherine Ochs.

Is honorary chairperson of Democratic Socialists of America.

As an admirer of the comic book superhero Wonder Woman, she is credited as a leading voice in the protests in the late 1960s and 1970s when the character was stripped of her powers and became an ordinary woman in her series that seemed to delve into female stereotypes just as the Women's Lib movement was gaining strength. It included putting the character on the cover of the third issue of her influential feminist magazine "Ms.". As such, Wonder Woman had her powers restored as a full superhero in the comic book and has been considered a major symbol of female empowerment ever since.

Became the stepmother of Christian Bale, Sharon Bale, Erin Bale and Louise Bale, when she married their father, David Bale, in September 2000.

Columnist for New York magazine and founder of Ms. magazine, a feminist publication.

Her paternal grandparents were Jewish emigrants, her grandfather from Olnhausen, Württemberg, Germany, and her grandmother from Radziejow, Poland. Gloria's mother was of German and Scottish descent.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama on November 20, 2013, the highest honor bestowed upon a civilian, at a White House ceremony.

Received her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude and graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College in Northampton, MA (class of 1956). Other Smith College graduates include former First Lady Nancy Reagan, poet Sylvia Plath, US Representative Tammy Baldwin and writer Madeleine L'Engle, author of "A Wrinkle in Time".

When Larry Flynt - Die nackte Wahrheit (1996) was released, she--along with other feminist activists, held a press conference to protest the film for not covering sex-abuse allegations made by one of Flynt's daughters. In her press conference, she compared pornography's effect on women to the Holocaust's effect on Jews during World War II, and stated that making a film that was sympathetic to a man like Larry Flynt was comparable to making a film that was sympathetic to Adolf Hitler.

Named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.

Received honorary degrees from Simmons College, Bloomfield College, Hofstra Univesity, Wheaton College, Smith College, the University of Toledo, Hobart and William Smith College, Marietta College, the University of Lowell, Pace University, the City University of New York, Southern Methodist University, Albion College, Hunter College, Columbia University and Washington University.

Inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame (1983) and the National Women's Hall of Fame (1993).

Was an employee of James Warren, a magazine publisher most noted for "Famous Monsters of Filmland".

Hates the Barbie fashion doll.

In 1995, she informed ABC's John Stossel that women make better firefighters because of their lack of upper body strength, reasoning that dragging victims out of burning buildings keeps them away from the smoke.

Attended Waite High School in Toledo, OH, and Western High School in Washington, D.C., graduating from the latter.

Lifelong friends with actress Marlo Thomas.