Jeanne Barret, born in 1740, made history by becoming the first known woman to circumnavigate the globe. Disguised as a man, she accompanied French naturalist Philibert Commerson on his expedition around the globe from 1766 to 1769. Thanks to her work, several thousand species entered French botanical and zoological collections. It would take almost two centuries for her bravery and contribution to science to be recognized.