Born this day in London, England, visionary writer Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797–1851) began life with loss—her mother died giving birth to her.

The daughter of radical philosopher William Godwin and pioneering feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary was raised on revolutionary ideas and taught to think boldly.

Her voice rose from challenge, shaped by reflection and the courage to ask difficult questions. She didn’t wait for permission. She began. With pen in hand, she gave form to feeling and meaning to uncertainty—creating a legacy that still glows with wonder and relevance.

At age 16, she fell in love with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Their union, unconventional and passionate, awakened a creative storm. Three years later, during a thunderous summer by Lake Geneva with Lord Byron, Mary conceived the idea for Frankenstein, a daring novel sparked by imagination, intellect, and lived experience. Published anonymously in 1818, it was a sensation.

Widowed at 24 after Percy’s tragic drowning, Mary pressed on—writing four more novels, most notably The Last Man (1826), a haunting vision of a future plague. She also worked tirelessly to preserve her husband's poetry. In 1844, she released Rambles in Germany and Italy, chronicling her travels with her son.

“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful,” she once declared. Her life reminds us: Begin now. Begin with courage. Begin with heart.