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Twenty-five years ago today, Libby Riddles, a Wisconsin native with just seven years of mushing experience following a move to Alaska in the late 1970s, pulled her sled into Nome, Alaska and became the first woman to win the grueling Iditarod Sled Dog Race. For those who don't know, the Iditarod is a punishing 1,100-mile dog-sledding event from Anchorage to Nome that takes riders through two weeks of winter conditions in Alaska. The elements are simple: a team of dogs, a lightweight sled, and a serious appetite for punishment. More

Sure the days are getting longer, but the energy spent powering incandescent lights adds up quickly. So take this pledge to use energy-efficient light bulbs. Saving money and saving the environment—it’s a win-win! More

Thirty-two years ago today, 50,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Amsterdam to protest the development and proliferation of the neutron bomb. The massive outpouring of opposition was in response to a U.S. plan to deploy the weapon in Europe. More

With SXSW in full swing, it’s important to recognize the music that is giving back. Download Ne-Yo’s song Heroes and $1 will be donated to the RESPECT! Campaign against relationship violence. More

Two hundred and forty-four years ago today, the British Parliament rubbed its forehead in frustration at the obstinacy of those pesky American colonists and repealed the loathed Stamp Act. The government caved in and called it off following a year's worth of protests, threats, demonstrations, and rallies against what the colonists saw as another example of taxation without representation. More

You can count to 7, but do you know what those numbers mean when it comes to plastics? Become a conscientious consumer by learning more about the packaging materials we use every day. More

If you’re a fun-loving Irishman, or even if you’re just fun-loving, chances are you’ll be celebrating on St. Patty’s Day – so do it the safe way by designating a sober driver. While you’re at it: pledge to end drunk driving. It doesn’t take the luck of the Irish to be smart. More

Forty-one years ago today, Golda Meir became the first woman to lead the modern state of Israel when she came out of retirement to assume the office of Prime Minister. Meir's ascension followed the unexpected death of Levi Eshkol at the end of February, and her Mapai party selected Meir as his successor.

Golda Mabovitch was born in Kiev, Ukraine's capital, and grew up in Milwaukee before emigrating to Palestine as a young adult. Meir became involved in the labor movement, and was one of only two women to sign Israel's Declaration of Independence in 1948. More

"Media That Inspires" is an ongoing conversation at TakePart that recognizes the power that films, books, and other media have to compel change and prompt action. TakePart is asking people who make a difference every day what works have inspired them.

Irish-American publisher Niall O'Dowd played a key role in securing the 1994 IRA ceasefire in Northern Ireland and was the first person to get President Bill Clinton involved in the Irish peace process. He is founder and publisher of irishcentral.com and has just published his memoir "An Irish Voice." 

Q: Which film or book was a wake up call and made you truly aware of an issue?

A: "The Price of My Soul" by Bernadette Devlin, the 1969 memoir of a young civil rights worker in Northern Ireland and the account of the discrimination she faced. More

"Media That Inspires" is an ongoing conversation at TakePart that recognizes the power that films, books and other media have to compel change and prompt action. TakePart is asking people who make a difference every day what works have inspired them.

Linda L. Nelson is the executive director of Opera House Arts at the Stonington Opera House, located on Deer Island, about an hour and a half outside Bangor, Maine. 

Q: Which film or book was a wake up call and made you truly aware of an issue?

A: In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there were several books, and a film, "Silkwood," starring Meryl Streep, that really made me aware of the dangers of allegedly “clean” nuclear power. The disposal of the fuel needed by nuclear plants remains an issue today and I’m disappointed to see Obama moving toward new nuclear power plants as part of his renewable energy strategy. More