National Organization of Women Launched

The National Organization for Women was founded in 1966 by a group of activists, including the author Betty Friedan, whose 1963 book 'The Feminine Mystique' had helped spark renewed attention to women's issues. Friedan became the organization's first president. NOW was created to press for full equality for women in American society, seeking to end discrimination in employment, education, and the law and to secure equal opportunity for women.

The founding of NOW is widely regarded as a launching point for the modern women's movement, often called second-wave feminism. The organization grew into one of the largest and most influential advocates for women's rights in the United States, campaigning for measures such as the Equal Rights Amendment, reproductive rights, and protections against sex discrimination. Its emergence helped transform debates over gender equality and mobilized women across the country into sustained political action.