Born: 3 August 1920, Latvia
Died: 4 October 2004
Country most active: Latvia
Also known as: Эмилия Юлиановна Гудриниеце
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Emīlija Gudriniece was a Soviet and Latvian chemist renowned for her contributions to organic synthesis. Gudriniece successfully synthesized furacilin, an accomplishment that earned her a state prize. She played a pioneering role in advocating for the utilization of vegetable oils as biofuels and initiated rapeseed oil refining research in Latvia. Her impactful endeavors extended to editorial leadership for the Latvian Journal of Chemistry, authoring a Latvian-language textbook on organic synthesis and amassing a collection of awards in recognition of her outstanding work.
IW note: While working on her graduate degree in chemistry, Gudriniece won the Latvian Women’s Motorcycle Championship in 1949, and again in 1953.