Bertha Benz

Bertha Benz
Bertha Ringer, c. 1871, prior to her marriage to Karl Benz
Born	Cäcilie Bertha Ringer (1849-05-03)3 May 1849 Pforzheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Confederation
Died	5 May 1944(1944-05-05) (aged 95) Ladenburg, Greater German Reich
Nationality	German
Known for	First person in history to drive an automobile over a long distance
Spouse	Karl Benz ​ ​ (m. 1872; died 1929)​
Children	5

Bertha Benz (German: [ˈbɛʁta ˈbɛnts] ^ⓘ; née Cäcilie Bertha Ringer; 3 May 1849 – 5 May 1944) was a German automotive pioneer. She was the business partner, investor and wife of automobile inventor Karl Benz. On 5 August 1888, she was the first person to drive an internal-combustion-engined automobile over a long distance, field testing the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, inventing brake lining and solving several practical issues during the journey of 105 km (65 miles).^[1] In doing so, she brought the Patent-Motorwagen worldwide attention and got their company its first sales. Bertha Benz was not allowed to study in the Grand Duchy of Baden and her financial and practical engineering contributions have long been overlooked until the 21 st century.