Who Was
the First?
Documenting the women who shattered barriers and opened doors. From the first licensed pilot in 1911 to the first Nobel laureate who changed the course of science.
Featured Firsts
space 1963 Who Was the First Woman in Space? Valentina Tereshkova Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova orbited Earth 48 times aboard Vostok 6, spending nearly three days in space before any other woman left the atmosphere. science 1903 Who Was the First Woman to Win a Nobel Prize? Marie Curie Marie Curie shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics for her research on radioactivity, then won a second Nobel in Chemistry in 1911. politics 1981 Who Was the First Woman on the Supreme Court? Sandra Day O'Connor Confirmed unanimously by the Senate, Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman to serve on the highest court in the United States. aviation 1911 Who Was the First Woman to Fly Solo? Harriet Quimby Harriet Quimby earned the first pilot's license issued to a woman in the United States, then became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. medicine 1849 Who Was the First Woman Doctor in the US? Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell earned her medical degree from Geneva Medical College after being rejected by every other medical school in the country. politics 1916 Who Was the First Woman Elected to Congress? Jeannette Rankin Montana sent Jeannette Rankin to the U.S. House of Representatives four years before women gained the national right to vote.
Recently Added
aviation 1932 Who Was the First Woman to Fly Solo Across the Atlantic? Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, five years after Charles Lindbergh, setting a new speed record for the crossing. entertainment 2010 Who Was the First Woman to Win Best Director at the Oscars? Kathryn Bigelow Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director for The Hurt Locker at the 82nd Academy Awards, the first woman to receive the honor in the ceremony's 82-year history. science 2014 Who Was the First Woman to Win the Fields Medal? Maryam Mirzakhani Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani won the Fields Medal in 2014 for her work on the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces. space 1983 Who Was the First American Woman in Space? Sally Ride Physicist Sally Ride flew aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983, becoming the first American woman and youngest American astronaut in space. sports 1926 Who Was the First Woman to Swim the English Channel? Gertrude Ederle Gertrude Ederle swam the English Channel in 1926, beating the existing men's record by nearly two hours. military 2008 Who Was the First Woman Four-Star General? Ann Dunwoody Ann Dunwoody became the first woman in United States military history to achieve the rank of four-star general in 2008.
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politics Politics & Government 6 firsts documented science Science 3 firsts documented space Space 2 firsts documented sports Sports 4 firsts documented entertainment Entertainment 3 firsts documented business Business 2 firsts documented military Military 2 firsts documented medicine Medicine 2 firsts documented aviation Aviation 2 firsts documented law Law 2 firsts documented education Education 2 firsts documented