First in the World

Ancient Civilizations & Foundational Firsts

First	Details
First Country to Print Books	China
First Country to Issue Paper Currency	China
First Country to Start Civil Service Examinations	China
First Country to Make Education Compulsory	Prussia
First University in the World	Takshashila University (Taxila), India
First Man to Draw the Map of Earth	Anaximander
First Man to Compile an Encyclopedia	Asphaeosis
First Country to Make a Constitution	United States of America

Geographical & Exploration Milestones

First	Details
First European to Visit China	Marco Polo
First Person to Sail Around the World	Ferdinand Magellan
First Man to Reach the North Pole	Robert Peary
First Man to Reach the South Pole	Roald Amundsen
First Man to Climb Mount Everest	Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, 1953
First Woman to Climb Mount Everest	Junko Tabei, Japan
First Woman to Climb Mount Everest Twice	Santosh Yadav
First Man to Climb Everest Twice	Nawang Gombu
First Blind Person to Conquer Everest	Erik Weihenmayer, USA, 2001
First Woman to Reach North Pole	Fran Phipps
First Woman to Set Foot on North Pole	Ann Bancroft, USA, 1986
First Woman to Reach Antarctica	Caroline Mikkelsen
First Woman to Sail Around the World Alone	Kat Cotte
First Man to Sail Solo Around the World	Joshua Slocum
First Man to Fly Solo Non-stop Across the Atlantic	Charles Lindbergh, 1927
First Man to Cross the Pacific in a Hot Air Balloon	Ben Abruzzo and team, Double Eagle V
First Man to Fly Solo Non-stop Around the World in a Balloon	Steve Fossett, 2002

Scientific & Medical Achievements

First	Details
First Person to Fly an Aeroplane	Wright Brothers
First Person to Walk in Space	Alexei Leonov, 1965
First Man in Space	Yuri Gagarin
First Man to Walk on the Moon	Neil Armstrong
First Country to Launch a Satellite	Russia (USSR)
First Space Shuttle Launched	Columbia
First Country to Launch a Radio Telescope Satellite	Japan
First Space Vehicle to Land on the Moon	Lunar Exploration Module (LEM)
First Spacecraft to Land on the Moon	Viking-1
First Space Tourist	Dennis Tito
First Woman Space Tourist	Anousheh Ansari
First Human Heart Transplant (Doctor)	Dr. Christiaan Barnard, 1967
First Heart Transplant Recipient	Louis Washkansky, 1967
First Recipient of Permanent Artificial Heart	Barney Clark, 1982
First Description of Parkinson’s Disease	James Parkinson, 1817

Nobel Prize Winners

First	Details
First Nobel Prize in Literature	René FA and Silt Pradhom
First Woman to Win Nobel Prize in Literature	Selma Lagerlöf
First Nobel Peace Prize	Jean Henri Dunant and Frédéric Passy
First Woman to Win Nobel Peace Prize	Bertha von Suttner
First Nobel Prize in Physics	Wilhelm Röntgen
First Woman to Win Nobel Prize in Physics	Marie Curie
First Nobel Prize in Chemistry	Jacobus Henricus van ‘t Hoff
First Woman to Win Nobel Prize in Chemistry	Marie Curie
First Nobel Prize in Medicine	Emil von Behring
First Woman to Win Nobel Prize in Medicine	Gerty Cori
First Nobel Prize in Economics	Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen
First Woman to Win Nobel Prize in Economics	Elinor Ostrom

Olympics, Sports & Arts

First	Details
First Country to Host Modern Olympics	Greece
First Asian City to Host the Olympics	Tokyo, Japan, 1964
First Athlete Disqualified from Olympics for Drug Use	Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall, 1968
First Women’s Olympic Marathon Champion	Joan Benoit, USA, 1984
First Woman to Win Olympic Gold	Charlotte Cooper, UK, 1900 (Tennis)
First Cricket Club	Hambledon Club, England
First Man to Win Tour de France	Maurice Garin, 1903
First Man to Swim Across English Channel	Matthew Webb, 1875
First Woman to Swim Across English Channel	Gertrude Ederle, 1926
First Woman Professional Bullfighter	Patricia McCormick, 1952
First Woman to Win Grand Slam	Maureen Catherine Connolly, 1953
First Woman Black Tennis Player to Win Wimbledon	Althea Gibson, 1957
First Chess Champion	Wilhelm Steinitz, 1886
First Boxing Champion	Tim Hyer
First Man Oscar Winner – Best Actor	Emil Jannings, 1928
First Woman Oscar Winner – Best Actress	Janet Gaynor, 1928
First Movie in the World (Talkie)	The Jazz Singer, 1927

Leadership & Global Institutions

First	Details
First Country to Win FIFA World Cup	Uruguay
First Country to Organize NAM Summit	Yugoslavia (Belgrade)
First Woman Prime Minister of a Country	Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Sri Lanka
First Woman President of a Country	Maria Estela Peron, Argentina
First Woman President of UN General Assembly	Vijayalakshmi Pandit
First Woman Bishop	Rev. Barbara C. Harris, USA
First Civilian Woman Police Adviser to UN	Kiran Bedi
First Secretary General of the UN	Trygve Lie