In honor of Women’s History Month, I’d like to emphasize women who were the first: to do, to discover, to accomplish. So, here’s a list of some legendary females who changed the world:
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Marie Curie: She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics (1903) and in Chemistry (1911).
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Valetina Vereshkova: First woman in space (1963).
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Sarah Christian: First woman to race in NASCAR (1949).
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Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche: Participants in first women’s fight in UFC history (2013).
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Amy Hughes: Ran 53 marathons in 53 days, setting the record for the most marathons run on consecutive days of any person, male or female (2014).
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Diana Nyad: Became the first confirmed person to swim from Cuba to Florida without protection of a shark cage at age 64 (2013).
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Edith Wharton: First woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1921).
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Sandra Day O’Connor: First woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court (1981).
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Sarah Thomas: First woman to referee for the NFL (2015).
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Aretha Franklin: First woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987).
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Junko Tabei: First woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest (1975).
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Vanessa Williams: First African American winner of the Miss America pageant (1984).
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Sirivamo Bandaranaike: First woman to be named head of a country’s government, Sri Lanka (1960).
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Althea Gibson: First person of color to win the French Open (1956).
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Katharine Graham: First female Fortune 500 CEO (1972).
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Margaret Bourke-White: First female photographer accredited to cover WWII combat zones (1942).
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Madam C.J. Walker: First female self-made millionaire in America (1919).
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Robin Givhan: First (and only) female fashion journalist to win Pulitzer Prize for Criticism (2006).
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Wallis Simpson: Time Magazine’s first female Person of the Year (1936).
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Kathryn Bigelow: First woman to win the Oscar for Best Director (2010).
#FemalePower