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Russian revolutionary and Marxist theoretician Alexandra Kollontai was appointed to various diplomatic posts, serving in Norway, Mexico, and Sweden. In 1943, she was promoted to ambassador to Sweden, becoming the first female ambassador in the world.
Shchetinina was a Soviet merchant marine sailor who became the world's first woman to serve as a captain of an ocean-going vessel.
Highly active in the women's rights and suffrage movements, lawyer Belva Lockwood became the first woman to be admitted to practice law before the US Supreme Court in 1879.
Antonia Brico was a Dutch-born American pianist and conductor. In 1938, she became the first woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic.
Edith Clarke was the first woman to be professionally employed as an electrical engineer in the US. She was also the first female professor of electrical engineering in the country.
After graduating first in her class at Geneva Medical College in New York in 1849, British-born Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female doctor in the US.
Antoinette Brown Blackwell was the first woman to be ordained as a mainstream Protestant minister in the US. She also used her religious faith in her efforts to expand women's rights.
American airline pilot Emily Howell Warner was the first woman captain of a scheduled US airline in 1976. Her pilot’s uniform is on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
Founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale became the world's first professional nurse. She improved the care of the wounded in the Crimean War and popularized the training of women in this new profession.
A women's rights advocate, Jeannette Rankin became the first woman to hold federal office in the US in 1917. She was also an early social activist for access to birth control.
Katharine Graham was a newspaper publisher who led her family's newspaper, The Washington Post, from 1963 to 1991. She was the first female publisher of a major American newspaper.
In 1949, Sara Christian became the first woman to drive in a NASCAR race. She drove in the first Winston Cup race on the dirt track at Charlotte Speedway, and came in 13th place.
Sandra Day O'Connor is a retired attorney who served as the first female associate justice of the Supreme Court of the US from 1981 to 2006.
Raymonde de Laroche of France is thought to be the first woman to pilot a plane. She became the world's first licensed female pilot in 1910.
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the world's first female prime minister, becoming prime minister of Sri Lanka, then the Dominion of Ceylon, in 1960.
The first woman to travel to space was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova. She flew on a solo mission on the Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963.
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was the world's first democratically elected female president. She served as the fourth president of Iceland from 1980 to 1996.
Italian Bettisia Gozzadini was a jurist who lectured at the University of Bologna around 1239. She's believed to be the first woman to have taught at a university.
In 1894, Margaret Floy Washburn became the first woman to earn a doctorate degree in American psychology. She became one of the leading figures in the field.
English botanist and photographer Anna Atkins is often considered the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographs. Some even say that she was the first woman to create a photograph.
The first of six female employees of the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, American Luella Bates is believed to have been the first licensed female truck driver.
Alaska P. Davidson was an American law enforcement officer who became the first female special agent in the FBI.
Enheduanna was a high priestess, poet, and also the world's first author, who lived around the 20th century BCE. She wrote about goddesses, worshipers, workers, rulers, and even about sexual abuse.
Abolitionist and women's rights advocate Jane Grey Swisshelm was the first female political journalist in the US.
Lucy Hobbs Taylor was an American teacher who became the first female dentist in the US. She was the first woman to graduate from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in 1866.
The first American active-duty Navy female professional, Loretta Perfectus Walsh was also the first woman allowed to serve in any of the US Armed Forces. She died at the age of 29 due to tuberculosis.
Williams was the first female and first black firefighter in the US, who lived during the first half of the 19th century. She was a slave and lived in New York City.
See also: Women's inventions and discoveries that were credited to men
Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Owens is believed to have been the first female police officer in the US, this in 1891. She held the rank of sergeant, and retired in 1923.
Known for her modern and innovative designs, Jeanne Paquin was a French fashion designer who was the first female couturier. She was one of the most influential pioneers in the modern fashion business.
Jessica Campbell made history at the opening of the National Hockey League's 2024-2025 season on October 8, 2024. The 32-year-old was named the assistant coach of the Seattle Kraken—the first woman ever to take on the role in the NHL.
It's hard to imagine a time when women couldn’t be doctors, diplomats, pilots, and a number of other professionals. But these achievements are relatively recent and were hard-won by women, who faced a great deal of opposition from a patriarchal society designed to work against them. Despite facing adversity, there are plenty of trailblazers who made history by becoming the first women in their professions.
Click through the gallery to meet the other women who broke down barriers.
These women were the first in their fields
From the first female prime minister to the first female astronaut and even truck driver
LIFESTYLE History
It's hard to imagine a time when women couldn’t be doctors, diplomats, pilots, and a number of other professionals. But these achievements are relatively recent and were hard-won by women, who faced a great deal of opposition from a patriarchal society designed to work against them. Despite facing adversity, there are plenty of trailblazers who made history by becoming the first women in their professions.
Click through the gallery to meet the other women who broke down barriers.