Women's History Month: Part 2

Gaining respect and recognition for the female voice in society was just the first step for women to cement their achievements into history. As they began to reach out into the world and explore their potential, a plethora of female firsts increasingly followed.  

The courage, the curiosity, the determination and the sheer talent it took for history’s women to enlighten others of their worth continues to speak to generations of women today. It’s never easy to step outside of the box. Pushing oneself beyond the brink of society’s boundaries is risky, yet for some women in history it was nevertheless rewarding.

Digging into the past and even examining the present achievements of this generation’s female firsts has been an inspiring ride. To learn of women creating their legacy and sometimes just being part of the most memorable events in history is a testament to the strength of a woman’s character and are exciting milestones women can find pride in.  

In celebration of Woman’s History Month, I found a list of ladies I thought were an interesting and inspiring part of the past as well as those who are currently writing their names into history today. From positions in Congress to the world of prized bullfighting, the list is merely a snippet of how far women have truly come. 

First time for everything…. 

Virginia Dare 
1587- The first child born in the American colonies, on August 18th, on what is now Roanoke Island, North Carolina. 

Lucy Walker 
1871- The first woman to successfully climb the Matterhorn in Switzerland. 

1900’s

Annie Edson Taylor

October 24, 1901, at the age of 63 (she claimed to be 43), became the world's first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She walked away unscathed.

Alice Wells 
1910- The first policewoman in the U.S. 

Norma Talmadge 
1927- The first footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater (now Mann's Chinese Theater.) 

Jackie Mitchell  
1931- The first woman in organized baseball. She was signed by the Chattanooga Baseball Club at the age of 19.

Patricia McCormick 
1952 -The first professional woman bullfighter. She got herself two bulls in the contest held in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Jacqueline Cochrane 
1953- The first woman to fly faster than speed of sound. (She piloted an F-86 Sabrejet over California at an average speed of 652.337 miles-per-hour.)

Elizabeth P. Hoisington 
1970- The first female general in the U.S. armed forces. She was appointed to the post of Director of the Women's Army Corps.

Maya Angelou 
1993- The first female poet to read a poem at a U.S.Ppresidential inauguration. She read "On the Pulse of Morning," at Clinton's inauguration.

Madeleine Albright

1997- The first woman to be sworn in as U.S. Secretary of State. She became the first woman in this position as well as the highest-ranking woman in the United States government. 

Nancy Ruth Mace

1999- The first female cadet to graduate from the Citadel, the formerly all-male military school of South Carolina.

2000’s

Hilary Clinton

2008- The first woman in U.S. history to win a presidential primary contest.

Kathryn Bigelow

2010- The first woman to ever win the “Best Director Oscar” for her 2009 Iraq War movie The Hurt Locker.