GK · Chapter 03

First in the World

Men & Women Firsts · Space · Mountaineering · Country Firsts · World Institutions

First in the World (Men)

Achievement	Person	Country / Year
To fly an airship	Henri Giffard	France, 1852
Theory of expansion of the universe	Georges Lemaître	Belgium, 1927
Black player to win Wimbledon	Arthur Ashe	America, 1975
To skydive from the highest altitude	Alan Eustace	USA, 2014; highest exit altitude
To fly an airplane	Wright Brothers	America, 1903
Test flight of a Jet Aircraft	Erich Warsitz	Germany, 1939
Asian President of ICC	Jagmohan Dalmiya	India, 1997–2000
Six sixes in an over, International Cricket	Herschelle Gibbs	South Africa

⚡ QUICK RECALL Wright Brothers (1903, powered airplane) came AFTER Henri Giffard (1852, airship) — airships predate powered fixed-wing flight by half a century.

First in Space

Achievement	Person	Country / Year
Person to go into Space	Yuri Gagarin	Soviet Union, 1961
Youngest person to orbit Earth	Gherman Stepanovich Titov	Soviet Union, 1961
Person to walk in Space	Alexei Leonov	Soviet Union, 1965
Astronaut to go to Space seven times	Jerry Ross	America, first: 1985
Space Tourist	Dennis Tito	USA, 2001
Person to touch the Moon's surface	Neil Armstrong	USA, 1969
Space Tourist to travel twice	Charles Simonyi	USA, 2007 & 2009

John Glenn was the oldest person to orbit Earth: age 77, in 1998.
Neil Armstrong (USA) was the first person to touch the surface of the Moon (1969).

⚠ EXAM TRAP Yuri Gagarin (1961) went into space FIRST, but Neil Armstrong (1969) was the first to touch the MOON — two different milestones, often confused as the same "first man in space" fact.

Climbing Mount Everest

Achievement	Person(s)	Year
To climb Mount Everest	Tenzing Norgay (Nepal) & Edmund Hillary (New Zealand)	1953
Oldest man to climb Everest	Yuichiro Miura	Japan, 2013
Climbing without Oxygen	Reinhold Messner (Italy) & Peter Habeler (Austria)	1978
Disabled Person to climb Everest	Tom Whittaker	1998; first amputee

On the Poles & First Voyage

Achievement	Person	Country / Year
North Pole claim (disputed)	Robert Peary	USA, 1909
To reach the South Pole	Roald Amundsen	Norway, 1911
To reach both North and South Poles	Roald Amundsen	Norway (South: 1911, North Pole overflight: 1926)
Voyage around the World	Juan Sebastián de Elcano aboard Victoria	Completed 1522; Magellan died during the expedition
First Atlantic Ocean crossing by balloon	Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, Larry Newman	1978

⚡ QUICK RECALL Peary claimed the North Pole in 1909; the claim is disputed. Amundsen reached the South Pole in 1911 and made a verified North Pole overflight in 1926.

First Women in Space

Achievement	Person	Country / Year
To go into Space	Valentina Tereshkova	Soviet Union, 1963
To walk in Space	Svetlana Savitskaya	Soviet Union, 1984
Space Tourist	Anousheh Ansari	Iranian-American, 2006
To discover a comet	Caroline Herschel	Germany, 1786

First Women in Top Positions

Position	Person	Country
President in the World	Maria Estela Perón	Argentina
Prime Minister in the World	Sirimavo Bandaranaike	Sri Lanka
Prime Minister of United Kingdom	Margaret Thatcher	UK, 1979–90
Prime Minister of a Muslim country	Benazir Bhutto	Pakistan
Managing Director, World Bank	Jessica Einhorn	1996–98
Chief Financial Officer (CFO), World Bank	Anshula Kant	2019

⚠ EXAM TRAP Sirimavo Bandaranaike = first woman PM in the WORLD (Sri Lanka). Indira Gandhi = first woman PM of INDIA only. Don't mix the two in "world first" questions.

Women's Firsts — Other Fields

Achievement	Person	Country / Year
Climb Mount Everest	Junko Tabei	Japan, 1975
Swim across seven major oceans	Bula Choudhury	India, 2004
To reach Antarctica	Caroline Mikkelsen	Denmark, 1935
To cross the English Channel	Gertrude Ederle	USA, 1926
To umpire a men's ICC Cricket Match	Claire Polosak	Fourth umpire in a men's Test, 2021

First Country — Political & Social Reforms

First to …	Country (Year)
Organise the Modern Olympic Games	Greece (1896)
Win the FIFA World Cup	Uruguay (1930)
Sign a civil nuclear deal with India	France (2008)
Implement a family planning programme	India (1952)
Implement Right to Information (RTI)	Sweden (1766)
Grant women right to vote	New Zealand (1893)
Abolish the death penalty	Venezuela (1863)
Appoint a Lokpal (Ombudsman)	Sweden (1809)
Ban smoking in public places	Ireland (2004)
Implement Value Added Tax (VAT)	France (1954)
Make a written Constitution	United States of America (1789)
Recognise euthanasia (mercy killing)	Netherlands (2002)
Recognise same-sex marriage	Netherlands (2001)
Give constitutional recognition to rights of nature	Ecuador (2008)

⚠ EXAM TRAP Sweden appears TWICE: first RTI law (1766) AND first Ombudsman/Lokpal-type office (1809) — two separate "firsts," often merged into one wrong answer.

First Country — Science, Trade & Transport

First to …	Country (Year)
Early surviving world map	Babylonia; Babylonian Map of the World, 1st millennium BCE
Invent paper	China, Cai Lun (105 CE)
Early large-scale glassmaking	Mesopotamia, 2nd millennium BCE
Issue plastic currency	Australia (1988)
Produce silk	Ancient China (by 3rd millennium BCE)
First communications satellite	United States: Project SCORE (1958)
Launch artificial satellite into space	Soviet Union — Sputnik 1 (1957)
Organise Goodwill Games	Soviet Union, Moscow (1986)
Start underground metro rail	United Kingdom, London (1863)

World's First — Institutions & Landmarks

Category	First	Details
Nuclear Power Plant	Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant	Russia, 1954
Continually operating higher-learning institution	University of al-Qarawiyyin	Fez, Morocco, 859 CE; oldest continually operating higher-learning institution
Cloned Sheep	Dolly	Scotland, 1996
Solar-Powered Parliament	Masjid-e-Shoora	Pakistan, 2016
Malaria Free Region	WHO European Region	2016
City destroyed by an atomic bomb	Hiroshima	Japan, 1945
Cricket Club	Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)	England, 1787
Planned Multipurpose River Valley Project	Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)	USA, 1933
International Film Festival	Venice Film Festival	Italy, 1932
Asian Games hosted	New Delhi	India, 1951

⚡ QUICK RECALL Takshashila was an ancient learning centre. The oldest existing continually operating higher-learning institution in the cited record is al-Qarawiyyin, Fez, Morocco (859 CE).

Quick Reference Summary

First to fly an airshipHenri Giffard (France, 1852)

First to fly an airplaneWright Brothers (America, 1903)

Theory of expansion of universeGeorges Lemaître (Belgium, 1927)

First Black Wimbledon winnerArthur Ashe (America, 1975)

Person in SpaceYuri Gagarin (Soviet Union, 1961)

Youngest person to orbit EarthGherman Titov (Soviet Union, 1961)

First to walk in SpaceAlexei Leonov (Soviet Union, 1965)

First to touch Moon's surfaceNeil Armstrong (USA, 1969)

First Space TouristDennis Tito (USA, 2001)

Oldest Person to Orbit EarthJohn Glenn (77 years old)

First to climb EverestTenzing Norgay & Edmund Hillary, 1953

Oldest to climb EverestYuichiro Miura (Japan, 2013)

Disabled person to climb EverestTom Whittaker (1998)

North Pole claim (disputed)Robert Peary (USA, 1909)

First to reach South PoleRoald Amundsen (Norway, 1911)

Voyage around the WorldElcano aboard Victoria (completed 1522); expedition initiated by Magellan

First Woman in SpaceValentina Tereshkova (Soviet Union, 1963)

First Woman to walk in SpaceSvetlana Savitskaya (Soviet Union, 1984)

First Woman President (World)Maria Estela Perón (Argentina)

First Woman PM (World)Sirimavo Bandaranaike (Sri Lanka)

First UK Woman PMMargaret Thatcher (1979–90)

First Woman PM (Muslim country)Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan)

First Woman to climb EverestJunko Tabei (Japan, 1975)

First Woman to cross English ChannelGertrude Ederle (USA, 1926)

First country to create a mapBabylonia: Babylonian Map of the World (1st millennium BCE)

First country to invent paperChina, Cai Lun (105 CE)

First country to launch satelliteSoviet Union — Sputnik 1 (1957)

First country to organise OlympicsGreece (1896)

First country to win FIFA World CupUruguay (1930)

First written ConstitutionUnited States of America (1789)

First RTI lawSweden (1766)

First to grant women's right to voteNew Zealand (1893)

First to abolish death penaltyVenezuela (1863)

First to legalise euthanasiaNetherlands (2002)

First to legalise same-sex marriageNetherlands (2001)

First Nuclear Power PlantObninsk, Russia (1954)

Oldest continually operating institutionUniversity of al-Qarawiyyin, Fez (859 CE)

First mammal cloned from an adult somatic cellDolly the sheep (Scotland, 1996)

First international film festivalVenice Film Festival (Italy, 1932)

First city destroyed by atomic bombHiroshima (Japan, 1945)