Special Report
Women Who Broke Barriers Every Year Since 1950
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Regardless of the field of endeavor — science, sports, business, politics — women have smashed long-held traditions, customs, and shibboleths to take their rightful place in the world.
As we prepare to mark women’s history month, 24/7 Tempo has taken this opportunity to acknowledge the progress in women’s rights and celebrate women who broke barriers the year you were born. We compiled our list from a trove of sources, including websites focusing on history, women’s rights, sports, and economics such as britannica.com, womenshistory.org, biography.com, nationalgeographic.com, and espn.com.
In the post-war era, many opportunities have opened up for women as the economy expanded, colleges swelled with female students, and perceptions about a women’s role in society were challenged. Even so, women still had to fight, and still have to fight, for their rights. It’s a story that’s older than you think — these are the women’s protests that changed history.
For many women on the list, an accomplishment in a given year might be one of several instances in which they distinguished themselves. For example, Hillary Clinton has made a career out of female “firsts.” When she was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2001, Clinton became the first first lady to win a public office post. In 2016, she was the first woman to receive a presidential nomination from a major political party.
The challenges other women confronted go beyond their gender. Many have also faced racial and religious biases. Besides the fact that they are women of color, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have endured bias because of their faith. Still, they became the first Muslim women elected to Congress in 2018. Omar and Tlaib were part of a historically large class of women running for office in 2018, a step toward gender parity in the United States. These are the countries where women are still not equal to men.
Click here to see women who broke barriers every year since 1950.
Click here to see our methodology.
1950: Marion Donovan
> Category: Inventions
Marion Donovan invented the first disposable diaper. She patented it in 1951. Donovan had been rebuffed by companies run by men, so she sold the diapers directly to retailers.
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1951: Lucille Ball
> Category: Entertainment
Zany comedian Lucille Ball was a television innovator who broke barriers. Her show featured an inter-ethnic marriage (to Cuba-American singer Desi Arnaz) that was not widely accepted at the time. Ball eventually became the first woman to own a studio.
1952: Ella Baker
> Category: Activism
Ella Baker was a civil rights figure who became the first woman to lead the New York chapter of the NAACP. Baker was also one of the founders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.
1953: Jacqueline Cochran
> Category: Science
Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier when she piloted an F-86 plane.
1954: Jewel L. Prestage
> Category: Education
Jewel L. Prestage became the first African-American woman to get a doctorate in political science, which she received from the University of Iowa.
1955: Rosa Parks
> Category: Activism
Rosa Parks played a key role in the civil rights movement when she refused to give up a seat on a bus to a white person in Montgomery, Alabama. This led to the Montgomery bus boycott and integration of buses.
1956: Autherine Lucy
> Category: Education
Autherine Lucy endured physical and verbal abuse to become the first African-American woman to attend the University of Alabama.
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1957: Marie Tharp
> Category: Science
Marie Tharp helped create the first map of the floor of the North Atlantic was published in 1957. Because she was a woman, Tharp was not allowed on research vessels, so she worked as a cartographer on land and helped outline the ocean floor by using data collected by her partner, Bruce Heezen.
1958: Mary Winston Jackson
> Category: Science
Mary Winston Jackson was the first African-American female engineer at NASA. She was portrayed by actress Janelle Monáe in the motion picture “Hidden Figures.”
1959: Arlene Pieper
> Category: Sports
Arlene Pieper ran the Pikes Peak Marathon in 1959, the first woman to complete any marathon in the United States. She ran up and then down the 14,115-foot Colorado mountain.
1960: Wilma Rudolph
> Category: Sports
Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics. At the Olympic Games in Rome, Rudolph won the 100- and 200-meter sprints, and then anchored the victorious U.S. team in the 4×100-meter relay.
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1961: Dana Ulery
> Category: Science
Dana Ulery became the first woman engineer hired at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
1962: Rachel Carson
> Category: Science
Noted biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson alerted the world to the dangers of pesticides with her groundbreaking book “Silent Spring,” which was published in 1962.
1963: Valentina Tereshkova
> Category: Science
Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to fly in space.
1964: Geraldine Mock
> Category: Aviation
Geraldine Mock was the first woman to fly solo around the world. She joined other aviation pioneers from Ohio such as the Wright Brothers and Neil Armstrong.
1965: Myrtle Simpson
> Category: Science
Radiologist and explorer Myrtle Simpson became the first woman to ski across Greenland.
1966: Bobbi Gibb
> Category: Sports
Clad in men’s shorts and boys’ running shoes, Bobbi Gibb became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon unofficially.
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1967: Kathrine Switzer
> Category: Sports
Kathrine Switzer, a 20-year-old journalism student, became the first woman to officially enter and complete the the Boston Marathon.
1968: Shirley Chisholm
> Category: Politics
New Yorker Shirley Chisholm became the first African-American congresswoman. She represented a part of Brooklyn.
1969: Diane Crump
> Category: Sports
Diane Crump was the first woman allowed to compete as a jockey in the United States. In 1970, she became the first woman to ride at the famous Kentucky Derby.
1970: Billie Jean King
> Category: Sports
Billie Jean King became an early outspoken advocate for equal pay for women tennis players and for LGBTQ rights.
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1971: Evelyn Berezin
> Category: Inventions
Evelyn Berezin invented the word processor. She was also the founder of Redactron Corporation, which became the first company exclusively engaged in manufacturing and selling word processors.
1972: Gloria Steinem
> Category: Activism
One of the most high-profile feminists, Gloria Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine, the first glossy publication run and owned by women.
1973: Patsy Cline
> Category: Entertainment
Country singer Patsy Cline, who died in a plane crash in 1963, became the first solo woman to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1974: Rosemary Mariner
> Category: Military
Rosemary Mariner, who was among the first female fliers in the Navy, became the first woman to fly a tactical fighter jet.
1975: Junko Tabei
> Category: Sports
Junko Tabei from Japan flouted cultural conventions by leaving her toddler with her husband to become the first woman to summit Mount Everest. She was also the first woman to climb the highest peak on every continent, collectively known as the “Seven Summits.”
1976: Emily Howell Warner
> Category: Aviation
Emily Howell Warner became the first female captain of a major U.S. carrier, Frontier Airlines.
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1977: Janet Guthrie
> Category: Sports
Janet Guthrie, a trained physicist and engineer, became the first woman to compete at the Indianapolis 500, the nation’s most prestigious auto racing event.
1978: Mary E. Clarke
> Category: Military
Mary E. Clarke became the U.S. Army’s first woman two-star general.
1979: Ann Meyers
> Category: Sports
Women’s basketball superstar Ann Meyers was the first woman signed to an NBA contract when she signed with the Indiana Pacers. She was cut a week later.
1980: Paula Hawkins
> Category: Politics
Florida Republican Paula Hawkins became the first woman elected to a full Senate term who had not been preceded by her father or husband. She is still the only female senator from Florida.
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1981: Sandra Day O’Connor
> Category: Law
Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman nominated to the Supreme Court and would become the first woman to serve on the nation’s top court.
1982: Madonna
> Category: Entertainment
A woman who helped define 1980s style and attitude, Madonna challenged conventions of what female entertainers should be and became one of the biggest stars of the decade.
1983: Sally Ride
> Category: Science
Sally Ride became the first American woman in space when she rode the space shuttle Challenger. She is also the first known gay astronaut.
1984: Barbra Streisand
> Category: Entertainment
Barbra Streisand, who has been honored with Oscar and Grammy awards, was the first — and so far only — woman to win a Golden Globe for direction.
1985: Penny Harrington
> Category: Law enforcement
Law-enforcement trailblazer Penny Harrington became the first female chief of police of a major city. She was chief of police in Portland, Oregon.
1986: Oprah Winfrey
> Category: Entertainment/Activism
Host of one of the most popular TV talk shows ever, and the first African-American woman to become a self-made billionaire, Oprah Winfrey became the first woman to own and produce a television talk show.
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1987: Aretha Franklin
> Category: Entertainment
The “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin became the first woman artist inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
1988: Shawna Robinson
> Category: Sports
Shawna Robinson, from Des Moines, Iowa, became the first woman to win a NASCAR race, at New Asheville Speedway, in North Carolina.
1989: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
> Category: Politics
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida was the first Hispanic woman elected to the U.S. Congress. She represented Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
1990: Sharon Pratt Dixon
> Category: Politics
Sharon Pratt Dixon became the first black woman elected to serve as mayor of a major U.S. city when she was elected to lead Washington, D.C.
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1991: U.S. women’s soccer team
> Category: Sports
The United States won the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup that was held in China, accelerating the popularity of the sport in America.
1992: Manon Rheaume
> Category: Sports
Goaltender Manon Rheaume from Quebec became the first woman to sign a contract with the NHL, by inking a pact with Tampa Bay Lightning. She played in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues and stopped seven of nine shots.
1993: Janet Reno
> Category: Politics
Florida-born Janet Reno became the nation’s first female attorney general. She was appointed by President Bill Clinton.
1994: Mia Hamm
> Category: Sports
As American women’s soccer grew in force, Mia Hamm became the face of the sport. She was named U.S. Soccer’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1994.
1995: Eileen Collins
> Category: Science
Eileen Collins became the first woman to pilot a NASA space shuttle, and four years later became the first woman to command a space shuttle.
1996: Madeleine Albright
> Category: Politics
Madeleine Albright, who was born in Czechoslovakia, became the first woman secretary of state, serving President Bill Clinton
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1997: Ellen DeGeneres
> Category: Literature
Talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres came out in Time magazine with a cover saying, “Yep, I’m Gay.”
1998: J.K. Rowling
> Category: Entertainment
J.K. Rowling published her first novel, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” in the United States in 1998. The Harry Potter book franchise became one of the most popular book and movie franchises ever, making Rowling one of the richest women in the U.K.
1999: Carly Fiorina
> Category: Business
Carly Fiorina became the first woman to helm a company listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average when she was named chief executive officer of technology company Hewlett-Packard Company.
2000: Kathleen McGrath
> Category: Military
Kathleen McGrath became the first woman to command a Navy warship at sea. She commanded the Jarrett, with a crew of 262. The ship went on a mission in the Persian Gulf to interdict oil being smuggled out of Iraq.
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2001: Elaine Chao
> Category: Politics
Elaine Chao in 2001 became the first Asian-American woman appointed to a presidential cabinet when she was named by President George W. Bush to serve as secretary of labor.
2002: Halle Berry
> Category: Entertainment
Halle Berry became the first African-American woman to win a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the movie “Monster’s Ball.”
2003: Teresa Phillips
> Category: Sports
Teresa Phillips made history when she became the first woman to coach a Division I men’s basketball game as coach at Tennessee State University.
2004: Phylicia Rashad
> Category: Entertainment
Phylicia Rashad, who gained fame as the TV wife of Bill Cosby on “The Cosby Show,” became the first black woman to win Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her performance in “A Raisin in the Sun.”
2005: Condoleezza Rice
> Category: Politics
Condoleezza Rice became first African-American woman secretary of state, serving President George W. Bush. Before that she was national security adviser, the first woman to hold the post.
2006: Indra Nooyi
> Category: Business
Indra Nooyi became CEO of PepsiCo, the first woman to lead the soft-drink and snack-food colossus, and shifted the company into more healthful products.
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2007: Nancy Pelosi
> Category: Politics
Nancy Pelosi became the first woman elected as speaker of the House of Representatives, the highest political position ever attained by a woman in the United States.
2008: Ann E. Dunwoody
> Category: Military
Ann E. Dunwoody became the first female four-star general in the U.S. Army.
2009: Sonia Sotomayor
> Category: Law
Bronx-born Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice in American history, replacing Justice David Souter.
2010: Kathryn Bigelow
> Category: Entertainment
Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director, winning for the film “The Hurt Locker.”
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2011: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, Tawakkul Karman
> Category: Activism
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakkul Karman shared the Nobel Peace Prize for furthering women’s rights in Liberia. Sirleaf was the first woman elected to lead an African nation.
2012: Shannon Eastin
> Category: Sports
Shannon Eastin made sports history by becoming the fIrst female NFL referee when she worked as a line judge for the game between the Green Bay Packers and the San Diego Chargers.
2013: Mary Barra
> Category: Business
Mary Barra broke up the boys club in the automotive industry when she was named CEO of General Motors, the first woman to lead a major American automobile company.
2014: Mo’ne Davis
> Category: Sports
Mo’ne Davis from Philadelphia became the first girl to pitch her team to a victory in the Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Today, she plays basketball.
2015: Jennifer Welter
> Category: Sports
Jennifer Welter became the first woman coach in the NFL, when the Arizona Cardinals chose her to work with the team’s linebackers.
2016: Hillary Clinton
> Category: Politics
Hillary Clinton became the first woman to gain the presidential nomination of a major political party in the United States.
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2017: Patty Jenkins
> Category: Entertainment
Patty Jenkins became the first female director to helm a full-length super hero action film when she directed the movie “Wonder Woman.”
2018: Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib
> Category: Politics
Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib were the first Muslim women elected to Congress. They were elected to represent congressional districts in Minnesota and Michigan, respectively.
2019: Ali Stroker
> Category: Entertainment
Actress Ali Stroker became the first wheelchair user, man or woman, to win a Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Musical. She won for her performance in “Oklahoma.”
Methodology:
To create a list of women who broke barriers over the last seven decades, 24/7 Tempo reviewed dozens of websites focusing on history, women’s rights, sports, and economics such as britannica.com, womenshistory.org, biography.com, nationalgeographic.com, and espn.com. We reviewed historical articles and biographies of women in various fields, including science, law, sports, the military, business, entertainment, education, activism, and politics. Our list focused on the year a woman accomplished a great feat. Many years have more than one trailblazing woman. We applied editorial discretion in selecting one for every year, giving priority to women who have achieved something for the first time, had an impact in the fight for civil rights, or started a trend that has continued for years.
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