Great Firsts

The Wright brothers achieved the first sustained powered flight in 1903, lasting just twelve seconds.

Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space in 1961, completing a single orbit before returning safely.

Neil Armstrong became the first person on the Moon in 1969, calling it one giant leap for mankind.

Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space in 1963, orbiting the Earth 48 times.

The Magellan expedition completed the first circumnavigation of the globe, finishing after Magellan's own death.

The world's first scheduled commercial airline flight in 1914 covered a short route across Florida's Tampa Bay.

Christiaan Barnard's team performed the first human-to-human heart transplant in Cape Town in 1967. Calling it a technical milestone…

Edward Jenner tested cowpox inoculation against smallpox in 1796 and published his findings in 1798. Earlier variolation used material…

Joseph Murray performed the first successful kidney transplant in 1954, between identical twins to avoid rejection.

Dolly the sheep became the first mammal cloned from an adult cell in 1996, sparking global debate over cloning ethics.

The Obninsk plant in the Soviet Union became the first nuclear plant to supply electricity to a power grid in 1954.

Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903 and remains the only person to win in two sciences.

Alexander Graham Bell's March 1876 test transmitted a spoken request to Thomas Watson. Telephone development involved several inventors…

Nicéphore Niépce captured the earliest surviving photograph in the 1820s, needing an exposure of several hours.

The Gutenberg Bible, printed with movable type in the 1450s, helped launch the spread of printed books across Europe.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world's first elected female head of government, serving three terms as prime minister.

The first transatlantic telegraph cable, completed in 1858, cut communication time between continents from weeks to minutes.

ENIAC, completed in 1945, ranked among the first general-purpose electronic computers and filled an entire room.

Ray Tomlinson sent what is considered the first network email in 1971 and popularized the @ symbol in addresses.

The first public website, published in 1991 by Tim Berners-Lee, explained the World Wide Web project itself.

The first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens in 1896, revived a tradition inspired by the ancient Greek games.

Diners Club launched the first widely used charge card in 1950, initially accepted at a handful of New York restaurants.

Chicago's Home Insurance Building combined iron, steel and masonry. Completed in 1885, it was influential in the development of tall…

The first traffic signal, installed in London in 1868, ran on gas and exploded not long after it was put in place.