Neil Armstrong and NASA: One Giant Leap

First man on the moon Neil Armstrong routinely credited the thousands of scientists, technicians, and others who made his historic flight possible.

Arlene Pieper Stine (1930–2021), first woman to finish a marathon

Arlene Pieper Stine became the first woman to officially finish a sanctioned marathon in 1959, when she ran the Pikes Peak Marathon.

Jim “Mudcat” Grant (1935–2021), first Black American League pitcher to win 20 games

Jim “Mudcat” Grant was a Major League Baseball player who was the first Black pitcher to win 20 games in a season in the American League.

Merle Smith (1944–2021), first Black graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Cmdr. Merle Smith was a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who was the first Black graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

Penny Harrington (1942–2021), pioneering female police chief

Penny Harrington was the chief of the Portland, Oregon Police Bureau in the mid-1980s, becoming the first woman to lead a major U.S. city’s police department.

Robin Herman (1951–2022), pioneering woman sports journalist

Robin Herman was a journalist who became one of the first two women allowed in locker rooms of a men’s professional sport to interview players.

Madeleine Albright (1937–2022), first female secretary of state

Madeleine Albright was the first female secretary of state in U.S. history.

Trudy Haynes (1926–2022), first Black TV weather reporter in the U.S.

Trudy Haynes was an Emmy Award-winning journalist who became the first Black TV weather reporter in the U.S. and the first Black TV reporter in Philadelphia.

Gloria Molina (1948–2023), trailblazing California politician

Gloria Molina was the first Latina elected to the California State Assembly, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and the Los Angeles City Council.

Tom Hornbein (1930–2023), first to ascend Mount Everest’s West Ridge

Tom Hornbein was one of the team of mountaineers who made the first ascent up Mount Everest’s treacherous West Ridge in 1963. 

George Evans (1944–2023), former mayor of Selma, Alabama

George Evans was an elected official in Selma, Alabama, who was the city’s first Black city council president, first Black school board superintendent in Dallas County, and was a two-time mayor of Selma. 

Kathryn Harrison (1924–2023), Grande Ronde tribal leader 

Kathryn Harrison was a matriarch of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon who successfully advocated for federal recognition for her tribe.

Donald Triplett (1933–2023), first person diagnosed with autism

Donald Triplett was the first person ever diagnosed with autism.

Sinéad O'Connor (1966–2023), Nothing Compares 2 U singer

Sinéad O’Connor was an Irish singer-songwriter known best for her 1990 hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U.”

Sheila Oliver (1952–2023), groundbreaking New Jersey elected official 

Sheila Oliver led a groundbreaking political career as a Garden State legislator, including being the first Black woman to serve as speaker for the General Assembly and the first Black woman elected as New Jersey’s lieutenant governor.0

Ada Deer (1935–2023), Menominee leader and advocate 

Ada Deer was a leader of the Menominee Nation who advocated for the rollback of “Termination Era” policies and was later appointed as the first woman to head the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

Pat Corrales (1941–2023), first Mexican American MLB manager

Pat Corrales spent five decades in Major League Baseball (MLB), beginning as a player before moving on to managing and coaching. He was the first Mexican American MLB manager.

Bill Pinkney (1935–2023), pioneering sailor 

Bill Pinkney was the first Black sailor to make a solo circumnavigation of the globe via the notoriously difficult southern route, around the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn.

Ellen Holly (1931–2023), One Life to Live star 

Ellen Holly was an actress who starred as Carla Gray-Hall on “One Life to Life,” becoming the first Black star of a daytime soap opera.

Paula Murphy (1928–2023), record-breaking race car driver

Paula Murphy was a record-setting race car driver in the 1960s and ‘70s, the first woman to speed across the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in a jet-engine car. 

Jean Carnahan (1933–2024), Missouri’s first female U.S. senator

Jean Carnahan represented Missouri in the U.S. Senate and was the former first lady of Missouri.

Roni Stoneman (1938–2024), banjo player on Hee Haw

Veronica “Roni” Stoneman was a regular cast member and banjo player on “Hee Haw” and performed with the Country Music Association Award-winning Stoneman Family.

Jackie Loughery (1930–2024), first Miss USA

Jackie Loughery was the winner of the first ever Miss USA pageant in 1952 and went on to an acting career.

Eleanor Collins (1919–2024), Canada's First Lady of Jazz

Eleanor Collins was a jazz singer widely known as Canada's First Lady of Jazz, who broke ground on television when she became the first woman and first Black artist in Canada to host her own national television series, “The Eleanor Show.” 

David Breashears (1955–2024), Mount Everest documentarian 

David Breashears was a mountaineer and filmmaker who directed the IMAX film “Everest” and was the first American to reach the mountain’s summit twice (and five times overall). 

Lisa Lane (1933–2024), news-making chess champion 

Lisa Lane was the U.S. Women’s Chess Champion in the 1950s and ‘60s and the first chess player featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Dick Rutan (1938–2024), first pilot to fly non-stop around the world

Dick Rutan was a pilot who, in 1986, became one of the first two pilots to circumnavigate the globe in a non-stop flight without refueling.

Jeannie Epper (1941–2024), Wonder Woman stunt double

Jeannie Epper was a pioneering stuntwoman and actress best known for her work in films like “Romancing the Stone” and TV’s “Wonder Woman.” 

Mary Wells Lawrence (1928–2024), legendary advertising exec

Mary Wells Lawrence was a groundbreaking advertising executive who founded Wells Rich Greene and was known for quotable ad slogans like “I ♥ NY” and “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz.” 

William Goines (1936–2024), America’s first Black Navy SEAL

William Goines was a decorated U.S. Navy veteran who was the first Black SEAL and a Lone Sailor award recipient.

Lizzy Musi (1991–2024), star of Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings

Lizzy Musi was a professional race car driver and star of the reality series “Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings.” 

Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg (1928–2024), namesake of Fort Gregg-Adams

Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg was the first Black U.S. Army officer to reach his rank and the only living person in modern history with a military installation named in their honor.

Cleo Sylvestre (1945–2024), trailblazing British actress and singer

Cleo Sylvestre was a British actress and singer who achieved several firsts, including being the first female vocalist to record with the Rolling Stones. 

Ozzie Virgil Sr. (1932–2024), first Dominican player in MLB

Ozzie Virgil Sr. became the first player in Major League Baseball from the Dominican Republic when he debuted with the New York Giants in 1956.

Toni Vaz (1922–2024), NAACP Image Award creator

Toni Vaz was an actress and the first Black stuntwoman in Hollywood, best known for being the creator of the NAACP Image Awards.

Patti McGee (1945–2024), first female skateboarding champion

Patti McGee was the first woman to skateboard professionally and the first winner of the women’s division of the National Skateboard Championships.

Joey Jay (1935–2024), first Little Leaguer to make the majors 

Joey Jay was the first Little League player to make the Major Leagues, winning 99 games over a 13-year MLB career.

Peter Westbrook (1952–2024), Olympian who gave back

Peter Westbrook was a pioneering Olympic fencer whose legacy wasn’t just the accolades he won, but also the lives he touched through his nonprofit work.

Mary McGee (1936–2024), pioneering motorcycle racer

Mary McGee was one of the first women to race motorcycles, profiled in the recent ESPN documentary, “Motorcycle Mary.” 

Nancy Leftenant-Colon (1920–2025), Army Nurse Corps trailblazer

Nancy Leftenant-Colon was a nurse who broke the color barrier when she became the first Black woman to join the U.S. Army Nurse Corps following its desegregation in the 1940s.

Beverly Byron (1932–2025), former congresswoman from Maryland

Beverly Byron represented Maryland in the U.S. House from 1979 to 1993.