1837 ..... U.S.A ..... the FIRST college exclusively for women in America was Mount Holyoke Female Seminary which was opened by Miss Mary Lyons. There were 80 students covering a varied curriculum and they were also expected to assist with housework. The college did not award degrees but on August 23rd 1838 four students were awarded diplomas. Past students included Emily Dickinson and Mary Wilkins Freeman 

1906 ..... the FIRST successful transmission of a newspaper photograph by telegraph was made when a portrait of King Edward was sent Paris to London in twelve minutes. It was published in the Daily Mirror the following day

1917 .....  Alexandra Kollantai, the FIRST woman Minister of State, when appointed People's Commissar (Minister) of Social Welfare with cabinet rank in the revolutionary Bolshevik Government

1920 ..... U.K ..... the FIRST Rupert Bear cartoon appeared in the Daily Express under the heading " Little Lost Bear".  He was created by Mary Tourtel, a well established illustrator whose husband was night editor of the paper 

1950 ….. the FIRST jet to jet aerial combat was over North Korea between a Lockheed F-80 jet fighter flown by Lt Russell John Brown and a Soviet MiG-15

1967 ..... U.K ..... Radio Leicester, the FIRST BBC local station, was opened

2003 ..... U.K ..... Sophie, Countess of Wessex was the FIRST Royal to have her baby in a National Health hospital when her daughter was born

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