Who Was
the First?
Documenting the Muslims who shattered barriers and opened doors. From the first member of Congress in 2006 to the first Nobel laureate in 1979, and centuries of firsts in between.
Featured Firsts
politics 2006 Who Was the First Muslim Elected to U.S. Congress? Keith Ellison Keith Ellison won Minnesota's 5th Congressional District in 2006, taking his oath of office on a Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson. science 1979 Who Was the First Muslim Nobel Prize Winner in Science? Abdus Salam Pakistani physicist Abdus Salam shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on electroweak unification, a cornerstone of modern particle physics. politics 2018 Who Were the First Muslim Women Elected to U.S. Congress? Ilhan Omar & Rashida Tlaib In 2018, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib became the first Muslim women elected to Congress, representing Minnesota and Michigan respectively. space 1985 Who Was the First Muslim Astronaut? Sultan bin Salman Al Saud Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985, becoming the first Muslim and first Arab in space. law 2003 Who Was the First Muslim Woman to Win the Nobel Prize? Shirin Ebadi Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her work defending democracy and the rights of women and children. sports 1984 Who Was the First Muslim Olympic Gold Medalist? Nawal El Moutawakel Moroccan hurdler Nawal El Moutawakel won gold in the 400m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the first Muslim woman to win Olympic gold.
Recently Added
architecture 2004 Who Was the First Muslim Woman to Win the Pritzker Prize? Zaha Hadid Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid became the first woman, first Muslim, and first Arab to win the Pritzker Prize in 2004. literature 1988 Who Was the First Muslim to Win the Nobel Prize in Literature? Naguib Mahfouz Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first Arabic-language writer and first Muslim to receive the award. education 2014 Who Is the Youngest Nobel Laureate in History? Malala Yousafzai Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize at age 17, becoming the youngest Nobel laureate in the 113-year history of the award. engineering 1963 Who Was the Father of the Modern Skyscraper? Fazlur Rahman Khan Bangladeshi-American engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan invented the tubular structural system that made supertall buildings economically viable, including the Sears Tower. sports 1994 Who Was the First Muslim NBA MVP? Hakeem Olajuwon Nigerian-American center Hakeem Olajuwon won the 1994 NBA MVP while fasting for Ramadan, becoming the first born-Muslim to win the award. politics 1988 Who Was the First Woman to Lead a Muslim-Majority Country? Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto became the first woman elected to head a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country when she won the Pakistani premiership in 1988.
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