Brittany Catanzaro, First Female Ferry Captain for New York Waterway and Hero to US Airways Flight 1549

Pamela Jelimo became the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic track and field gold medal with her 800-meter win (in the time of 1:54.87) in Beijing.

Driving for the team Andretti Green Racing in Motegi, Japan, Danica Patrick became the first woman to win on the IndyCar circuit.

In 2008, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska became the first Republican woman in U.S. history to be nominated for vice president.

In March 2008, Fahmida Mirza became the first female National Assembly speaker in Pakistan’s 60-year history with the support of the Pakistan Peoples Party, the party of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

In November 2008, Ann Dunwoody became the first female four-star general in the United States military. Her promotion has been described as breaking “the brass ceiling” of the armed forces.

On November 16, 2008, Col. Stephanie Dawson was named commander of the 369th Sustainment Brigade, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters, a National Guard unit renowned for its remarkable service during World War I.

Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire’s first female governor, became the state’s first female senator in November, beating Republican incumbent John Sununu by 7 percent.

In November, 32-year-old Rashida Tlaib won 44 percent of the vote in an eight-way Democratic primary contest for a seat in the Michigan state legislature.