10 Historic Firsts That Didn’t Happen How You Think
Discover the surprising twists and forgotten pioneers behind history’s biggest "firsts," where what you think you know may not be the full story!
- Alyana Aguja
- 3 min read
History is full of surprises, and many iconic “firsts” didn’t unfold the way we’ve been taught. From forgotten trailblazers to unexpected setbacks, these moments challenge the conventional narrative and reveal a deeper, often overlooked story. Dive into the fascinating world where the unsung heroes and hidden truths of history finally take the spotlight!
1. The First Flight of an Airplane?
Image from iStock
The Wright brothers got all the credit in 1903, but Gustave Whitehead could have outdone them by two years. Several accounts and images indicated he took to the skies in a powered plane in 1901, but it was poorly documented and unsung. The Smithsonian supported the Wrights at least in part because they had underwritten a contract linking their fame with museum rights.
2. First Female Candidate for U.S. President?
Image from National Women’s History Museum
It wasn’t Hillary Clinton or even a 20th-century candidate, Victoria Woodhull, who campaigned in 1872, almost 50 years before women were even allowed to vote. She was a stockbroker, spiritualist, and free love advocate. Her vice presidential candidate was Frederick Douglass, though he never said he agreed.
3. First Person in Space?
Image from Wikipedia
Yuri Gagarin didn’t land in his capsule. He ejected from the Vostok 1 capsule and parachuted down to Earth separately, which broke official “landing with the craft” rules for record-breaking. Nevertheless, the Soviet Union managed to keep that fact a secret until years afterward.
4. First Man to Reach the North Pole?
Image from Swirled
It wasn’t Robert Peary — at least, not conclusively. His 1909 assertion was repeatedly challenged based on discrepancies in navigation records and timing. Some claim Matthew Henson, his African American attendant and accomplished navigator, was first… but history kept him buried for decades.
5. First Sound Film
Image from Wikipedia
The Jazz Singer (1927) wasn’t really the first—it just became the most well-known. Years before, there were a few short films with synchronized sound, such as Dickson Experimental Sound Film in 1894. But The Jazz Singer had commercial success and dialogue, so it took center stage.
6. First American Settler West of the Appalachians?
Image from Wikipedia
It was not Daniel Boone; he was a Black man, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, who settled in Chicago in the 1770s. He was French-speaking and Haitian-born. He traded, farmed, and constructed one of the first permanent residences in the region. His legacy was overlooked in textbooks for a long time.
7. First Photograph of a Human?
Image from Wikipedia
The first known photograph of an individual wasn’t staged but by accident. In 1838, Louis Daguerre exposed Paris streets for a long time, and only one man had his shoes polished and remained stationary long enough to show up. All the rest of the people in the busy scene disappeared because of motion blur.
8. First Olympic Champion of the Modern Games?
Image from Wikipedia
The initial gold medal winner in 1896 was James Connolly, but here’s the twist: He had to withdraw from Harvard to do it. He participated in the triple jump and took home the top prize, becoming the Games’ first champion in more than 1,500 years. Harvard never readmitted him afterward.
9. First Elected Female Head of Government?
Image from Britannica
It wasn’t Margaret Thatcher but Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka in 1960. She entered politics after her husband was assassinated and governed the nation three times. Her election stunned many who believed women had no business in high office.
10. First Email Ever Sent
Image from Creative Fabrica
Ray Tomlinson posted the first email in 1971, and it was completely nonsense. He later confessed it was sort of a “QWERTYUIOP,” a test of the new messaging system. The “@” sign was selected nearly at random to divide the user from the host.