Around International Women's Day in March and Women's History Month, Bing celebrates pioneering women with a dedicated quiz. The questions honour firsts, first flights, first Nobels, first votes, and a core roster of names answers most rounds.
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The names that anchor the quiz
Marie Curie, the first person to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences (physics and chemistry). Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic (1932). Rosa Parks, whose 1955 bus protest catalysed the Montgomery boycott. Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space (1963), and Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace laureate.
Firsts and dates
'First' questions dominate: first woman in space (Tereshkova, not Sally Ride, who was the first American woman), first female Prime Minister (Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, 1960), and New Zealand as the first country to grant women the national vote (1893). The nationality qualifier decides several of these, so read it carefully.
Science and arts pioneers
Ada Lovelace is celebrated as the first computer programmer, Rosalind Franklin's X-ray work underpinned the DNA double helix, Frida Kahlo leads the art questions, and Jane Austen and the Brontës front the literature ones. International Women's Day itself, March 8, is a common date question.
Answering well
Match the 'first' to its exact scope, world versus a specific country, and verify close dates. If the day's homepage honours a particular woman, her name is in the caption, and one search of her signature achievement confirms the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first woman in space?
Valentina Tereshkova of the Soviet Union in 1963. Sally Ride was the first American woman, in 1983, a classic qualifier trick.
When is International Women's Day?
March 8 every year, with Women's History Month observed through March, when Bing's women-themed quizzes usually appear.
Who was the first person to win Nobel Prizes in two sciences?
Marie Curie, who won in physics (1903) and chemistry (1911), one of the quiz's most repeated answers.