She holds records for making major bank in album sales and for her impressive vocal range, but she made a first in music industry history back in 1995 with the release of a certain landmark single. mariah carey fantasy first female artist to debut at number one,
She's endured decades of stardom and scrutiny that would have broken a lesser woman -- or man. But for her hard-fought struggle to the top, Streisand has more than one achievement to brag about. barbra streisand First woman to produce, direct, write and star in a major motion picture, barbra streisand first female composer to win the Best Song Oscar,
It's an understatement to say that Winfrey has accomplished a lot during her career, but her reign as the "queen of all media" hinges around one single achievement upon which she built her empire. (And no, it's not "most cars given away to a studio audience." oprah winfrey first black female billionaire, oprah winfrey first woman to own and produce her own talk show,
Her rise to stardom took her out from behind the camera and put her in front of it, and the world is all the better for the fact that Fey took that unusual path. But it was during her off-camera career that she became a female first. tina fey first female head writer of saturday night live,
She's a rare case, having found success in both segments of her career: in her beginnings as a rapper and currently as an actor. But it's the earlier half of her professional life that got her a special first, which put her ahead of both the women and the men in her field. queen latifah first rapper to get a star on the hollywood walk of fame,
Although it's easy to guess why Ball might have made history, her female first actually happened behind the scenes, long after the series run of "I Love Lucy" had ended. Lest we forget, Ball was a talent in front of the camera and a Hollywood power player behind it, particularly after her divorce from Desi Arnaz. +lucille ball first woman in television to head a major studio,
She's been a constant fixture on TV for more than 50 years, and long before she threw herself into the chicken coop that is "The View," Walters earned a spot in women's history. +barbara walters first female co-anchor on the evening news,
There's been no shortage of accolades throughout Beyonce's career, but in 2007 she earned a very special distinction in the form of an award that had previously only been won by dudes or groups of dudes. First female artist to be awarded the International Artist Award at the American Music Award, blue ivy carter,
Think back to the 2010 Oscars, and you might remember what landed Bigelow on the map. The best part about her female first? In achieving it, she beat out her ex-husband. +kathryn bigelow first woman to win best director, kathryn bigelow ex-wife james cameron,
Considering how hard Lopez pushes herself professionally, you'd think that her female first would have to do with singing or dancing or acting, right? Wrong. Though there's probably some record she's broken as far as professional achievements made by a former Fly Girl. +jennifer lopez first female spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Club of America,
She's done a little bit of everything over the course of her career, but she made a showbiz first in 1994. What was it? Here's a hint: She did alone what Carol Burnett, Diana Ross and Shirley MacLaine had done with the help of others. +whoopi goldberg first female host of the oscars,
She's a music legend with an inspiring story. And while Turner has plenty to be proud of, she also has an interesting claim in pop culture history that puts her ahead of nearly every other singer, rocker and musician ever… aside from one. +tina turner first woman on cover of rolling stone, john lennon 1st on the cover of rolling stone,
Years before the Williams sisters ruled the courts, professional tennis had a powerhouse in the form of Chris Evert. During her years of dominance, she racked up not only a female first, but also a first for any tennis player, regardless of gender. +chris evert First woman to earn $1 million in career prize money, chris evert first tennis player to win 1,000 singles matches, +winningest female tennis players,
If you don't know what this woman has achieved in the last few years, then you've been living under a rock… a rock with no public library. Importantly, Rowling's supreme achievements with her Harry Potter series have earned her fame not only among female authors, but also among all writers, male and female. j.k. rowling first billionaire author, j.k. rowling new book, +who are the wealthiest authors?,
After snagging a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics with her nearly flawless gymnastics performance, Retton had much to be proud of. And while perfecting her sport certainly had to be at the top of her list of accomplishments, she also scored a pop culture feat that was equally record-setting. +first female athlete on the front of the wheaties box, +women on the wheaties box,
If you're not a racing aficionado, then you might guess that Patrick is the first female racecar driver. She's not by a long shot, but she did earn a female first in racing history. +danica patrick first woman to win an indy car race,
She found tremendous success (and some controversy) on her '90s sitcom "Murphy Brown," but years before that show aired, Bergen scored a female first that paved the way for more or less every comedically inclined woman of the past 35 years. +candice bergen first female host of saturday night live,
Though Hayes passed away in 1993, she's still one of the most venerable actors to walk across a stage. And you'd better believe she had the awards to prove it. In fact, it's with her assemblage of awards that Hayes scored a notable female first. +helen hayes first woman to egot, rita moreno emmy grammy oscar tony,
This track and field superstar stole the world's attention during the Olympic Games in 1984, 1988 and 1992. And while the medals are more than enough, it's also notable what honor she achieved as a result of her athletic prowess. +jackie joyner kersee first woman on the cover of sports illustrated, jackie joyner kersee world records,
She had a rep for being the hardest-working teenybopper in the '80s, and she earned it. But through all that work, Gibson also earned a certain achievement that's not only a female first, but also a still-standing Guinness World Record among any female recording artist. (Take that, Miley Cyrus. debbie gibson youngest female artist to write, record, and perform a No. 1 single,
