Famous Firsts
1 / 15Who was the first to climb Everest? The first woman in space? Test your memory of groundbreaking historic firsts from around the world!
15 quick questionsNo sign-upFree to playTap an answer below to begin ↓
Who was the first person to walk on the Moon?
About Famous Firsts
Famous Firsts is a free memory games quiz with 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 5 easy, 5 medium, 5 hard questions. Who was the first to climb Everest? The first woman in space? Test your memory of groundbreaking historic firsts from around the world! A typical run takes about 7 minutes, hints are always one tap away, and your streak ticks up the first time you finish a game on a given day.
A few sample questions
1. Who was the first person to walk on the Moon?
Answer: Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission. His famous words were: 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'
2. Who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean?
Answer: Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean on May 20–21, 1932, flying from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland in about 15 hours.
3. Who was the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest?
Answer: Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal, became the first confirmed climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953. Hillary is traditionally credited as the first to step on the summit.
4. Who was the first person to break the sound barrier in level flight?
Answer: Chuck Yeager
Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947, flying the Bell X-1 rocket plane at Mach 1.06 over Edwards Air Force Base in California.
5. Who was the first human to travel into outer space?
Answer: Yuri Gagarin
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space on April 12, 1961, completing one orbit of the Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft.
Things you'll learn along the way
- Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963, orbiting the Earth 48 times aboard Vostok 6 over nearly three days.
- Captain Matthew Webb of England became the first person to swim across the English Channel on August 25, 1875, completing the crossing from Dover to Calais in about 21 hours and 45 minutes.
- Alexander Graham Bell was awarded the first patent for the telephone on March 7, 1876. He made the first successful telephone call to his assistant Thomas Watson, saying 'Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.'
Frequently asked questions
What's a good follow-up after Famous Firsts?
If you enjoyed this memory games quiz, try the Daily Challenge — five rotating questions, refreshed every 24 hours, that count toward your streak. You can also use the Surprise Me button on the homepage to land on a different game type for variety.
Can I print Famous Firsts?
Yes — use the Print button at the top of the page for a clean question sheet, or "Print with Answers" to make an answer key. Printed sheets work well for group play at home, in a classroom, or at a senior center.
Will I lose my progress if I close the page?
Your overall progress — XP, streaks, and badges — is saved in your browser automatically. A quiz that's underway restarts if you leave mid-game, but at about 7 minutes, Famous Firsts fits comfortably in one sitting.
How many questions are in Famous Firsts?
Famous Firsts has 15 multiple-choice questions. Each one has four answer options and an explanation that appears after you answer, so you learn something even when you miss.
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