List of firsts in Sweden



This is a list of firsts in Sweden.

Politics and government

 * First Prime Minister: Louis De Geer: March 20, 1876 – April 19, 1880.
 * First female minister of cabinet: Karin Kock (s), 1947
 * First female leader of a Riksdag party: Karin Söder (c), 1985
 * First female Prime Minister: Magdalena Andersson: 30 November 2021 – 18 October 2022.
 * First openly homosexual minister of cabinet: Andreas Carlgren (c), 2006.
 * First minister of cabinet of African origin: Nyamko Sabuni (fp), 2006.
 * First speaker of the unicameral Riksdag: Henry Allard (s), 1971.

Architecture

 * First planned settlement: Birka

Education and academia

 * First university: Uppsala University, founded in 1477, continuous since 1593.
 * First female dentist: Rosalie Fougelberg, 1867 (Amalia Assur, was licensed in 1852, but only with a special permission)
 * First female medical doctor: Karolina Widerström, 1884
 * First female PhD: Ellen Fries, promoted in 1883
 * First female professor: Sofia Kovalevskaya, 1889
 * First female university student: Betty Pettersson, 1872
 * First (trained) nurse: Emmy Rappe, 1867
 * First female pharmacist: Agnes Arvidsson, 1903 (First female with a degree in pharmacology)
 * First female psychiatrist: Alfhild Tamm, 1908

Science and technology

 * First scientific discovery: Lymphatic system by Olaus Rudbeck.
 * First elephant: Imported from Ceylon in 1804.
 * First railway: Frykstadbanan, between Frykstad and Klara Älvs, in the province of Värmland, converted to steam operation in 1855.
 * First home-built automobile: a steam car built in 1891-92 by brothers Jöns and Anders Cederholm.
 * First aeroplane flight: Frenchman George Legagneux flew his aircraft in Stockholm, 1909.
 * First Volvo automobile: Volvo ÖV4, left production line on 14 April, 1927.
 * First line of the Stockholm metro: Slussen to Hökarängen, opened October 1, 1950.
 * First nuclear reactor: R1 at Royal Institute of Technology, started on July 13, 1954.
 * First motorway: Malmö-Lund, 1950s.

Culture

 * First official translation of the Bible: Gustav Vasa Bible, 1541
 * First professional native actress: Beata Sabina Straas, 1737
 * First theatre: Björngårdsteatern, 1640
 * First professional woman photographer: Brita Sofia Hesselius, 1845
 * First female film producer: Ebba Lindkvist, 1910

Business

 * First casino: Casino Cosmopol in Sundsvall, opened on July 1, 2001

Titles and awards

 * First Miss Sweden to win Miss World Kicki Håkansson in 1951
 * First Miss Sweden to win Miss Universe Hillevi Rombin in 1955

Other

 * First professional woman swimmer Nancy Edberg, 1847