Life
9 Women Who Broke Records In 2019, From Athletes & Astronauts To Oscar Winners & Beyond
2019 has been a year of many things, but one thing that has rightly made numerous headlines is the women who have broken world records. From astronauts to gymnasts, costume designers to mathematicians, singers to golfers, these are just some of the names that should be commemorated in the history books.
You may recognise some of the following women, but not all of them are super famous. Yes, there's the likes of Lady Gaga who, with record-breaking awards under her belt, deserves a place on the historical women shelf. But individuals like NASA astronaut Christina Koch, mathematician Professor Karen Uhlenbeck, and production designer Hannah Beachler should also be recognised for their work in space, academia, and filmmaking, respectively.
Several sportswomen unsurprisingly feature, too, including history-making gymnast Simone Biles, mega endurance runner Jasmin Paris, and marathon champion Brigid Kosgei. All have either broken existing records or set entirely new ones, paving the way for more women to enter and excel in their fields.
If one thing's been made clear this year, it's that women are unapologetically rising. And while there's still a long way to go in most sectors, lists like these are just one way of documenting their many, many achievements. So here are some of the female names and faces to remember from 2019.
1Christina Koch
U.S. astronaut Christina Koch has just broken the women's record for the longest time in space. As the Independent reports, Koch has been in space for 289 days. The previous female record-holder, Peggy Whitson, spent a total of 288 days up above. Koch — who also took part in the first-ever female spacewalk in October — isn't ready to return to Earth just yet. Her flight home isn't scheduled to leave until February 2020.
2Brigid Kosgei
Kenyan runner Brigid Kosgei, 25, beat a 16-year-old women's marathon record in October, per the BBC. In the Chicago Marathon, she ran a time of a time of 2:14:04, beating Paula Radcliffe's 2003 London Marathon time of 2:15:25. This year, Kosgei also became the youngest winner of the London race.
3Simone Biles
You may already know Simone Biles' name but in 2019, the gymnast broke the World Championships medals record by taking her medal total to a whopping 25. And out of those 25, the 22-year-old has earned 19 gold decorations, notes the Guardian.
4Ruth E. Carter
At the 2019 Oscars, Ruth E. Carter became the first African American to take home the Costume Design award. As the Los Angeles Times reports, the ceremony marked the third time Carter had been nominated. The first came in 1993 for her work on Malcolm X and the second celebrated her costumes for the 1997 slave ship drama Amistad.
5Karen Uhlenbeck
In March, Karen Uhlenbeck, a professor at the University of Texas, won some call the Nobel Prize in maths. She was the first woman to win the £530,000 Abel Prize, reports the BBC, and was chosen for work which "dramatically changed the mathematical landscape" and for being "a strong advocate for gender equality in science and mathematics."
6Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga has had a major record-breaking year. She became the first woman (and second ever person) to win an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Grammy in the same year. Every award was for A Star Is Born's "Shallow", per Capital. Gaga also became the first person to ever be nominated for Best Actress and Best Original Song in one Oscars ceremony.
7Jasmin Paris
The 286-mile Spine Race is often referred to as Britain's "most brutal" race, states Runner's World. And, in January, Jasmin Paris became not only the first woman to win it, but the fastest person to do so in history. Her time of 83 hours, 12 minutes, and 23 seconds beat previous record-holder Eoin Keith's time by 12 hours. If that wasn't enough of an achievement, Paris also did it while expressing milk for her young daughter.
8Hannah Beachler
The 2019 Oscars welcomed several records for women. Hannah Beachler became the first black person to win the Oscar for Production Design for her Black Panther work. She also became the first African American to ever be nominated in the category, notes the Los Angeles Times.
9Jin Young Ko
South Korean golfer Jin Young Ko surpassed Tiger Woods' record by playing 114 consecutive holes without making a bogey, per Golf Monthly. (A bogey means scoring one over the expected number of strokes it should take a professional golfer to finish a hole.) Woods managed to play 110 holes straight without a bogey in 2000.
