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Timeline

Every appointment in the dataset, ordered by start date. The annual histogram below shows the temporal distribution; the table beneath it lists each entry. The principal cluster window is 2018–2026.

The shape of the dataset is most visible at this scale. The 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s each register just three to six events globally across all senior institutional categories combined — with many empty years between them. The 1990s and 2000s rise to roughly one event per year on average, distributed across continents and across categories. From 2018 onward, every year is non-empty and several years cross seven or more events at the senior institutional tier — a rate the dataset's preceding five decades collectively never reached. The cluster is not concentrated in a single domain: a typical post-2018 year distributes its events across politics, intelligence, the military, the judiciary, corporate leadership, and the other sectors covered on the domains page.

First-woman appointments per year0471114195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
Annual count of first-woman appointments. Years inside the 2018–2026 cluster window are highlighted in gold.

All appointments

Year Appointment Domain Tenure
1952 Gertrude Garner — Sheriff, Loudon County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee Law Enforcement 1952–1954
1960 Sirimavo Bandaranaike — Prime Minister, Sri Lanka Government Politics 1960–1965
1965 Margaret Thompson — President, Archaeological Institute of America Sciences 1965–1968
1966 Indira Gandhi — Prime Minister, India Government Politics 1966–1977
1968 Hannah Marie Wormington — President, Society for American Archaeology Sciences 1968–1969
1969 Golda Meir — Prime Minister, Israel Government Politics 1969–1974
1974 Isabel Perón — President, Argentina Government Politics 1974–1976
1975 Elisabeth Domitien — Prime Minister, Central African Republic Government Politics 1975–1976
1977 Ruth Carpenter — Sheriff, Hunterdon County Sheriff's Office, New Jersey Law Enforcement 1977–1989
1977 Kathy Crumbley — Sheriff, Belmont County Sheriff's Office, Ohio Law Enforcement 1977–1981
1978 Hanna Holborn Gray — President, University of Chicago Academia 1978–1993
1979 Margaret Thatcher — Prime Minister, UK Government Politics 1979–1990
1979 Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo — Prime Minister, Portugal Government Politics 1979–1980
1979 Lidia Gueiler Tejada — President, Bolivia Government Politics 1979–1980
1980 Eugenia Charles — Prime Minister, Dominica Government Politics 1980–1995
1980 Vigdis Finnbogadottir — President, Iceland Politics 1980–1996
1981 Sandra Day O'Connor — Associate Justice, US Supreme Court Judiciary 1981–2006
1982 Virginia Donnelly — Sheriff, Howard County Sheriff's Office, Maryland Law Enforcement 1982–1990
1986 Gro Harlem Brundtland — Prime Minister, Norway Government Politics 1986–1989
1987 Sydel Silverman — President, Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Sciences 1987–1999
1988 Benazir Bhutto — Prime Minister, Pakistan Government Politics 1988–1990
1990 Violeta Chamorro — President, Nicaragua Government Politics 1990–1997
1990 Mary Robinson — President, Ireland Government Politics 1990–1997
1991 Khaleda Zia — Prime Minister, Bangladesh Government Politics 1991–1996
1991 Edith Cresson — Prime Minister, France Government Politics 1991–1992
1992 Stella Rimington — Director General, MI5 Security Service Intelligence 1992–1996
1993 Jackie Barrett — Sheriff, Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Georgia Law Enforcement 1993–2004
1993 Janet Reno — Attorney General, US Department of Justice Government 1993–2001
1993 Ruth Bader Ginsburg — Associate Justice, US Supreme Court Judiciary 1993–2020
1994 Judith Rodin — President, University of Pennsylvania Academia 1994–2004
1994 Chandrika Kumaratunga — President, Sri Lanka Government Politics 1994–2005
1995 Barbara Pickens — Sheriff, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina Law Enforcement 1995–2006
1995 Judy Pridgen — Sheriff, Saline County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas Law Enforcement 1995–2007
1997 Margo Frasier — Sheriff, Travis County Sheriff's Office, Texas Law Enforcement 1997–2004
1997 Madeleine Albright — Secretary of State, US State Department Government 1997–2001
1998 Gro Harlem Brundtland — Director-General, World Health Organization International 1998–2003
1998 Rita Colwell — Director, National Science Foundation Sciences 1998–2004
1998 Laurie Smith — Sheriff, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, California Law Enforcement 1998–2022
1999 Kathy Witt — Sheriff, Fayette County Sheriff's Office, Kentucky Law Enforcement 1999–
1999 Vaira Vike-Freiberga — President, Latvia Politics 1999–2007
1999 Mireya Moscoso — President, Panama Government Politics 1999–2004
2000 Carolyn Welsh — Sheriff, Chester County Sheriff's Office, Pennsylvania Law Enforcement 2000–2020
2000 Tarja Halonen — President, Finland Politics 2000–2012
2001 Jimmie Bruner — Sheriff, Stephens County Sheriff's Office, Oklahoma Law Enforcement 2001–2009
2001 Shirley Tilghman — President, Princeton University Academia 2001–2013
2001 Ruth Simmons — President, Brown University Academia 2001–2012
2003 Terese Amazi — Sheriff, Mower County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota Law Enforcement 2003–2018
2003 Sheila Prue — Sheriff, Windham County Sheriff's Department, Vermont Law Enforcement 2003–2006
2004 Susan Hockfield — President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Academia 2004–2012
2005 Patti Bolen — Sheriff, Valley County Sheriff's Office, Idaho Law Enforcement 2005–2023
2005 Susan Benton — Sheriff, Highlands County Sheriff's Office, Florida Law Enforcement 2005–2017
2005 Condoleezza Rice — Secretary of State, US State Department Government 2005–2009
2005 Angela Merkel — Chancellor, Germany Government Politics 2005–2021
2005 Vanessa Crawford — Sheriff, Petersburg Sheriff's Office, Virginia Law Enforcement 2005–
2005 Sue Rahr — Sheriff, King County Sheriff's Office, Washington Law Enforcement 2005–2012
2006 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — President, Liberia Politics 2006–2018
2006 Michelle Bachelet — President, Chile Government Politics 2006–2010
2006 Margaret Chan — Director-General, World Health Organization International 2006–2017
2007 Diana Simpson — Sheriff, Benton County Sheriff's Office, Oregon Law Enforcement 2007–2013
2007 Nancy Hove — Sheriff, Pierce County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin Law Enforcement 2007–2022
2007 Donna Dennison — Sheriff, Knox County Sheriff's Office, Maine Law Enforcement 2007–2019
2007 Drew Faust — President, Harvard University Academia 2007–2018
2007 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner — President, Argentina Government Politics 2007–2015
2009 Hillary Clinton — Secretary of State, US State Department Government 2009–2013
2009 Janet Napolitano — Secretary, US Dept of Homeland Security Government 2009–2013
2009 Sonia Sotomayor — Associate Justice, US Supreme Court Judiciary 2009–2025
2010 Laura Chinchilla — President, Costa Rica Government Politics 2010–2014
2010 Julia Gillard — Prime Minister, Australia Government Politics 2010–2013
2010 Elena Kagan — Associate Justice, US Supreme Court Judiciary 2010–
2010 Sarah Warner — Sheriff, Hettinger County Sheriff's Office, North Dakota Law Enforcement 2010–
2011 Dilma Rousseff — President, Brazil Government Politics 2011–2016
2011 Friederike Fless — President, German Archaeological Institute (DAI) Sciences 2011–
2011 Christine Lagarde — Managing Director, IMF Finance 2011–2019
2011 Yingluck Shinawatra — Prime Minister, Thailand Government Politics 2011–2014
2011 Catherine Virlouvet — Director, École française d'Athènes Sciences 2011–2019
2012 Ginni Rometty — CEO, IBM Corporate 2012–2020
2012 Joyce Banda — President, Malawi Government Politics 2012–2014
2012 Marissa Mayer — CEO, Yahoo Corporate 2012–2017
2013 Marillyn Hewson — CEO, Lockheed Martin Corporate 2013–2020
2013 Phebe Novakovic — CEO, General Dynamics Corporate 2013–
2013 Park Geun-hye — President, South Korea Government Politics 2013–2017
2014 Mary Barra — CEO, General Motors Corporate 2014–
2014 Catherine Samba-Panza — President, Central African Republic Government Politics 2014–2016
2014 Janet Yellen — Chair, Federal Reserve Finance 2014–2018
2014 Susan Wojcicki — CEO, YouTube Corporate 2014–2023
2014 Lisa Su — CEO, Advanced Micro Devices Corporate 2014–
2014 Margrethe Vestager — Executive VP / Competition Commissioner, EU Commission EU 2014–2024
2014 Nicola Sturgeon — First Minister, Scottish Government Politics 2014–2023
2015 Colleen O'Neill — Sheriff, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, New York Law Enforcement 2015–2022
2015 Libby Lane — Bishop, Church of England Diocese of Stockport Religion 2015–2026
2015 Ameenah Gurib-Fakim — President, Mauritius Government Politics 2015–2018
2015 Rachel Treweek — Diocesan Bishop, Church of England Diocese of Gloucester Religion 2015–
2015 Beata Szydło — Prime Minister, Poland Government Politics 2015–2017
2016 Louise Richardson — Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford Academia 2016–2022
2016 Tsai Ing-wen — President, Taiwan Government Politics 2016–2024
2016 Frances Morris — Director, Tate Modern (London) Art 2016–
2016 Marcia McNutt — President, National Academy of Sciences Sciences 2016–
2016 Heidi Visocan — Sheriff, Sheridan County Sheriff's Office, Montana Law Enforcement 2016–
2017 Katy McCutcheon — Sheriff, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Missouri Law Enforcement 2017–
2017 Emma Walmsley — CEO, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Pharma 2017–2025
2017 Rosie Rivera — Sheriff, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, Utah Law Enforcement 2017–
2017 Jacinda Ardern — Prime Minister, New Zealand Government Politics 2017–2023
2017 Jacinda Ardern — Prime Minister, New Zealand Government Politics 2017–2023
2017 Katrin Jakobsdottir — Prime Minister, Iceland Government Politics 2017–2024
2017 Kirstjen Nielsen — Secretary, US Dept of Homeland Security Government 2017–2019
2018 Gina Haspel — Director, CIA Intelligence 2018–2021
2018 Sahle-Work Zewde — President, Ethiopia Government Politics 2018–2024
2019 Kathy Warden — CEO, Northrop Grumman Corporate 2019–
2019 Kelli Reinke — Sheriff, Spencer County Sheriff's Office, Indiana Law Enforcement 2019–2023
2019 Kaywin Feldman — Director, National Gallery of Art (Washington DC) Art 2019–
2019 Mette Frederiksen — Prime Minister, Denmark Government Politics 2019–
2019 Mette Frederiksen — Prime Minister, Denmark Government Politics 2019–
2019 Christine Lagarde — President, European Central Bank Finance 2019–
2019 Ursula von der Leyen — President, European Commission EU 2019–
2019 Sanna Marin — Prime Minister, Finland Government Politics 2019–2023
2019 Sanna Marin — Prime Minister, Finland Government Politics 2019–2023
2020 Carol Tomé — CEO, United Parcel Service Corporate 2020–
2020 Jill Tiefenthaler — CEO, National Geographic Society Sciences 2020–
2020 Jacqueline Van Ovost — Commander, US Air Mobility Command Military 2020–2024
2020 Amy Coney Barrett — Associate Justice, US Supreme Court Judiciary 2020–
2021 Kristin Graziano — Sheriff, Charleston County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement 2021–2025
2021 Rochelle Walensky — Director, US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Health Regulatory 2021–2023
2021 Janet Woodcock — Acting Commissioner, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Health Regulatory 2021
2021 Janet Yellen — Secretary, US Treasury Government 2021–2025
2021 Kaja Kallas — Prime Minister, Estonia Government Politics 2021–2024
2021 Karen Lynch — CEO, CVS Health Corporate 2021–2024
2021 Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala — Director-General, WTO International 2021–
2021 Jane Fraser — CEO, Citigroup Corporate 2021–
2021 Samia Suluhu Hassan — President, Tanzania Government Politics 2021–
2021 Jen Easterly — Director, CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) Intelligence 2021–2025
2021 Amanda Pritchard — Chief Executive, NHS England Healthcare 2021–2025
2021 Laurence des Cars — Director, Musée du Louvre Art 2021–
2021 Laura Richardson — Commander, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Military 2021–2024
2021 Annalena Baerbock — Foreign Minister, Germany Foreign Office Government 2021–2025
2022 Roberta Metsola — President, European Parliament EU 2022–
2022 Xiomara Castro — President, Honduras Government Politics 2022–
2022 Cecilia Alemani — Artistic Director, Venice Biennale Art 2022
2022 Susan Hutson — Sheriff, Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana Law Enforcement 2022–2026
2022 Élisabeth Borne — Prime Minister, France Government Politics 2022–2024
2022 Penny Wong — Foreign Minister, Australia Department of Foreign Affairs Government 2022–
2022 Linda Fagan — Commandant, US Coast Guard Military 2022–2025
2022 Ketanji Brown Jackson — Associate Justice, US Supreme Court Judiciary 2022–
2022 Liz Truss — Prime Minister, UK Government Politics 2022
2022 Giorgia Meloni — Prime Minister, Italy Government Politics 2022–
2022 Dina Boluarte — President, Peru Government Politics 2022–2025
2023 Tammy Mowry — Sheriff, Box Butte County Sheriff's Office, Nebraska Law Enforcement 2023–
2023 Deborah Prentice — Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge Academia 2023–
2023 Mandy Cohen — Director, US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Health Regulatory 2023–2025
2023 Monica Bertagnolli — Director, US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Health Regulatory 2023–2025
2024 Claudia Sheinbaum — President, Mexico Government Politics 2024–
2024 Kaja Kallas — EU Institution, EU Foreign Affairs VP / High Representative EU 2024–
2024 Henna Virkkunen — Executive VP (Digital Age), European Commission EU 2024–
2025 MI6 Sub-Director Cluster — Three of Four Directors-General, Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) Intelligence 2025–
2025 Kathryn Mone — Sheriff, Strafford County Sheriff's Office, New Hampshire Law Enforcement 2025–
2025 Blaise Metreweli — Chief "C", MI6 / Secret Intelligence Service Intelligence 2025–