The following is a list of firsts in Southeast Asia.
Architecture
The following are the first buildings of their type:
- First philatelic museum in Southeast Asia - Singapore Philatelic Museum ( Singapore, 19 August 1995)
Education
- First university in Asia - University of Santo Tomas ( Philippines, 1611)
- First English medium school in Southeast Asia - Penang Free School ( Malaysia, 1816)
- First Asian and Southeast Asian to be admitted to Harvard University - Fe del Mundo ( Philippines, 1936)
Energy
- First wind power farm in the region - Bangui Wind Farm ( Philippines, 20 June 2005)
- First nuclear power plant in the region - Bataan Nuclear Power Plant ( Philippines,1976)
Exploration
- First Southeast Asian in space - Phạm Tuân ( Vietnam, 6 June 1980)^
Entertainment and media
Film
Awards
- First Southeast Asian film to win Palme d'Or at Cannes - Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives ( Thailand, 2013)
- First Southeast Asian to win Best Actress at Cannes - Jaclyn Jose ( Philippines, 2016)
- First Southeast Asian to win Best Director at Cannes - Brillante Mendoza ( Philippines, 2009)
- First Southeast Asian to win Volpi Cup for Best Actor at Venice Film Festival - John Arcilla ( Philippines, 2021)
Journalism
- First newspaper published in Southeast Asia - The Prince of Wales Island Gazette ( Malaysia, 1806)
- First commercial television broadcast - Alto Broadcasting System ( Philippines, 23 October 1953)
- First Southeast Asian to win a Pulitzer Prize - Carlos Rómulo ( Philippines, 1942)
Theater arts
- First Southeast Asian to win a Tony for Best Actress - Lea Salonga ( Philippines, 1991)
Music
- First Southeast Asian to win a Grammy - Larry Ramos ( Philippines, 1963)
- First Southeast Asian act to be nominated at the Billboard Music Awards - SB19 ( Philippines, 2021)
- First Southeast Asian act to top a Billboard Chart - SB19, Hot Trending Songs Chart ( Philippines, 2021)
Finance and commerce
- First bank in Southeast Asia - El Banco Español Filipino de Isabel II (now Bank of the Philippine Islands) ( Philippines, 1 August 1851)
- First beer brewery in Southeast Asia - La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel ( Philippines, 29 September 1890)
Literature
- First Southeast Asian to win a Pulitzer Prize for Literature - Viet Thanh Nguyen ( Vietnam, 2016)
Medicine
Politics and government
- First President of UN General Assembly from Asia and Southeast Asia - Carlos P. Rómulo ( Philippines, 1949)
- First elected female President in Asia and Southeast Asia - Maria Corazon Aquino ( Philippines, 1986)
- First recipient of Nobel Peace Prize from Southeast Asia - Technically: Lê Đức Thọ ( Vietnam, 1973), Officially: Aung San Suu Kyi ( Myanmar, 1991)
Science and technology
- First submarine assembled in Southeast Asia: KRI Alugoro (405) ( Indonesia, 2021)
Sports
Olympic Games
- First Southeast Asian to win a medal at the Olympics - Teófilo Yldefonso, swimming bronze ( Philippines, 8 August 1928)
- First Southeast Asian Olympic champion - Susi Susanti, badminton gold ( Indonesia, 4 August 1992)
- First Southeast Asian country to participate at the Summer Olympics - The Philippines, 5 July 1924
- First Southeast Asian country to participate at the Winter Olympics - The Philippines, 3 February 1972
World Championships
- First male Artistic Gymnastics World Champion from Southeast Asia - Carlos Yulo, floor exercise ( Philippines, 2019)
Others
- First professional basketball league in Asia and Southeast Asia - Philippine Basketball Association ( Philippines, 9 April 1975)
- First Southeast Asian country to host the Asian Games - The Philippines, 1 May 1954
- First Southeast Asian country to host the Youth Olympic Games - Singapore, 14 August 2010
Transportation
- First airport in Asia - Don Mueng International Airport ( Thailand, 1914)
- First Rapid transit system in Southeast Asia - Manila Light Rail Transit ( Philippines, 1984)
References
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