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BY Francis Akhalbey, 1:00pm January 04, 2019,

The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures

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by Francis Akhalbey, 1:00pm January 04, 2019,
New congresswomen taking photos before their historic swearing in -- Photo: Hillary Clinton/ Twitter

History was made on Thursday in Washington at the official opening of the 116th Congress. Notable among them was the record number of women that were sworn in as well as other historic firsts.

Ilhan Omar, who fled from war-torn Somalia and lived in a refugee camp in Kenya before heading to America became the first Somali-American former refugee as well as one of the two Muslim women to be sworn into Congress.

Below are some other historic firsts:

The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
Lauren Underwood — Phooto via @laurenaunderwood on Instagram

32-year-old Lauren Underwood of Illinois became the youngest Black woman ever sworn into Congress.

The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
Jahana Hayes (left) — Photo via @realjahanahayes on Instagram

Jahana Hayes became Connecticut’s first black congresswoman.

The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
Ayanna Pressley — Photo via @ayannapressley on Instagram

Ayanna Pressley became Massachusetts’ first black Congresswoman.

The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
Rashida Tlaib — Photo via @rashidatlaib on Instagram

Rashida Tlaib of Michigan alongside Ilhan became the first Muslim congresswomen.

The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
Deb Haaland (Left) and Sharice Davids (right) — Photo via @deb4congressnm on Instagram

Deb Haaland of New Mexico and Sharice Davids of Kansas became the first Native American women in Congress.

The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — Photo via @ocasio2018 on Instagram

29-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
Sylvia Garcia (left), Veronica Escobar (right)

Sylvia Garcia and Veronica Escobar became Texas’ first Latina Congresswomen.

The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi retained her position as the first and only female House speaker.

The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
From Left: Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar — Photo via @rashidatlaib on Instagram
The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures
The many historic firsts at the 116th U.S. Congress in pictures

Last Edited by:Ismail Akwei Updated: January 4, 2019

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