List of "firsts" in The Federal Council
- 1848: The first seven members elected: Ulrich Ochsenbein, Jonas Furrer, Martin J. Munzinger, Henri Druey, Friedrich Frey-Herosé, Wilhelm Matthias Naeff and Stefano Franscini.
- 1854: First (of only four so far) sitting Federal Councillors not to be reelected, Ulrich Ochsenbein.
- 1891: First Councillor of the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland, Josef Zemp.
- 1893: First member whose father was a member of the Council: Eugène Ruffy, son of Victor Ruffy. In 2007, the 2nd is elected: Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, the daughter of Leon Schlumpf.
- 1911: First (and only) octogenarian in office, Adolf Deucher (FDP).
- 1913: First (and only) native Romansh speaker, Felix Calonder (FDP).
- 1917: First (and only) Councillor of the Liberal Party elected, Gustave Ador.
- 1930: First Councillor of the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents (BGB/PAI; now the Swiss People's Party), Rudolf Minger.
- 1943: First Councillor of the Social Democratic Party, Ernst Nobs.
- 1983: First female candidate for the Council from a government party, Lilian Uchtenhagen (SP).
- 1984: First woman Councillor, Elisabeth Kopp (FDP).
- 1993: First Councillor of Jewish origin, Ruth Dreifuss (SP).
- 1995: First Councillor living in a domestic partnership, Moritz Leuenberger (SP) (with architect Gret Loewensberg, whom he later married).
- 1999: First woman President of the Confederation, Ruth Dreifuss (SP).
- 2010: First Majority of women in the Swiss Federal Council with the election of Simonetta Sommaruga (SP).
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