August: Olympic Records for Women
In August, Dara Torres became the oldest Olympic swimmer to win a medal, and the first American swimmer to compete in five Olympics. She won three silver medals in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.The 2008 Olympic games set a record for women's participation, with 42% of the total athletes being women.
August 27: Democrats Nominate Biden, VAWA Author and Proponent
On August 27, the Democratic National Convention nominated Senator Joe Biden as their vice presidential candidate. Biden considers the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), hailed by many feminists, as "the single most significant legislation that I’ve crafted during my 35-year tenure in the Senate."September 4: Palin Is Second Woman VP Nominee of a Major US Party
On September 4, the Republican National Convention nominated Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as their vice-presidential candidate for the 2008 election. Palin was the second woman nominated for that office by a major American political party (the Democrats nominated Geraldine Ferraro on July 12, 1984). Reportedly a member of Feminists for Life, she flip-flopped during the campaign on whether she is a feminist, first answering Katie Couric's question on whether she considered herself a feminist with a straightforward "I do," then telling NBC interviewer Brian Williams "I'm not gonna label myself anything."September: Bryce Appointed Australia's Governor-General, a First for a Woman
Quentin Bryce became the first woman appointed Australia's Governor-General in September, 2008. The Governor-General, a top office of Australia's government, is the Queen's representative; that office may be abolished if Australia becomes a republic, an option supported by the current prime minister though not as a top priority.November 4: Majority Female Senate Elected in New Hampshire
New Hampshire became the first state in the United States where women held a majority of the seats in a legislative house, when the number of female senators grew to 13. New Hampshire House Speaker Terie Norelli and Senate President Sylvia Larsen were both re-elected.November 4: New Hampshire Elects First Female Senator
New Hampshire also elected its first female Senator, Jeanne Shaheen, and re-elected its first female Representative, Carol Shea-Porter. Shaheen was the first woman elected as governor in New Hampshire, serving from 1997 to 2003. When Shaheen takes office, there will likely be 17 female Senators out of 100 total Senators. (That number could conceivably change as vacancies, such as that of former Senator Barack Obama, are filled.)November 4: First Female Governor of North Carolina
Beverly Perdue was elected the first female governor of North Carolina. She became the lieutenant governor in 2000.November 4: North Carolina Replaces Female Senator with Another Woman
Kay Hagan was elected United States Senator in North Carolina, defeating the incumbent female Senator, Elizabeth Dole.November 4: Ten Women Newly Elected to US House
A total of women were newly elected to the United States House of Representatives in the November election:- Arizona Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick
- Colorado Democrat Betsy Markey
- Florida Democrat Suzanne Kosmas
- Illinois Democrat Debbie Halvorson
- Kansas Republican Lynn Jenkins
- Maine Democrat Chellie Pingree
- Nevada Democrat Dina Titus
- Ohio Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy
- Pennsylvania Democrat Kathy Dahlkemper
- Wyoming Republican Cynthia Lummis
