On January 3, the 116th Congress of the United States was sworn into office, breaking the record as the most diverse Congress the USA has ever had. Many representatives broke tradition and made history as firsts of their kind.

In terms of race, more minorities than ever took office. Among those inaugurated, some were firsts- Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota became the first two Muslim women to ever serve in Congress, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Florida became the first Ecuadorian-American ever sworn in, and Deb Haaland of Kansas and Sharice Davids of New Mexico became the first Native American women to be in Congress.

Many of these women donned clothes that reflected their identity at the swearing-in ceremony. These women are also adept at using social media to share their experiences and respond to critics. 

Many districts across the nation also saw local records be broken as women and varied racial minorities and LGBTQIA+ people became the first to take office in their areas.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives also made history as the first person to have returned to the position since Sam Rayburn in the 1940s and 1950s.

Sources: Pewforum.org, NYTimes, CNN