US News & World Report's cover story features stories about firsts in history.

Who was first to the top of the world?
The mystery of 4,000 miles
Digging for old treasures
Washington? Get in line
Did Darwin get scooped?
Shining light on the "dark lady of DNA"
The sound and fury of HIV
After lots of small steps, it adds up
No, it was not Al Gore
Contrary to myth, baseball may have had no single inventor
The most influential song you have never heard
Musings for the millions
When famous beats first
Places of our dreams
Does being first matter?