Who was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize?

Bertha von Suttner was the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, receiving it in 1905.

Born in Prague in 1843, von Suttner became a writer and prominent peace activist. Her 1889 novel Lay Down Your Arms! portrayed the human cost of war and became an important work in the international peace movement. She also helped establish the Austrian Peace Society in 1891.

Von Suttner knew Alfred Nobel and corresponded with him about peace and disarmament. Her advocacy helped make peace activism a visible international cause during a period of intense military competition in Europe. Marie Curie was the first woman to win any Nobel Prize, receiving the Physics Prize in 1903, but she was not the first female Peace Prize laureate.