Only woman awarded Palmes du Premier Tireur (year-only context)

In 1907 (exact day undocumented but noted here as 1 January for year‑only context), Marie Marvingt won an international military shooting competition using a French Army carbine and was awarded the Palmes du Premier Tireur by the French Minister of War. She is the only woman ever to receive this distinction.

At a time when marksmanship and military skills were considered inherently masculine, Marvingt’s victory over male competitors in an official shooting contest represented a direct challenge to gendered assumptions about martial competence. The Palmes du Premier Tireur was typically reserved for elite male sharpshooters; its award to a civilian woman highlighted her exceptional precision, discipline, and courage.

Although the specific day of the award is not preserved in easily accessible records, its historical significance is clear. The honor added a military dimension to her already extraordinary sporting portfolio, which included medals in skiing, skating, cycling, and mountaineering. It also foreshadowed her later role as a combat pilot in World War I, demonstrating that she could match or surpass male peers in skills central to warfare. In an era of intense debates over women’s roles, her unique status as the only female recipient of the Palmes du Premier Tireur stands as a landmark in the long struggle to recognize women’s abilities in military and paramilitary domains.