The first gold medal in the Olympics was awarded to Greece in the 1896 Summer Olympics, which were held in Athens. Greece won a total of 47 medals in the event, including 10 gold.

The first gold medal in the Winter Olympics was awarded to Norway in the 1924 Winter Olympics, which were held in Chamonix. Norway won a total of 12 medals in the event, including 4 gold.

The first gold medal in the Paralympics was awarded to the Netherlands in the 1960 Summer Paralympics, which were held in Rome. The Netherlands won a total of 22 medals in the event, including 9 gold.

The first gold medal of the Olympics was won by American James B. Connolly in the triple jump. He was also the first Olympic champion in the modern era. 

The first woman to win a gold medal was British tennis player Charlotte Cooper, who won the women's singles tournament. The first African American to win a gold medal was American track and field athlete John Taylor, who won the 400 meter race. 

The first Asian American to win a gold medal was Hawaiian swimmer Duke Kahanamoku, who won the 100 meter freestyle. 

The first Native American to win a gold medal was Jim Thorpe of the Sac and Fox Nation, who won the pentathlon and decathlon. 

The first Latin American to win a gold medal was Cuban boxer Teofilo Stevenson, who won the heavyweight division. 

The first person to win three gold medals in a single Olympics was Swedish shooter and fencer Oscar Swahn, who won gold in the team free rifle, team military rifle, and individual free rifle events at the 1912 games. 

The first person to win four gold medals in a single Olympics was American swimmer Michael Phelps, who won four individual gold medals and two gold medals as part of the United States' relay teams at the 2008 Beijing games.