Finance & Ops History Fun Facts

Fun With Financials
April 25, 2026

To support charting a course forward, we wanted to take a pause to review where we’ve been. Please enjoy some finance & accounting fun facts, and feel free to share any others with us on LinkedIn!

Q: In what state was the first woman CPA licensed?

A: New York – Christine Ross, CPA

Q: How many years later was the first CPA license issued to a Black woman?

A: A license was issued to Mary T. Washington Wylie, CPA 45 years after Ms. Christine Ross’ CPA license was issued.

Q: Where were the first accountants in history from?

A: Mesopotamia (modern day Iran & Iraq, from 300 BC)

Q: Which sector is the third largest employer in the US?

A: Nonprofit sector

Q: What country originated double-entry bookkeeping?

A: Italy

Q: What accounting scandal led to the creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act?

A: Enron

Q: Which African civilization used sophisticated accounting systems to manage gold, salt, and trade taxes centuries before Europe?

A: The Mali Empire

Q: Who was the first woman to head the U.S. Federal Reserve?

A: Janet Yellen in 2014

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