Which one is the first 8a ever climbed in the world? And in which year? Maybe Papionsigt in verdon by Moffat? (Then de-gradated at 7c+) (I don't know the year) Old climbers as me (I'm 48), look back at your memories!
wikipedia says Tony Yaniro (* 1960) ย Erstbegeher der weltweit ersten Route im Grad 8a (Grand Illusion, 1979) http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_bekannter_Sportkletterer but it's only available in german...
grimper.com says: L'histoire de l'escalade http://www.grimper.com/Article/1646-l-histoire-de-l-escalade-10-10.html 1983 : Premier 8a . Dave Cuthbertson - ยซRequiemยป (GB). Premier 8a franรงais. Patrick Edlinger - ยซCa glisse au pays des merveillesยป (Buoux). 1984 : Premier 8a bloc. Jacky Godoffe - ยซCยรฉtait demainยป (Fontainebleau). 1986 : Premier 8a fรฉminin - Luisa Jovane ยซCome backยป (Valle San Nicolo-I). Other sources (and also my memory) report that "Samizdat" is also the first Female ascent by a women. (Catherine Destivelle) But http://www.climbingaway.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=12&Itemid=12 places it in 1988. And if even the french (grimper.com) report that it is not a french girl, then it must be correct.
Which one is the first 8a ever climbed in the world?