July 21, 1957 – A milestone moment in sports history. A young lady by the name of Althea Gibson became the African-American to win a major US tennis tournament. Miss Gibson opened the door and inspired many black athletes to compete at sports that had in the past not been available for them to participate in.
In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam title when she took home the French Championships. The following year she won both Wimbledon and this US Nationals (precursor of the US Open). It wasn’t a fluke either as she repeated and won them both again in 1958 and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
50 Years of ‘Coexistence’ Between the Islanders and Rangers
Sports rivalries have existed ever since organized sports began to be played. The numbers
My Top 15 NFL Quarterbacks of the 1970s
My top 15 quarterbacks of the 1970s are based partly on statistics and my
The Harlem Globetrotters Very First Game
Figuring out how the Harlem Globetrotters started is a complicated story because there are
December 18, 1947: Holidays Don’t Mean Us!
How does a team adequately prepare for an NFL title game? Even more, so,
December 14, 1947: No One Could Catch The Babe!
With all of the hype now delivered and the big day finally arriving, we’ll
The Inspiring Story of Tom “The Bomb” Dempsey
Former NFL kicker Tom Dempsey became a household name when he kicked a 63-yard
December 13, 1947: Get There Early!
With the NFL Western Division title on the line, both the Bears and the
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears Rivalry of the 1970s
Pro football’s longest-enduring rivalry naturally involves two of its oldest teams, the Green Bay