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
Sports History On This Day: June 4
June 4, 1927 – The very first Ryder Cup Golf tournament was held. Matches were
Sports History On This Day: June 3
June 3, 1937 – One of the most prolific power hitters of all time, Josh
Sports History On This Day: June 2
June 2, 1935 – All good things must come to an end, in fact even
Aaron Tallent: A Seasoned Communications Professional Shares Some Football Stories
Aaron Tallent rides shotgun in the DeLorean to take us back to the days
Sports History On This Day: June 1
June 1, 1923 – The New York Giants did something no one had done before
Sports History On This Day: May 31
May 31, 1930 – At the famous St. Andrews Links in Scotland during the British
Concussions & CTE: Suggestions to Improve These Terrible Injuries
One of the biggest topics of conversation in football these days is concussions and
Sports History On This Day: May 30
May 30, 1955 – Sadness gripped the large Indianapolis 500 crowd during the big race.