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
The Playoff Runs of the 1972 Cleveland Browns and 1978 Houston Oilers
At this time of the year, the NFL playoffs are on the minds of
The Adventures, Calamities, and Hijinks of the Stanley Cup
Of all the championship trophies in North American sport, none has the beauty and
The Men Behind The Best Football Nicknames (Early Chicago Football)
In professional sports, we have experienced a wide spectrum of clearly memorable nicknames. For
Beyond Broadway Joe: The Super Bowl TEAM That Changed Football
In this episode, I talk to Bob Lederer about his book – Beyond Broadway
Super Bowl XXX (Steelers vs. Cowboys): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXX, which was held on January 28, 1996, at
5 Boxers With An Undefeated Record
In this segment ladies and gentlemen, I am going to discuss “The Undefeated” throughout
Big Ben: What A Difference A Great Quarterback Makes!
So, Ben Roethlisberger has finally hung up his cleats. We have enjoyed eighteen years
My Top 10 NFL Playoff Games of the 1970s
I grew up watching football in the 1970s, an era many consider to be