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
Super Bowl XXIII (Bengals vs. 49ers): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXIII, which was held on January 22, 1989, at
The First Five Rocky Movies (How I Remember Them)
In this segment, I am going to cover the First 5 Rocky Movies the
Eras of NFL Playoff Frustration (My Top 15)
We always hear about the teams that win it all, and walk away with
The First Game of the Packers vs. Cardinals Rivalry
It was a big deal in 1921, and it’s still a big deal in
Don of All Dons (Don Muraco) – A “Mad Man Parody”
In this episode, we travel down villainy lane via a MAD MAN parody, for
Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta and Atlanta Remade Professional Sports
In this episode I chat with Clayton Trutor about his forthcoming book – Loserville:
1980 Oakland Raiders: The Unlikely Super Bowl Champs
Few saw it coming–before the season began and even at mid-season. But with excellent
Chicago Cardinals and the Longest Losing Streak in NFL History
During the early part of the 2021 NFL season, there has been much discussion