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
Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League
The authors of “Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the Women’s National Football
Quarterbacks from the 1970s who “Maybe” should be in the Hall of Fame
I know that I will be getting a lot of feedback on this topic,
Super Bowl XXIX (Chargers vs. 49ers): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXIX, which was held on January 29, 1995, at
NFL Sponsorships and Their Influence on the Online Casino Industry
The National Football League has long been not just a sports organization, but a
Little Big Man: Joey Sternaman of the Chicago Bears
It is now common in the National Football League to have quarterbacks who are
3 Legendary Dirt Bike Events Shaping Riding Culture
The smell of castor oil, the thwap of two-strokes ricocheting off canyon walls, and
The Match Starts at Tea Time: Football Fever and the Numbers Behind Bets
Football fandom here is rarely quiet. It’s the sport that sneaks into daily life:
Football Learning Academy: An Online Resource Of Gridiron History
In this episode, I talk to Ken Crippen about his new company, the Football