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Women finally enter the Modern Day Olympics
In the year 1900, the Olympic games were held in Paris, France. It is here that women were allowed to participate in the modern day Olympic games for the first time ever. This was a significant moment in history for women to be eligible for a global event, but even still they were only able to participate in 3 olympic games: tennis, golf, and croquet. There was 19 women that participated in this event. Out of these 19, tennis-player Charlotte Cooper became the first female Olympic champion. -
Aileen Riggins sets records at 1920 Olympics
Aileen Riggen, who was only 14 at the time, went on to win the first women's Olympic springboard diving competition in Antwerp, Belgium. It is here that Riggen set several records. At the time she was America's youngest ever hold medalist. In addition, she was also the smallest, measuring 4 foot 7 inches, and weighing 65 pounds. Later on in 1924, she competed in the summer Olympics in Paris and bceame the only woman to win medals for both swimming and diving. -
Women able to play five-player, full court basketball
1971 marked a signigicant year for female basketball players. In this year, women were finally were approved to play five-player, full-court basketball. When the five-player form became official, women played with the same rules and regulations as men's basketball. The only difference between the two is that women used a slightly smaller ball at many levels, including the collegiate level. In addition, the 30 second shot clock was introduced. -
Billie Jean King plays in Battle of the Sexes.
Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs Professional Tennis Player, Billie Jean King, earned over $100,000 in a single sporting season and become the first woman to do so. She won this much in the Battle of the Sexes tournament, in which she defeated Bobby Riggs. Altogether, Billie Jean King won 12 Grand Slam single titles, 16 Grand Slam women's double titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed double titles. She became the first woman to win singles on grass, clay, carpet, and hard court. -
Title IX goes into effect.
On June 2, 1975 Title IX went into effect stating that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation" in academics and sports. Title IX did not necessarily mean that women could all of a sudden participate in football or wrestling, it more so was implemented so that women can have equal oppourtinites as men. There is a test of compliance that examines athletic financial assistance, accommodation of athletic interests, and
other areas. -
Woman plays in a professional men's basketball league.
Nancy Lieberman joined the United States Basketball League in 1986 and became the first woman to play in a professional men's basketball league. She played two seasons with the USBL and was the only woman on a team of all men, playing against other all-male teams in an all-male league. The reason for her joining was due to circumstances. She had already played in two women's pro-leagues before 1986 and both leagues folded because of lack of finances. -
First woman athlete on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine
Jackie Joyner-Kersee who now is proclaimed one of the greatest women athletes in the heptathlon, became the first woman athlete on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1987. Joyner-Kersee is known for winning three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in four different events. She was in Sports Illustrated for being deemed the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th century. -
US soccer team wins the first Women's World Cup
Clips from 1991 Woman's World Cup In 1991, the FIFA Woman's World Cup was held in China and won by the United States. The Woman's World Cup was created 61 years after the men's cup was made. Since it's creation, the Untied States has been named one of the most successful teams in the FIFA, alongside Germany. Both countries hold two titles each. In order to even play in the World Cup, a qualification phase takes place over three years to determine which teams qualify for the tournament. -
The Women's National Basketball Association has its first season.
In 1997, the WBNA officially began its first season. it started off with 8 teams. The first game was played between New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks. It ended with the Sparks losing to the New York Liberty. The attendance for the game was around 14,000. The season ended with the Comets defeating the Liberty, and Cynthia Cooper being named MVP. -
First dunk in WNBA history
Lisa Leslie - First women's dunk On July 12, 2002, Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks became the first woman ever to dunk in the WNBA. In the same year she became the first WNBA player to score over 3,000 total career points. Partially because of Leslie, the Sparks won their second straight world championship that season. Two seasons later, she became the first player to reach the 4,000 career point milestone and ended her career with 6,000 points.
