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Women allowed to compete in modern day Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games of 1900 were held in Paris, France. This was the first modern day Olympic Games to allow women to compete. Women were able to participate in golf, tennis, and croquet. -
First Woman to swim the English Channel
Gertrude Ederle began her second attempt to swim across the English Channel. She departed from Cap Gris-Nez, France and arrived in record time at Kingsdown, England. She finished with a time of fourteen hours and thirty one minutes. Ederle beat the men’s record by nearly two hours. It is estimated that her journey was over thirty-five miles due to the water conditions. -
Women & men compete together in Olympics
Women allowed to compete in "open" equestrian events at the Helsinki, Finland Summer Olympics for the first time in 1952. This meant that men and women compete together. Overall, there were 134 contestants; 4 of them consisted of women. -
The First Battle of the Sexes
Margaret Court agreed to play Bobby Riggs in the first battle of the sexes (tennis) for a guaranteed $10,000 win or lose. This game had so much significance because it held the momentum of the Women's Rights Movement, but Margaret failed to see it's importance. If Court were to lose, women surely wouldn't be taken seriously. In just under an hour, Bobby had defeated Margaret, 6-2, 6-1. This match was from then on called "The Mother's Day Massacre". -
Billy Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs Battle of the Sexes
After numerous times of rejecting Rigg's challenge, King finally accepted after Margaret Court was defeated by Riggs. She was quoted saying, "I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn't win that match. It would ruin the women's tour and affect all women's self esteem," since this was in the prime of the Women's Rights Movement. But King left the court victorious; winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. -
Miss America Turns Sportscaster
Phyllis George was the winner of the 1971 Miss America pageant. Folling her crowning, she was invited to join the CBS network as a sportscaster in 1974.The following year, George was promoted to the cast of The NFL Today, becoming one of the first women to have a prominent role in television sports coverage. -
Immaculata vs. University of Maryland
This was the first-ever nationally televised women's college basketball game. Immaculata defeated the University of Maryland, by 22 point with a final score of 85-63. -
Title IX
Title IX is a law that requires gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding. Title IX not only applies to athletics but it also includes: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science, Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing and Technology. -
First Female Division I Coach
Bernadette Locke became the first female Division I coach of a men's basketball team when she agreed to join the University of Kentucky. Her job title was assistant coach to Rick Pitino. Locke then moved to the head coaching position of University of Kentucky's women’s basketball program from 1995 to 2003. She also served as an assistant coach on the 1998 USA Basketball Women’s World Championship team. -
Sara Lee Supports Female Athletics
Sara Lee became the first corporation to make a major commitment to soley endorse female athletics on the collegiate level. The donation was six-million dollars to the NCAA. -
WNBA founded
The Women's National Basketball Association was founded to be partner with the NBA. The league actually started to play in 1997. The league began with eight teams: the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets and New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference; and the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starzz in the Western Conference. The regular season is played from June until September, then finals follow in October. -
Britney Griner leads Baylor Bears to NCAA Championship
Sports Science: Britney GrinerBritney Griner plays basketball for the Baylor University. She is 6'8", and has an 88 inch (7'4") wing span and standing one-arm reach is 9'2". On April 3, 2012, the Baylor played Notre Dame for the championship title. Griner had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks leading them to victory. The Bears won 80 to 61, which left them with a perfect season of 40 wins and 0 losses.
