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Lucy Diggs Slowe
Lucy Diggs Slowe was the first African-American woman to win a national title in any sport. She did this when she won the first women's title at the American Tennis Association (ATA) national tournament. -
Gertrude Ederle Swims English Channel
Gertrude Erderle Swimming English Channel
New York City native Gertrude "Trudy" Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel at age 19. She did it in 14 hours, 31 minutes, beating the best time to date by 2 hours. She had won a gold medal and 2 bronzes for swimming at the 1924 Olympics. -
Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell Gilbert
Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell Gilbert was one of the first female pitchers in professional baseball history. Pitching for the Chattanooga Lookouts Class AA minor league baseball team in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, she struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and more in succession. She was 17 years old when she accomplished this feat. -
Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias
Representing her company in the 1932 AAU Championships, she competed in eight out of ten events, winning five outright, and tying for first in a sixth. In the process, she set five world records in the javelin throw, 80-meter hurdles, high jump and baseball throw in a single afternoon. Didrikson's performances were enough to win the team championship, despite her being the only female member of her team. -
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. During the league's history, over 600 women played ball. The All American Girls' Baseball League was formed to fill ballparks emptied by baseball players going to war. Phillip K. Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, established the All-American Girls Softball League, the forerunner of the All-American Girls Baseball League (AAGBL). -
Alice Coachman-First African American Gold Medallist
Alice Coachman was the first African American to win a gold medal at the olympics. She did this at the London Olympic in 1948, where she won the high jump competition. She was also the only female American athlete to win a medal of an kind at these Olympics. -
Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson is the first black person to win a tennis Grand Slam title when she won the French Championship (the future French Open). The next year, she makes more history by winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals, the first black to win either. She is sometimes referred to as "the Jackie Robinson of tennis" for breaking the color barrier. -
Wilma Rudolph
Wilma Rudolph
Rudolph was considered the fastest woman in the world in the 1960s and competed in two Olympic Games, in 1956 and in 1960. In the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games. She was nicknamed the "Black Gazelle" for her graceful running style. -
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any education program or activities receiving Federal financial assistance.” When President Nixon signs the act on June 23 about 31,000 women are involved in college sports; spending on athletic scholarships for women is less than $100,000. -
Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs
Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs
Billie Jean King won the "battle-of-the-sexes" tennis match against Bobby Riggs on Sept. 20 in Houston in front of more than 30,000 people and a world-wide TV audience of more than 50 million. It firmly connected women's rights to women's sports and inspired millions to demand equal rights, equal treatment, and equal pay. -
Ann Meyers
On May 10, 1993, Ann Meyers was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts as the first woman inductee. -
Pat Summitt
Pat Summitt, the legendary basketball coach of the University of Tennessee's Lady Volunteers, earned her 1,000th win on Feb. 5. Summit has lost only 187 games during her 35-year career. No other coach in NCAA history--woman or man--has achieved the 1,000-win milestone. -
Brittney Griner and Baylor Go Undefeated and Win National Championship
Brittney Griner took the Baylor Lady Bears with 26 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks to lead Baylor to a dominating 80-61 victory over Notre Dame in the NCAA women's basketball championship, capping an unparalleled 40-0 season for the Lady Bears. They became the seventh women's team to run through a season unbeaten and the first in NCAA history to win 40 games. It was the second national championship for Baylor, which also won a title in 2005.
