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From the Games of Hera, to Vassar College.
In 776 B.C. the first Greek Olympics were held and women are excluded from all categories. Women instead competed every four years in their own Games of Hera to honor the Greek goddess. A century later women began to have both tenniss teams and golf teams. -
"Blondes and Brunettes
In 1866, Vassar college created two amateur baseball teams, the "blondes" and "brunettes." Vassar college was teh first to create an amateur baseball team for women. Ten years later, on Septemeber 11, 1875, the two teams played publicly for the first time. -
YMCA: Physical Education
In 1882, a Boston based YMCA held the first athletic games for women. Ten years later an issue was devoted in the journal "Physical Education" tp womens fitness. The issue claimed "women need physical strength and endurance, dismissing the popular idea that women are too weak to exercise." -
Women compete in the Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics were held in Paris and allowed women to compete in golf, tennis and croquet. -
American Physical Education Association
In 1917, the American Physical Education Association forms a committee on women's athletics . This committe focused on drafting standarized and seperate rules for women's college field hockey, swimming, track and field, and soccer. -
Swimming for a cause
Gertrude Ederle swam the English Channel and broke mens records. Gertrude swam further than any women at the time and faster than any man. This was a huge stepping stone proving that women can be athletics looking and better than their male counterpart. -
Strike out the Babe, strike yourself out.
In 1931 Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game. This event caused a huge controversy in the baseball world. Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis decided to ban women from professional baseball alltogether. This ban lasted all the way until 1992 -
The All-American Red Heads
The All-American Red Heads, a womens basketball team, was formed in 1936. The team used mens rules and competed against male basketball teams, winning the majority of their games. This team lasted for 50 years. -
Mamie "Paenut" Johnson
Mamie "Peanut" Johnson became the first female pitcher to play in the Negro Baseball League. She played for the Indianapolis Clowns for two years and compiled an impressive 33-8 record while batting .273. -
Title IX
On July 23, 1972, President Nixon passed Title IX, an education ammendment that would change oppurtunity for women in sports forever. The ammendment stated, "No person in US shall, on basis of sex, be excluded from part in, be denied benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educationprogram or activity receiving federal financial assistance." Before Nixon signed the Title IX, about 31,000 women were involved in women sports, spending under 100,000 in funds, and 2.1 college teams. -
Battle of the Sexes
Billy Jean King defeats former Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes." Although Billy didn't agree to play Riggs at first, after Riggs defeated one of her teamattes she felt she needed to beat Riggs to prove that women are equal. -
Women continuing to strive
Race car driver, Danica Patrick, became only the fourth female in history to qualify for the Indy 500. She was named the Rookie of the Year for both the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series in the 2005 season. -
Leaving their mark
After hundreds of years of fighting women have made their mark in athletics. From the US womens national soccer team, to tennis players pplaying matches at Wimboldin, women have left their mark among the greats who in the past have only been men. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yogNyAgV-5M
