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Women's First Basketball Game
Women were not active in intercollegiate sports until basketball was introduced at Smith College in 1892. The first collegiate game was played on March 21st 1983. The freshman class played the sophomore class. At this time, women in sports were not socially accepted so men were not allowed in the gym to watch. After Smith College introduced women’s basketball, it spread quickly throughout across the country. -
Women in the Olymipcs
In 1900, nineteen women competed in the modern Olympics Games for the first time in history in Paris, France.They participated in 3 exhibition sports deemed acceptable for women. These sports were tennis, golf, and croquet. Charlotte Cooper became the first female Olympic champion at this Olympic Game. -
One-Third Court to Half-Court
Before 1914, women's basketball was only allowed to play on a court that one-third of the full court. Howerver, in 1914 the ruled changed and half-court play was now allowed in women's basketball. Full court play was not allowed in women's basketball untill the 1970s. Also, at this time most states did not allow a player more than two dribbles before they had to pass or shoot. -
First Woman to Swim the English Channel
First Women to Swin the ChanelGertrude Ederle, a famous American swimmer, became the first woman to swim the English Channel. At the age of 19, Ederle swam the channel from France to England. At this time, only five men had successfully completed this swim. She shattered the previous record by more than two hours which was held by a man. Ederle was among the first real sports heroines to prove that women were not physically inferior or incapable of strenuous activity. -
Virne Mitchell becomes the First Woman in Professional Baseball Player
Virne Mitchell signed her contact in March and she became an official member of the Chattanooga Lookouts, a Class AA minor league team. She was the first professional baseball player. She got her first start at pitching on April 2nd. She started against two well known baseball players, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and she stroke them both out. She was the talk of the nation as “The Girl who stroke out Babe Ruth”. Later that year, the commissioner banned women from the sport. -
All American Red Heads Basketball Team was Created
The RedheadsThe formation of the All American Red Heads Basketball Team was created in 1936. These women used men's rules and competed against men's teams. The team toured for more than fifty years, playing only men's teams. The women won 85-90% of all their games. The team lasted until 1986. At this time people were scared because the thought those women were not physical and could hurt their chances to have children still existed. These women were determined to break that stereotype. -
All-American Girls Professional Ball League
Spring training for the All-American Girls Professional Ball League began on May 17th,1943 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The league was originally called the All-American Girls Softball. Philip Wrigley was the creator of this league and he was trying to keep the Major League Baseball Parks from collapsing due to the war. These women were still expected to display femininity. After their daily practices, they were required to attend Rubenstein's Beauty Salon evening charm school classes. -
Tubby is a Girl
In the 1950’s, girls were not allowed to participate in Little Leagues Baseball, but one little girl found her away around that rule. Kathryn Johnson, aka Tubby, was a very good baseball player and the rules were not stopping her from playing. She cut her hair short and tucked the rest of it into her hat. Then she tried out and made the King's Dairy team in N.Y. The team’s audience grew due to the fact there was a girl playing. In 51’ the officials made things official, no more girls. -
Woman Wins Three Olympic Gold Medals
Wilma Rudolph was the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at one Olympic Game. Alone she won the gold medal for the 100 meter dash and the 200 meter dash. She was also the anchor in the 400-meter relay team that took home the gold medal as well. After she ran her the 200 meter dash, she sprained her ankle. She did not let the pain stop her from running and helping her team take home the gold. -
First Girl to Complete Boston Marathon
Bobbi Gibbs
Roberta Gibb is the first women to run and complete the Boston Marathon in 1966. At this time, it was believed that woman could not run distances as large as marathons. Women were not allowed to run such distances under the rules of the American Athletic Union. Gibbs was not allowed to actually enter the race so she snuck in. She finished in three hours, twenty-one minutes and forty seconds, ahead of two-thirds of the pack. -
Two Consecutive Olympic Gold Medals Winner
Back to Back
Wyomia Tyus is the first woman to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 100 m dash. She won this medal at the summer Olympics in Mexico City in 1968. She originally won her first gold medal in the 100 m dash at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. In 1968, she came to the Olympics to defend her title. This year she set a new world record in the finals for the 100 m dash at 11.08 seconds. -
Title IX
Title IX was passed on June 23rd, 1972. Title IX was created to foster more equitable federal financial aid to women's sports programs. Title IX forbids sex discrimination in all university student services and academic programs. It also requires that there be equal amount of womens sports as there is mens. -
"Battle of the Sexes"
Battle of the Sexes
On September 20th,1973 Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match. Bobby took every opportunity he had to show that women could never be the players men were and that they were simply too weak and they were just women. Although, King was not going to let Riggs’ idea about women stop her competing. King beat him in all three rounds. After the match, Billie changed a lot of people’s perspectives on women in sports, even Riggs'. -
First Woman to Dunk
Georgeann Wells-Blackwell was the first woman to dunk in a colligate basketball game. She was six foot and seven inches tall and attended West Virginia University. The most amazing part about her dunk was the fact that she was using a men’s regulation ball. She was inducted into University of Houston’s Phi Slamma Jamma dunking fraternity. Georgeann was the first woman to be inducted and it was not until ten years later that another woman was inducted. -
Voted Best Female Athlete of the 20th Century
Super Woman
Jackie Joyner-Kersee is the first woman athlete on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. Sports Illustrated Magazine voted her as the best female athlete of the 20th century. Jackie was the first woman to earn more than 7,000 points in the Olympic heptathlon. At the 1988 Olympics, she won two gold medals for long jump and the heptathlon. -
U.S Takes It to the End
U.S Wins the Cup
The United States soccer team wins the first Women's World Cup. This was the first ever edition of the new FIFA Women’s World Cup. These women beat Norway with a final score of 2-1. The American girls fought until the last few minutes to win that match. -
USA Gymnastics Team's Dramatic End To the 96’ Olympics
Amazing Ending
On this day, the USA Women’s Gymnastics Team took home the Olympic gold. However,this competition did not end like most people would have suspected. Kerri Strug was the last to vault, but her previous vault had caused her to damage her ankle. Kerri landed the vault briefly on both feet,almost instantly hopping onto only her good foot. Her vault score a 9.712 which guaranteed the U.S the gold and they defeated the Russians. -
Wimbledon Tennis Tournament Announces Equal Pay of Both Sexes.
Wimbledon agreed to pay female players as much as male players at the world's most prestigious tennis tournament. Tennis is one of the few sports in which women and men compete in the same event at the same time. Until now, the women winners were paid wages under what the men were paid. For example, the 2006 men's champion Roger Federer received $1.170 million and women's winner Amelie Mauresmo got $1.117 million. -
First first Amputee to Qualify for the U.S National Track and Field Team
Amazing Woman
On January 10th, 2010 Amy Palmiero-Winters was the over winner of the “Run to the Future” race that is a 24 hour race with 130.04 miles held in Arizona. The best part about is that she beat all the men and women in this race and she was running with a custom-made prosthesis. This race earned her the opportunity to become the first amputee to qualify for the U.S National Track and Field Team.
