Althea Gibson was an American professional golfer and tennis player, however she is best remembered for her accomplishments in tennis. She dominated women's competition in the late 1950's. She was born on August 25, 1927. She began playing tennis at the an early age. She won her first competition in 1942. Gibson became the first African American player to win French (1956), Wimbledon(1957-58) and US Open (1957) singles championships. She also became the first African American player to compete on the women's professional golf tour in the early 1960's. Gibson died on September 28, 2003 at the age of 72.
