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African-American Firsts: Athletes
Who was the first African-American boxing champ? How about World Cycling champ? Who was the first African-American to win an Olympic gold medal? What year did Jackie Robinson break baseball's color barrier? Who was Althea Gibson and what first did she achieve? Detail our collection of pioneering African-American athletes for the answers to these and many more questions, and explore our African-American Firsts: Athletes photos gallery.
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See all African-American Firsts: Athletes (16)
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Jackie Robinson
- In these groups:
- Famous Lookalikes
- Celebrity Enlistees
- African-American Firsts: Athletes
Jackie Robinson
Baseball Player / 1919 - 1972
Baseball player Jackie Robinson became the first African American to be featured on a LIFE magazine cover on May 8, 1950.
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Arthur Ashe
- In these groups:
- African-American Firsts: Athletes
- Famous Cancerians
- Famous Black Athletes
Arthur Ashe
Activist, Tennis Player / 1943 - 1993
Arthur Ashe became the first African-American member of the U.S. Davis Cup team in 1963, the first African-American male player to win the U.S. Open (1968) and Wimbledon (1975), and the first black U.S. citizen to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985.
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Gabby Douglas
- In these groups:
- Olympic Gymnasts
- Olympic 2012 Athletes
- African-American Firsts: Athletes
Gabby Douglas
Gymnast / 1995 -
At the London Olympic Games in 2012, Gabby Douglas became the first African American to win gold in the individual all-around event.
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Wilma Rudolph
- In these groups:
- African-American Firsts: Athletes
- Famous Cancerians
- Famous Black Athletes
Wilma Rudolph
Track and Field Athlete / 1940 - 1994
In 1960, Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games.
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Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Golfer / 1975 -
In 1997, Tiger Woods became the first person of African-American or Asian ancestry to win the Masters Tournament.
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Ernie Davis
- In these groups:
- African-American Firsts: Athletes
- Famous Black Athletes
- Famous Sagittarians
Ernie Davis
Football Player / 1939 - 1963
Football star Ernie Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy in 1961. His untimely death from leukemia came just two years later, at the age of 23.
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