American Decades
Didrikson, Mildred "Babe" 1911-1956
OLYMPIC MEDALIST, GOLFER
Babe.
As a young girl, Mildred Didrikson was such a powerful home run hitter on the baseball field that her friends nicknamed her "Babe," after Babe Ruth. The name stuck. Didrikson grew up near Port Arthur, Texas, and showed her athletic talent early. A high-school all-American basketball star, Didrikson went on to play in an industrial athletic league, leading her team to two finals and a national championship. She once scored 106 points in a basketball game. Didrikson then turned to track and qualified for the United States team at the 1932 Olympics. Described variously in the press as Whatta-Gal Didrikson, the Texas Tornado, and the Terrific Tomboy, she won gold medals in the javelin, with a world-record throw, and the 80-meter hurdles, in which she set a U.S. outdoor record time. She tied the winner in the high jump but was given a second-place silver medal because of her unconventional style. At...
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1940's Sports
