She moved with her family to 850 Doucette in Beaumont, Texas, at age 4. She ripped it far and straight enough, and putted well enough, that not only did she dominate women's golf, but for three straight years (1945-47) AP named her the Female Athlete of the Year. The first to prove a girl could be a stud athlete, Babe Didrikson began as a muscular phenom who mastered many sports and ended as a brilliant golfer. Her last name was originally spelled Didriksen, but was changed at … In the 1932 Women’s Amateur Athletic Association (AAU), competing as a team by herself, Didrikson won six individual events and the team title, outscoring the 20-women runner-up team from the Illinois Athletic Club 30 points to 22. Golf Association ruled that "for the best interest of the game," Babe was not an amateur because she had competed professionally in other sports. In that year women were allowed to compete in only a limited number of events and a women’s decathlon did not exist. function inact(imgName) { After battling her disease (colon cancer) for over three years, Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias passed away on September 27, 1956 at John Sealy Hospital in Galveston, Texas. if (document.images) "It would be much better if she and her ilk stayed at home, got themselves prettied up and waited for the phone to ring," Joe Williams wrote in the New York World-Telegram. } As an amateur golfer, Babe won an amazing 13 consecutive tournaments during 1946. Babe Didrikson Zahararias redefined what it meant to be a sports' hero. She set world records in the javelin, 80-meter hurdles, high jump and baseball throw. Babe Didrikson went down in history as a sports legend. At the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles Didrikson won the 80-metre hurdles and the javelin throw but was deprived of a third gold medal in the high jump because she had used the unorthodox Western roll to achieve the highest jump; she was awarded the silver medal instead. Babe Didrikson’s extraordinary combination of fierce competitiveness and unwavering discipline in the pursuit of athletic perfection emboldened many women athletes to defy convention and redefine female athletic “norms,” preparing the way for Billie Jean King and Her mother, Hannah, and her father, Ole Didriksen, were immigrants from Norway. With Zaharias, Patty Berg and Fred Corcoran, she founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1949. She later changed the spelling of her surname from Didriksen to Didrikson. Not only did she attract interest in the women’s game, she revolutionized the sport and was known for her powerful drives. As a child, Mildred Ella Didrikson loved to play sports with her siblings and the other neighborhood children. and awe-inspiring. From its country of origin to its various clubs and obstacles, take a swing at this quiz and learn more about the sport of golf. And nowhere is Didrikson’s … if (document.images) { Although her three eldest siblings were born in Norway, Babe and her three other siblings were born in Port Arthur. As she grew older, there seemed to be more Ty Cobb than Ruth in her, a dark rage that made losing intolerable. var navclassicover = new Image(); Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Babe Didrikson (right) winning the 80-metre hurdles at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It was a success, and she entered a few more tournaments. Babe won the Women’s Western Open in 1940, and after gaining back her amateur status in 1942, she won the 1946 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 1947 British Ladies Amateur – the first American to do so. By the time she helped establish the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1948, she had won forty-one amateur titles. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Babe-Didrikson-Zaharias, National Women's History Museum - Biography of Babe Didrikson Zaharias, World Golf Hall of Fame - Biography of Babe Zaharias, Texas State Historical Association - The Handbook of Texas Online - Biography of Babe Didrikson Zaharias, The Official Site of Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Social Studies for Kids - Biography of Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Olympic.org - Biography of Mildred Didrikson, Babe Didrikson Zaharias - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Babe Didrikson Zaharias - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), United States Women’s Amateur Championship, Learn about Babe Didrikson Zaharias, one of America's greatest multisports stars. In 1932, 1945, 1946, 1947, and 1950, Associated Press named Babe Women Athlete of the Year. } Babe Didrikson was the world's greatest woman athlete. The family was not well-off, and Zaharias, who changed the spelling of her family name from Didriksen to Didrikson so that people would know she was Norwegian, not Swedish (the "-sen" suffix is more common among Swedes; Norwegians favor "-son"), worked various part-time jobs while she was still in school; one of her jobs involved sewing gunny sacks, earning a penny per sack. Her parents, emigrants from Norway, moved the family 17 miles inland to Beaumont in 1914 after a hurricane destroyed their Port Arthur surroundings. The Associated Press voted her the Greatest Female Athlete of the first half of the 20th century. "Then you finally understand that you are looking at the most flawless section of muscle harmony, of complete mental and physical coordination, the world of sport has ever seen.". But there was more to Babe than just sports. How did Babe Didrikson change the world? Babe Didrikson—neither she nor anyone else used her given name of Mildred often—was a Texas tomboy born in 1911. Babe Didrikson Zaharias, byname of Mildred Ella Zaharias, née Mildred Ella Didrikson, (born June 26, 1911, Port Arthur, Texas, U.S.—died September 27, 1956, Galveston, Texas), American sportswoman who was one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, achieving particular success in basketball and track and field, though she is perhaps best known for her achievements in golf. function act(imgName) { } In 1950 Didrikson Zaharias helped found the Ladies Professional Golf Association, and she became the LPGA’s star competitor. Everybody, it seems, knew about this Norwegian-American athletic marvel. "My goal was to be the greatest athlete who ever lived," she said. BETTMANN ARCHIVE—GETTY IMAGES Course Change. The following year, in one of sport’s greatest comebacks, she captured her third U.S. Open. Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who competed in multiple sports on the national and global stage, is regarded as one of the most accomplished female athletes of all time. var navclassiccold = new Image(); One sportswriter noted, “It would be much better if she and her ilk stayed at home, got themselves prettied up and waited for the phone to ring.” Such comments failed to deter Didrikson, as she also excelled in softball, swimming, figure skating, billiards, and even football. Her Olympic success brought her national attention, not all of which was complimentary. Born in Port Arthur, she moved with her family to Beaumont at age 4. Restored to amateur status after some years as a professional, she won the U.S. Women’s Amateur tournament in 1946. var navpostcardover = new Image(); After her Olympic wins, Babe wanted a new challenge. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + 'cold.src'); One of America’s foremost female athletes, Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias was an Olympic gold medal winner who broke world records in multiple sports and went on to found the Ladies Pro Golf Association. But shortly thereafter she got cancer. navclassicover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_classic_over.gif"; They married 11 months later and Babe would change her name to Babe Didrikson Zaharias. It has been said that she got the name “Babe” from her family, as well as a reference to “Babe” Ruth, after she played a good baseball game. In 1953, her life changed when she got a hernia that required an operation. Above all else, Babe Didrikson Zaharias was a fi ghter. Born on June 26, 1911 in Port Arthur, Texas, she was the sixth of seven children born to Norwegian immigrants Hannah Marie and Ole. Actually, she was paid to be a secretary because she would have lost her amateur status had she been paid to play. She later changed the spelling of her surname from Didriksen to Didrikson. She won four other tournaments in 1954, and the following year she claimed two more victories, which were the last of her career. She had poor grades, but her athletic skills never failed her. By the next year she had completed an incredible golf comeback, winning her third U.S. Women's Open - by an incredible 12 strokes - on the way to five titles and her sixth AP Female Athlete of the Year award. Thereafter, she was largely known as Babe Didrikson Zaharias or Babe Zaharias. Babe didn't seem to have much interest in men until she was swept off her feet when she was paired with George Zaharis at the 1938 Los Angeles Open. As a teenager she knew her life's ambition. She was 45. navpostcardcold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_postcard_cold.gif"; During my growing-up years in Dallas, the name of Mildred “Babe” Didrikson was frequently written and spoken. It was while playing baseball with her neighborhood friends that she earned the nickname Babe. navcontributeover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_contribute_over.gif"; Some writers condemned her for not being feminine. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Looking for another challenge, in 1933 she turned to golf, which she had played in high school. George abandoned his own lucrative wresting career in order to manage and promote Babe’s career. navgallerycold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_gallery_cold.gif"; George Zaharias, a Greek American, was a native of Pueblo, Colorado. Babe faced gender discrimination in the sport and harsh criticism in the media. From a young age, her goal was to be “the greatest athlete to ever live.” A standout baseball player, she asserted that, as a teenager, she acquired the nickname “Babe” in reference to Babe Ruth. While others dispute her story, Didrikson said that she was nicknamed Babe early in her teens by boys awed at her long-distance homers. Babe was also driven and determined off the sports fi elds—battling poverty, loneliness, humiliation, prejudice, and fi nally cancer. While playing basketball for Beaumont High School in 1930, Babe was offered $75 a month to work for Employers Casualty Company of Dallas to play for its team. She developed a penchant for sports since her childhood days and she played various types of sports like tennis, volleyball and swimming. Babe never had to submit to a chromosome test, but today scientists know more about the genetics of gender than they did in her day. In a span of three hours, she competed in eight of 10 events, winning five outright and tying for first in the high jump. MAKING THE LEAP At the 1932 Olympics, in Los Angeles, California, Babe soars to a world record in the high jump. She turned pro in the summer of 1947 after winning 17 of 18 tournaments. At the time, women were not encouraged to compete in sports, and Didrikson faced much sexism as well as claims that she might actually be a man. 1932 Babe went to the olympics where she won 2 gold medals and 1 silver. Although she became somewhat less arrogant over the years, she still remained flamboyant and cocky - and often overbearing. var navcontributeover = new Image(); She duly changed into her old blue corduroy slacks during lunch and won the championship on the 32nd green. Early in her stay in Dallas, she also took to the track. Others were enthralled by the 5-foot-5 Babe, who was muscular but never heavy. Didrikson began playing golf casually in 1932, but from 1934 she played that game exclusively. Thereafter she was known as Babe Didrikson Zaharias or Babe Zaharias. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. document[imgName].src = eval(imgName + 'over.src'); Although Didrikson claimed to have been born in 1914, various sources indicate the correct year was 1911. Babe Didrickson has a museum. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. navclassiccold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_classic_cold.gif"; On Sept. 27, 1956, Babe died of the disease in Galveston, Texas. She was famous for her remarkable performance in basketball and golf. (It also killed 275 people.). Like for Cobb, animosity seemed to be the fuel that stoked Babe's competitive fire. In 1950 Didrikson Zaharias helped found the Ladies Professional Golf Association, and she became the LPGA’s star competitor. How did Babe Didrikson change the world? The next year she won 17 straight golf championships, including the British Ladies Amateur, of which she was the first American holder. Last Updated on May 6, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Although she wore a colostomy bag, Didrikson Zaharias dominated the event, winning by 12 strokes. In 1949, Didrikson formed the Ladies' Professional Golf Association. She played basketball and baseball, was champion swimmer and diver, a gold-medalist at the 1932 Olympics in Track and Field and professional golfer who founded the LPGA. navgalleryover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_gallery_over.gif"; While Babe continued to golf - as well as play as many as 17 sets of tennis in one day and starring on the bowling lanes - it was not until 1943 that she was reinstated as an amateur. Surgeons removed the tumor, but discovered the cancer had spread into her lymph nodes, which were inoperable. The first fabulous sports Babe. Zaharis was a gregarious man, a 235-pound wrestler who as a stock villain was making a fortune as the Weeping Greek from Cripple Creek. After her Olympic exploits, Didrikson embarked on a tour of the USA with “Babe Didrikson's All-American” basketball team, and also played baseball, before taking up golf – a sport in which she went on to have a glittering career. Famous female athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias had one driving goal: to become the greatest athlete who ever lived. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. if (document.images) At one point she quipped, “You’ve got to loosen your girdle and really let the ball have it.” BEAUMONT, Tex. : The Babe Didrikson Story. In 1948, Babe won her first U.S. Women's Open, the World … var navcontributecold = new Image(); Newsreel segment on the death of American sportswoman Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1956. "She is beyond all belief until you see her perform," famed sportswriter Grantland Rice wrote. She turned pro in the summer of 1947 after winning 17 of 18 tournaments. While she excelled in competition, she often alienated teammates and competitors. Babe Didrikson Zaharias was a world-famous athlete at the time of her death from cancer. var navathletesover = new Image(); Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Anyone who has been asked to fly with Amelia Earhart, play golf with Babe Ruth, and break the barriers and records she accomplished should be known. She was married to George Zaharias.She died on September 27, 1956 in Galveston, Texas. Not only did she attract interest in the women’s game, she revolutionized the sport and was known for her powerful drives. var navathletescold = new Image(); The Babe Didrickson Zaharias museum is located in Beaumont, Texas. This is a story for both kids and adults. She decided she wanted to be a champion golfer when Grantland Rice invited her over to play golf. Rice and the sporting world first fell under Babe Didrikson’s spell at those Los Angeles Olympics. She was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2021. Shortly after winning the inaugural Babe Zaharias Open in Beaumont in April 1953, Babe learned she had cancer. In 1932, Famous Athletes of Today series listed Babe as "the world's greatest girl athlete." In this book, Babe Didrikson Zaharias completely changed what was possible for women in sports-she conquered golf, won gold medals in track and field, and was an All-American basketball player! var navgallerycold = new Image(); She moved with her family to 850 Doucette in Beaumont, Texas, at age 4. navcontributecold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_contribute_cold.gif"; Babe Didrikson named 10th-greatest athlete of the century …of the Games was American Babe Didrikson (later Zaharias). navathletesover.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_athletes_over.gif"; Corrections? She won the first women's Olympic javelin (143 feet, 4 inches) and set a world record in winning the first Olympic 80-meter hurdles (11.7 seconds). She began as an amateur player and won her first tournament, the Texas Women’s Amateur, in 1935. He would become her manager and advisor, but in the later years of their marriage, problems arose as Zaharias lost influence with his wife. In the high jump, she and Jean Smiley both broke the world record at 5-foot-5+, but Smiley received the gold and Babe the silver when Babe was disqualified on a dubious ruling after her final jump. After the Olympics Babe was named the World’s Greatest Women Athlete. She turned pro in the summer of 1947 after winning 17 of 18 tournaments. Though she gained her greatest professional fame as a golfer, she rivalled Jim Thorpe in her remarkable ability to excel at nearly any sport.. Babe Didrikson began as a basketball All-American, then won two track and field golds at the 1932 Olympics. Turned Professional in 1947 She turned professional in 1947, after her triumph in the British Amateur championship, a distinction that she was the first American to earn. Babe Didrikson Zaharias was born on June 26, 1911 in Port Arthur, Texas, USA as Mildred Ella Didrikson. Though Babe wrote in her autobiography that she was born on June 26, 1914, it seems as if the correct year is 1911, which is what it says on her tombstone and on a baptismal certificate. Updates? She frequently acted like a self-centered prima donna, a boastful person who constantly sought attention. navathletescold.src = "/i/sportscentury/nav_athletes_cold.gif"; Some of her favorite sports as a child were baseball and basketball. var navgalleryover = new Image(); By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Acclaimed novelists and sportswriters, She would have gotten gold in the high jump but she did a dive instead of a jump. She had the muscles of an ox and the determination to win. Babe had a meteoric rise — to famed basketball player, Olympic medalist, and top female golfer. Also, while Babe had jumped in the same manner throughout the competition, nothing was said to her about her style being illegal. She began playing golf. Among her 55 tournament victories were three U.S. Women's Opens. Jan 13, 2014. She became known for her competitiveness and brash confidence. She later claimed thirty-one more with the LPGA. Babe Didrikson Zaharias was a female athlete of America. Soon after winning the Texas Women's Amateur in 1935, the U.S. World’s Greatest Female Athlete – A brief history by Babe Didrikson Zaharias Foundation. Over to play female golfer summer of 1947 after winning 17 of 18 tournaments was born on June,! Secretary because she had the muscles of an ox and the All-American Open became known for her competitiveness and confidence! 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