Today in sports history: Althea Gibson becomes 1st black player to win Wimbledon singles title
Here's a look back at sports happenings on this date in history, July 6:
1957: Althea Gibson becomes first black player to win Wimbledon singles title
1957 — Althea Gibson becomes the first black to win a title at the All England Lawn Tennis Club by beating Darlene Hard 6-3, 6-2 in the women’s singles title match.
Althea Gibson of New York city, holding the large gold plate presented to her as the winner of the Women's Singles Tennis title at Wimbledon, England, July 6, 1957 is kissed by her finals opponent, Darlene Hard, of Montebello, Calif., (Left). Gibson beat Hard 6-3, 6-2 to become the first African American to win a Wimbledon championship. (AP Photo)
1968: Billie Jean King wins third straight Wimbledon championship
1968 — Billie Jean King wins her third consecutive women’s singles title at Wimbledon by beating Australia’s Judy Tegart 9-7, 7-5.
Billie Jean King of Long Beach, Calif., left, seems to have to bend to look under the wide brimmed hat worn by Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, as she is presented with the trophy (a silver plate) after winning the women’s singles final of the All-England Lawn Tennis Championship at Wimbledon, London on July 6, 1968 defeating Judy Tegart of Australia 9-7, 7-5. (AP Photo)
1996: Steffi Graf wins her 20th Grand Slam title
1996 — Steffi Graf beats Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 6-3, 7-5 in the Wimbledon final for the German star’s 20th Grand Slam title and 100th tournament victory.
In this July 6, 1996, file photo, 1996 women's singles champion Steffi Graf, right, examines the the winners trophy with the runner up, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, left and Tournament referee Alan Mills after the presentation ceremony on Wimbledon's Centre Court. Graf won the match in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 to capture her seventh singles title. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)
1997: Pete Sampras wins his fourth Wimbledon, 10th Slam title
1997 — Pete Sampras wins the fourth Wimbledon title and 10th Grand Slam title of his career, easily defeating Frenchmen Cedric Pioline 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
Pete Sampras returns to Zimbabwe's Byron Black, during their Men's Singles match on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Monday June 30, 1997. Sampras won the match 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.(AP Photo/Dave Caulkin)
1998: Se Ri Pak becomes youngest US Women's Open champion at age 20
1998 — Twenty-year-old Se Ri Pak becomes the youngest U.S. Women’s Open champion after hitting an 18-foot birdie on the 20th extra hole to beat amateur Jenny Chuasiriporn in the longest Women’s Open in history.
In this July 6, 1998, file photo, South Korea's Se Ri Pak kisses the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament trophy in Kohler, Wis. (AP Photo/Charlie Krupa, File)
2000: Venus beats sister Serena in first all-Williams match at Grand Slam
2000 — Venus Williams beats her younger sister Serena 6-2, 7-6 (3) to reach the Wimbledon final. Their singles match is the first between sisters in a Grand Slam semifinal.
Venus Williams, right, puts her arm around her sister, Serena, after defeating Serena in their women's singles semifinal match on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Thursday July 6, 2000. Venus won 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). (AP Photo/Adam Butler, Pool)
2008: Rafael Nadal outlasts Roger Federer in longest men's final in Wimbledon history
2008 — Rafael Nadal ends Roger Federer’s bid to become the first man since the 1880s to win a sixth consecutive championship at the All England Club. Two points from victory, the No. 1-ranked Federer succumbs to No. 2 Nadal 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 in a 4-hour, 48-minute test of wills that’s the longest men’s final in Wimbledon history — and quite possibly the greatest.
Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates his defeat of Switzerland's Roger Federe in the men's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Sunday, July 6, 2008. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
2011: Caster Semenya cleared to compete after gender tests
2011 — Caster Semenya is cleared to return to track by the sport’s governing body, ending an 11-month layoff while she underwent gender tests after becoming the 800-meter world champion. Semenya is allowed to keep running as a woman, although it is unclear if she has had any medical procedure or treatment during her time away.
In this April 13, 2018, file photo, South Africa's Caster Semenya celebrates after winning the woman's 800m final at Carrara Stadium during the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
2012: Andy Murray becomes first British man to reach Wimbledon final since 1938
2012 — Andy Murray reaches the Wimbledon final for the first time, beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. Murray becomes the first British man to play in the Wimbledon final since Bunny Austin in 1938.
Andy Murray of Britain reacts after defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France during a semifinals match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Friday, July 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
2013: Bryan brothers win Wimbledon, hold all four Slam titles at same time
2013 — Twin brothers Mike and Bob Bryan capture their fourth straight major with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo at Wimbledon. The Americans are the first men’s team in Open-era tennis to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan of the United States celebrate after beating Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Marcelo Melo Brazil to win the Men's doubles final match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Saturday, July 6, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
2014: Novak Djokovic holds off Roger Federer for second Wimbledon crown
2014 — Novak Djokovic wins his second Wimbledon title and denies Roger Federer his record eighth by holding off the Swiss star in five sets. Djokovic wastes a 5-2 lead in the fourth set but holds on for a 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-4 victory.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia holds up the trophy after defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland in the men's singles final at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Sunday, July 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
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