Zaharias, Babe Didrikson

Zaharias, Babe Didrikson
or Babe Didrikson orig. Mildred Ella Didrikson

born June 26, 1914, Port Arthur, Texas, U.S.
died Sept. 27, 1956, Galveston, Texas

U.S. athlete who excelled in several sports.

She became a remarkable performer in basketball and track and field and later a leading golfer. In 1930–31 she was a member of the women's All-America basketball team. In national track-and-field competition in 1930–32, she won eight events and tied for a ninth. In the 1932 Olympics she won gold medals in the 80-m hurdles and javelin throw; she was deprived of the high-jump gold medal for using a then-unorthodox method. As a golfer from 1946, she won numerous championships, including the U.S. and British women's amateur tournaments (1946, 1947) and the U.S. Women's Open (1948, 1950, 1954).

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▪ American athlete
byname of  Mildred Ella Zaharias , née  Mildred Ella Didriksen 
born June 26, 1911, Port Arthur, Texas, U.S.
died September 27, 1956, Galveston, Texas
 American sportswoman, one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, performing in basketball, track and field, and later golf.

      From 1930 through 1932, Didrikson was a member of the women's All-America basketball team. During the same period she also won eight events and tied in a ninth in national championship competition in track and field. 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. At the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles she won the 80-metre hurdles and the javelin throw and was deprived of a third gold medal in the high jump only because she had used the then-unorthodox Western roll to achieve the highest jump; she was awarded the silver medal instead. She also excelled in baseball and softball, swimming, figure skating, billiards, and even football.

      In 1938 Didrikson married George Zaharias, a professional wrestler. She began playing golf casually in 1932, but from 1934 she played that game exclusively. Restored to amateur status after some years as a professional, she won the U.S. Women's Amateur tournament in 1946. The next year she won 17 straight golf championships, including the British Ladies Amateur, of which she was the first American holder. As a professional again from 1948, she won the U.S. Women's Open in that year and in 1950. From 1948 through 1951 she was the leading money winner among woman golfers. Diagnosed with cancer, she underwent surgery in 1953, then went on to win the U.S. Open again in 1954.

      Didrikson Zaharias's autobiography, This Life I've Led, appeared in 1955.

Additional Reading
William Oscar Johnson and Nancy P. Williamson, "Whatta-Gal": The Babe Didrikson Story (1977); and Susan E. Cayleff, Babe: The Life and Legend of Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1995), examine her life and career.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Zaharias, Babe Didrikson — o Babe Didrikson orig. Mildred Ella Didrikson (26 jun. 1914, Port Arthur, Texas, EE.UU.–27 sep. 1956, Galveston, Texas). Atleta estadounidense que sobresalió en varios deportes. Fue una figura del baloncesto y del atletismo y después una… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Zaharias, Babe Didrikson —  (1913–1956) American golfer and athlete; real first name Mildred …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • 'Babe' Didrikson Zaharias — ‘Babe’ Didrikson Zaharias [Babe Didrikson Zaharias] ; » Didrikson …   Useful english dictionary

  • 'Babe' Didrikson — ‘Babe’ Didrikson [Babe Didrikson] (Mildred Didrikson 1913–56) an American woman who was famous in many sports, including ↑baseball, ↑basketball, ↑golf and ↑tennis. She has been …   Useful english dictionary

  • Babe Didrikson — Mildred Ella Babe Didrikson Zaharias (* 26. Juni 1911 in Port Arthur, Texas; † 27. September 1956 in Galveston, Texas; gebürtige Mildred Didrikson, Babe Zaharias genannt) war eine US amerikanische Leichtathletin und Golferin. Sie nahm an den… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Babe Didrikson — Mildred Didrikson Zaharias Mildred Didrikson Fichier:Babe Zaharias on 18 cent stamp IMG 1062.jpg Mildred Didrikson, championne olympique 1932 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Babe Didrikson — noun outstanding United States athlete (1914 1956) • Syn: ↑Zaharias, ↑Babe Zaharias, ↑Didrikson, ↑Mildred Ella Didrikson, ↑Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias • Instance Hypernyms: ↑athlete, ↑jock …   Useful english dictionary

  • {‘Babe’ Didrikson }Zaharias — ➡ Didrikson. * * * …   Universalium

  • ‘Babe’ Didrikson Zaharias — ➡ Zaharias * * * …   Universalium

  • {‘Babe’ }Didrikson — (Mildred Didrikson 1913–56) an American woman who was famous in many sports, including baseball, basketball, golf and tennis. She has been called ‘the greatest woman athlete in history’. In the 1932 Olympic Games she won the javelin and 80 metre… …   Universalium

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