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Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Babe Didrikson Zaharias
— Golfer —
Babe Didrikson Zaharias.jpg
Zaharias in 1947
Personal information
Full name Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias
Nickname Babe
Born (1911-06-26)June 26, 1911
Port Arthur, Texas, U.S.
Died September 27, 1956(1956-09-27) (aged 45)
Galveston, Texas, U.S.
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Nationality  United States
Spouse George Zaharias
Career
Turned professional 1947
Retired 1956 (her death)
Former tour(s) LPGA Tour
(joined 1950, its founding)
Professional wins 48
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour 41
Other 7
Best results in LPGA major championships
(wins: 10)
Western Open Won: 1940, 1944, 1945, 1950
Titleholders C'ship Won: 1947, 1950, 1952
U.S. Women's Open Won: 1948, 1950, 1954
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 1951 (member page)
LPGA Tour
Money Winner
1950, 1951
LPGA Vare Trophy 1954
Associated Press
Female Athlete of the Year
1932, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1954
Bob Jones Award 1957
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1932 Los Angeles 80 m hurdles
Gold medal – first place 1932 Los Angeles Javelin throw
Silver medal – second place 1932 Los Angeles High jump

Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (/zəˈhɑːriəs/; June 26, 1911 – September 27, 1956) was an American athlete who achieved a great deal of success in golf, basketball and track and field. She won two gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Summer Olympics, before turning to professional golf and winning 10 LPGA major championships.

Mildred Ella Didrikson was born on June 26, 1911, the sixth of seven children, in the coastal city of Port Arthur, Texas. Her mother, Hannah, and her father, Ole Didriksen, were immigrants from Norway. Although her three eldest siblings were born in Norway, Babe and her three other siblings were born in Port Arthur. She later changed the spelling of her surname from Didriksen to Didrikson. She moved with her family to 850 Doucette in Beaumont, Texas, at age 4. She claimed to have acquired the nickname "Babe" (after Babe Ruth) upon hitting five home runs in a childhood baseball game, but her Norwegian mother had called her "Bebe" from the time she was a toddler.

Though best known for her athletic gifts, Didrikson had many talents. She also competed in sewing. An excellent seamstress, she made many of her clothes, including her golfing outfits. She claimed to have won the sewing championship at the 1931 State Fair of Texas in Dallas; she did win the South Texas State Fair in Beaumont, embellishing the story many years later in 1953. She attended Beaumont High School. Never a strong student, she was forced to repeat the eighth grade and was a year older than her classmates. She eventually dropped out without graduating after she moved to Dallas to play basketball. She was a singer and a harmonica player and recorded several songs on the Mercury Records label. Her biggest seller was "I Felt a Little Teardrop" with "Detour" on the flip side.


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Wikipedia

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