Babe Didrikson Zaharias
| Babe Didrikson Zaharias | |
|---|---|
| — Golfer — | |
Zaharias in 1947
|
|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias |
| Nickname | Babe |
| Born |
June 26, 1911 Port Arthur, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | September 27, 1956 (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
|
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| Olympic Games | ||
 |
1932 Los Angeles | 80 m hurdles |
|
1932 Los Angeles | Javelin throw |
 |
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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