A detailed timeline of the impact and legacy of Billie Jean King across different fields.
Billie Jean King, a former world No. 1 American tennis player, is considered one of the greatest of all time. She accumulated 39 Grand Slam titles across singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. King also contributed to the United States' victories in seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups. Beyond her athletic achievements, King is known for her advocacy for gender equality in sports and society.
In 1967, Billie Jean King won the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles titles at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, becoming the first woman to achieve this feat since Alice Marble in 1939.
From 1966 through 1975, Billie Jean King's Grand Slam record was comparable to that of Margaret Court. One or both women played 35 of the 40 Grand Slam singles tournaments held during this period, and together they won 24 of them.
At the end of 1969, Billie Jean King said that she expect to have a real big year in 1970, because she had the motivation to do it and felt like a kid again.
In 1972, Billie Jean King was the joint winner, with John Wooden, of the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award.
On September 20, 1973, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" at the Houston Astrodome. The match was watched by over 30,000 spectators and an estimated 50 million U.S. television viewers, and 90 million across 37 countries. King won 6–4, 6–3, 6–3. The event is considered significant in promoting recognition and respect for women's tennis.
In 1973, Billie Jean King became the first president of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), advocating for women's rights in tennis.
In 1973, at age 29, Billie Jean King famously won the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match against 55-year-old Bobby Riggs. That same year, King was also the founder of the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation. She also persuaded Virginia Slims to sponsor women's tennis and later served on the board of Philip Morris.
In 1974, Billie Jean King, along with Larry King and Jim Jorgensen, founded womenSports magazine and started the Women's Sports Foundation, promoting women in sports.
From 1966 through 1975, Billie Jean King's Grand Slam record was comparable to that of Margaret Court. One or both women played 35 of the 40 Grand Slam singles tournaments held during this period, and together they won 24 of them.
In 1975, Billie Jean King was one of the Time Persons of the Year.
In 1979, when several top players were asked who they would pick to help them recover from a hypothetical deficit of 1–5 (15–40) in the third set of a match on Wimbledon's Centre Court, Martina Navratilova, Rosemary Casals, and Françoise Dürr all picked Billie Jean King.
In 1987, Billie Jean King was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
In 1990, Billie Jean King was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
In 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center in New York City was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
In 2008, the Sports Museum of America opened, housing the Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center, a comprehensive women's sports hall of fame and exhibit.
In 2010, Billie Jean King was bestowed the Fed Cup Award of Excellence.
As of 2012, Billie Jean King was involved in the Women's Sports Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. She also served on the President's Council for Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.
In December 2013, US President Barack Obama appointed Billie Jean King and Caitlin Cahow to represent the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, seen as a signal on gay rights.
On June 16, 2017, Billie Jean King delivered the commencement address at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
In 2018, Billie Jean King won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2020, the Federation Cup was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup in her honor.
In 2022, Billie Jean King was awarded the French Legion of Honour.
In 2024, Billie Jean King received a Congressional Gold Medal.
The $100,000 Billie Jean King won in 1973 equates to $707,000 in 2024 terms.
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