Althea Gibson, the first black athlete to break the color barrier of international tennis, received a Google doodle today on what would have been her 87^th birthday. The Google doodle has become a popular animation on the site’s homepage, often exchanging its trademark symbol for a brief cartoon depicting an historic event happening that day. Today was Gibson’s day.

Althea Gibson’s Tennis Career Highlights

Gibson’s career began in 1950, when after intensive lobbying, she was invited to take part in the US Open. In 1951, she became the first black woman to ever make Wimbledon. By the end of her career she won 11 Grand Slam tournaments and is considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time.