Alice Coachman paved the way for hundreds of black female Olympic champions. She became the first ever African-American woman to win a gold medal with her victory in the high jump event in the 1948 London Olympics.
She was awarded her medal by King George VI of the United Kingdom and after returning home met President Harry Truman.
Coachman was an incredible athlete, and, until the 1990s, held the record for the most victories in national AAU high jump competition — 10 consecutive championships from 1939 to 1948.
Alice Coachman is commemorated in the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in New York.
Photo courtesy of Hard Road to Glory, AP/Worldwide Photos