Skip to main content

Fanny Blankers-Koen’s 100th Birthday








Fanny Blankers-Koen’s 100th Birthday

On a rainy summer day in 1948, onlookers at London’s Wembley track saw an unexpected athlete make history. Dutch runner and 30-year-old mother of two Fanny Blankers-Koen outstrided her opponents in the women’s 200m by 0.7 seconds—the highest margin in Olympics 200m history and a record that still stands today. 

Born near Baarn, the Netherlands, in 1918, Blankers-Koen had set a national record for the women’s 800m by age 17. At 18, she competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, placing fifth in the 4x100m and sixth in high jump.

After the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were canceled, many thought Blankers-Koen would never make another Olympics. When she declared her intentions to compete in the 1948 London Games, she received letters from many criticizing her for continuing to race despite being a mother and insisting she stay home. 

But words couldn’t break Blankers-Koen’s stride. She captured four golds during the 1948 London Games, winning the 100m, 80m hurdles, 200m, and 4x100m relay to become the first woman to win four medals in a single Olympics. Her quick feet didn’t just set records. Blankers-Koen’s accomplishments flattened stereotypes of female athletes at the time, earning her the nickname “The Flying Housewife.”

Today, we celebrate what would’ve been her 100th birthday with a Doodle that imagines her racing down the track, smiling mid-stride. 

Happy birthday, Fanny!


Ref : https://www.google.com/doodles/fanny-blankers-koens-100th-birthday

Comments

  1. Hey HoDecember 11, 2020 at 3:24 PM

    I've made one too https://link.medium.com/arjBSVkQ8bb

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In pics: The Bachchan Family Tree

The Bachchans:  Bachchans are busy celebrating the arrival of Aishwarya and Abhishek's daughter. Let's meet the Bachchan clan Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan's father was a famous Hindi poet. He is most popular for his book 'Madhushala'. He passed away in 2003. Harivansh Rai Bachchan got married to Shyama in 1926. Shyama died after ten years of marriage. Harivansh married Teji Bachchan (in the picture) in 1941. They had two sons, Amitabh and Ajitab. Born in 1969, Amitabh Bachchan is the most popular Bollywood celebrity today. Ajitabh Bachchan (second from left) is Amitabh's younger brother Amitabh Bachchan is married to actress Jaya Bachchan. They have two children, Abhishek Bachchan and Shweta Nanda. Jaya was born in a Hindu Bengali family to Taroon Kumar Bhaduri and Indira Bhaduri. Her father was a writer, journalist and stage artist. Abhishek's elder sister Shweta Bachchan Nanda is married to industrialist Nikhil Nanda. Nikhil and Shweta have t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Farouque Shaikh’s 70th Birthday

Born on this day in 1948, actor Farouque Shaikh grew up in Mumbai, in a simple, middle-class household. Though he studied law at college, he continued to dabble in theater on the side, and eventually decided to give acting a go. Starting with  Garam Hawa  in 1973, Farouque Shaikh essayed agonizing heartbreak and light-hearted comedy with equal ease. If moviegoers fell in love with his shy smile in  Chashme Buddoor,  they marveled at his comedic timing in  Kissi Se Na Kehna,  and ached for his helplessness and loss in  Bazaar . Beyond the silver screen, Shaikh was integral to Indian theater, and his epistolary play, ‘Tumhari Amrita’  with Shabana Azmi delighted audiences for over two decades. TV audiences also loved him, be it for his humility in  Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai , or for his comic wit in  Chamatkar . Today’s Doodle by  Nimit Malavia  is a tribute to Farouque Shaikh’s cinematic career in a style evocative of h...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hannah Glasse’s 310th Birthday

    If the thought of Yorkshire pudding and gooseberry fool makes your mouth water, you have Hannah Glasse to thank for making these two delectable dishes staples in English cuisine. Born on this day in 1708, Glasse was a pioneering English cook and author of the most popular cookbook of the 18th century. Published in 1747,   The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy   was unique; it was one of the first cookbooks written in a simple and conversational style, which meant that any English speaker and reader – regardless of their class – could learn how to cook. Glasse’s cookbook was popular not only because it was easy to read, but also because of its massive scope. It included a whopping 972 recipes, covering everything from puddings and soups, to what to serve at Lent, to preparing food for the sick. Today’s Doodle features Glasse whipping up a batch of classic Yorkshire puddings. Her recipe for Yorkshire pudding, among many others, is one of the ...
Post a Comment
Read more