Moses Fleetwood Walker, Six Decades Before Jackie Robinson, This Man Integrated Major League Baseball

Did Women Fight as Gladiators in Ancient Rome?

Basketball, football and baseball are the three most popular sports in the United States.

How the Dangerous Sport of Chariot Racing Captivated Ancient Rome

Group shot of the 1919 White Sox. They would after this year be known as the "Black Sox Scandal" team, due to the allegation that eight members of the team accepted bribes to lose the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Ancient Greek Sports. Three nude athletes are depicted competing in a foot-race on an ancient Greek amphora. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Combat between gladiators in ancient Rome. The vanquished appeals to the spectators for mercy. From Ward and Lock's Illustrated History of the World, published c. 1882.

How Althea Gibson Faced Racial Barriers—Even as a Tennis Champion

Dick, Kerr International Ladies soccer team.

<p>Sports and recreation are an integral part of human history, from the ancient Olympics to the Kentucky Derby, Jackie Robinson, Negro League Baseball, the Super Bowl and more.</p>


Sports

Sports are an integral part of human history. Learn more about the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby, Jackie Robinson, Negro League Baseball, the Super Bowl and more.

Sports: Olympics and Athletes | HISTORY

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<p>The Roman Empire, led by rulers such as Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Caligula and Nero, was a vast and powerful domain that gave rise to the culture, laws, technologies and institutions that continue to define Western civilization.</p>


Ancient Rome

<p><a href="http://www.christopherklein.com/">Christopher Klein</a> is the author of four books, including <em>When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans Who Fought for Ireland’s Freedom</em> and <em>Strong Boy: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan</em>. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including <em>The Boston Globe</em>,<em> The New York Times</em>, and <em>National Geographic Traveler. </em>Follow Chris at <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.twitter.com_historyauthor&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=0ZpTu-He2V3GUI-VETMmkwm8-GyOWSyeMJXqt7G42KA&amp;m=K4QAG6bPcooItZtsSRYJId99sCdkkYnSQnbG55Y82ZU&amp;s=reHlmdZq8nMnpunXM6VDAaQCLeVwu9L3gbscryyWKD8&amp;e=">@historyauthor</a>.</p>


Christopher Klein

<p>Patrick J. Kiger has written for <em>GQ</em>, the <em>Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, </em>PBS NewsHour and Military History Quarterly. He's the co-author (with Martin J. Smith) of <em>Poplorica:</em> <em>A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions, and Lore that Shaped Modern America</em>.</p>


Patrick J. Kiger

<p>Farrell Evans is an award-winning journalist who writes about sports and history.</p>


Farrell Evans

Melinda Beck

<p>A longtime journalist, Banks was a senior editor for ESPN.com and <em>The Dallas Morning News</em>. His writing has appeared in&nbsp;<em>The New York Times</em>, <em>Civil War Times, Civil War Monitor, Civil War News, America's Civil War</em> and <em>Military Images, among other publications.&nbsp;</em></p>


John Banks

<p><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.fredfrommer.com/__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!XOr8dr6Eynfdb6Jt9CQ5ReQKJAuzwyA4o5j1dfSoTO5wEfbJlyTWNLJgQltboe1veRm0$">Fred Frommer</a> is a historian and writer, and author of several books, including <em>You Gotta Have Heart: Washington Baseball from Walter Johnson to the 2019 World Series Champion Nationals</em>. He is a frequent contributor to <em>The Washington Post</em>, and has also written for <em>The New York Times</em>, <em>The Atlantic</em>, <em>Politico Magazine</em>, and CNN.com. Fred is a former longtime Associated Press journalist, where he worked as a reporter and editor. Follow him at <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://twitter.com/ffrommer__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!XOr8dr6Eynfdb6Jt9CQ5ReQKJAuzwyA4o5j1dfSoTO5wEfbJlyTWNLJgQltboQeCu0NO$">@ffrommer</a>.</p>


Fred Frommer

<p>Ancient Greece, the birthplace of democracy, was the source of some of the greatest literature, architecture, science and philosophy in Western civilization, and home to beautiful historical sites like the Acropolis and the Parthenon.</p>


Ancient Greece

<p>Michael Waters writes about 20th-century queer history. You can follow him on Twitter at @michaelwwaters.</p>


Michael Waters

<p>Joshua Kagavi is a writer, historian, artist and designer whose projects explore early athletic history, retro games, racism and nationalism and more. His work can be found at <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://kagavi.com__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!Fn1gKRMuhCozMLzsLJHSGkHm4alsMjrnYA5YZZ-WkkjIR_xYblbO_ctXLR0xcZOlL6bi7ebU5ErsKpYRLg$">kagavi.com</a>.</p>


Joshua Kagavi

<p>Ashley Brown is Allan H. Selig Chair in the History of Sport and Society and Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of <em><a href="http://Ashley Brown is Allan H. Selig Chair in the History of Sport and Society and Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson, published by Oxford University Press.">Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson</a></em>, published by Oxford University Press.</p>


Ashley Brown

<p>From raising families to leading armies, women such as Catherine the Great, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Amanirenas, Queen Elizabeth I, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin and countless others have played a vital role in history.</p>


Women’s History

<p><a href="http://history.com/">HISTORY.com</a> works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata.</p>


History.com Editors

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">African Americans have played a central role in shaping U.S. history. From slavery and its abolition to the Great Migration, the civil rights movement and military, scientific, cultural and political achievements, explore key moments, milestones and figures in Black History.</div>
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Did Women Fight as Gladiators in Ancient Rome?