A daily Black History Month fact that has nothing to do with George Washington Carver, MLK, Jr., or Harriet Tubman. Promise!

Wilma Rudolph was an Olympic track and field star who overcame significant odds to become the first American woman to win three gold medals at the Olympics.

Rudolph was born in Tennessee in 1940. She was diagnosed with polio as a young girl, but by the age of 12 she had shed her braces and become a basketball and track star. She won a bronze medal in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, but it was during hte 1960 Rome Olympics that she broke the record with three gold medals. After retiring from sports, Rudolph became a teacher and sports commentator. She died of brain cancer in 1994.

This concludes your daily dose of Black History Month.