Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympian and trailblazing gymnast, is born in Silver Spring, Maryland. Nicknamed “Awesome Dawesome,” she would go on to make history as the first African American woman to win an individual Olympic medal in gymnastics and a member of the “Magnificent Seven” team that won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics—a first for the U.S. women’s team. Dawes also earned three Olympic bronze medals and claimed more national titles than any other American gymnast at the time, male or female. Her success helped pave the way for future generations of Black gymnasts.
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