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Associated Press Athlete of the YearIn 1931, the first and most prestigious "Athlete of the Year" award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press (AP). At a time when women in sports were never given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to either a professional or amateur athlete. The awards are voted on annually by a panel of AP sports editors from across the United States.
Female athlete of the year :
- 1931 : Helene Madison , Swimming
- 1932 : Babe Didrikson, Track and field
- 1933 : Helen Jacobs , Tennis
- 1934 : Virginia Van Wie , LPGA golf
- 1935 : Helen Wills Moody, Tennis
- 1936 : Helen Stephens, Track and field
- 1937Events January January 1 Anastasio Somoza becomes President of Nicaragua January 11 The first issue of Look magazine goes on sale in the United States. January 19 Howard Hughes sets a new air record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours, : Katherine Rawls , Swimming
- 1938Events January -June January 3 The March of Dimes is established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. January 11 Frances Moulton is the first woman to become president of a US national bank. January 20 Wedding of king Farouk I of Egypt and Farida Zulficar in Cai : Patty BergPatty Berg (born February 13, 1918) was a U. Berg was a leading player on the LPGA Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. She first came to national attention by reaching the final of the 1935 U. Women's Amateur, losing to Glenna Collett Vare in Vare's f, LPGA golf
- 1939Events January-June January 2 End of term for Frank Finley Merriam, 28th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Culbert Levy Olson. January 24 Earthquake kills 30. 000 in Chile about 50. 000 sq mi razed January 26 Falangists take Barcelona January 26 : Alice Marble , Tennis
- 1940 : Alice Marble , Tennis
- 1941 : Betty Hicks Newell , LPGA golf
- 1942 : Gloria Callen , Swimming
- 1943 : Patty Berg, LPGA golf
- 1944 : Ann Curtis , Swimming
- 1945 : Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
- 1946 : Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
- 1947 : Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
- 1948 : Fanny Blankers-Koen, Track and field
- 1949 : Marlene Bauer , LPGA golf
- 1950 : Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
- 1951 : Maureen Connolly, Tennis
- 1952 : Maureen Connolly, Tennis
- 1953 : Maureen Connolly, Tennis
- 1954 : Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
- 1955 : Patty Berg, LPGA golf
- 1956 : Pat McCormick , Diving
- 1957 : Althea Gibson, Tennis
- 1958 : Althea Gibson, Tennis
- 1959 : Maria Bueno, Tennis
- 1960 : Wilma Rudolph, Track and field
- 1961 : Wilma Rudolph, Track and field
- 1962 : Dawn Fraser, Swimming
- 1963 : Mickey Wright , LPGA golf
- 1964 : Mickey Wright , LPGA golf
- 1965 : Kathy Whitworth, LPGA golf
- 1966 : Kathy Whitworth, LPGA golf
- 1967 : Billie Jean King, Tennis
- 1968 : Peggy Fleming, Figure skating
- 1969 : Debbie Meyer, Swimming
- 1970 : Chi Cheng, Track and field
- 1971 : Evonne Goolagong, Tennis
- 1972 : Olga Korbut, Gymnastics
- 1973 : Billie Jean King, Tennis
- 1974 : Chris Evert, Tennis
- 1975 : Chris Evert, Tennis
- 1976 : Nadia Comaneci, Gymnastics
- 1977 : Chris Evert, Tennis
- 1978 : Nancy Lopez, LPGA golf
- 1979 : Tracy Austin, Tennis
- 1980 : Chris Evert, Tennis
- 1981 : Tracy Austin, Tennis
- 1982 : Mary Decker, Track and field
- 1983 : Martina Navratilova, Tennis
- 1984 : Mary Lou Retton, Gymnastics
- 1985 : Nancy Lopez, LPGA golf
- 1986 : Martina Navratilova, Tennis
- 1987 : Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Track and field
- 1988 : Florence Griffith Joyner, Track and field
- 1989 : Steffi Graf, Tennis
- 1990 : Beth Daniel , LPGA golf
- 1991 : Monica Seles, Tennis
- 1992 : Monica Seles, Tennis
- 1993 : Sheryl Swoopes, College basketball
- 1994 : Bonnie Blair, Speed skating
- 1995 : Rebecca Lobo, College basketball
- 1996 : Amy Van Dyken , Swimming
- 1997 : Martina Hingis, Tennis
- 1998 : Se Ri Pak, LPGA golf
- 1999 : United States women's national soccer team, soccer
- 2000 : Marion Jones, Track and field
- 2001 : Jennifer Capriati, Tennis
- 2002 : Serena Williams, Tennis
- 2003 : Annika Sörenstam, LPGA golf
Male athlete of the year :
- 1931 : Pepper Martin, Major League Baseball
- 1932 : Gene Sarazen, PGA golf
- 1933 : Carl Hubbell, Major League Baseball
- 1934 : Dizzy Dean, Major League Baseball
- 1935 : Joe Louis, Boxing
- 1936 : Jesse Owens, Track and field
- 1937 : Don Budge, Tennis
- 1938 : Don Budge, Tennis
- 1939 : Nile Kinnick , College football
- 1940 : Tom Harmon , College football
- 1941 : Joe DiMaggio, Major League Baseball
- 1942 : Frank Sinkwich , College football
- 1943 : Gunder Haegg , Track and field
- 1944 : Byron Nelson, PGA golf
- 1945 : Byron Nelson, PGA golf
- 1946 : Glenn Davis , College football
- 1947 : Johnny Lujack , College football
- 1948 : Lou Boudreau, Major League Baseball
- 1949 : Leon Hart , College football
- 1950 : Jim Konstanty , Major League Baseball
- 1951 : Dick Kazmaier , College football
- 1952 : Bob Mathias, Track and field
- 1953 : Ben Hogan, PGA golf
- 1954 : Willie Mays, Major League Baseball
- 1955 : Hopalong Cassady , College football
- 1956 : Mickey Mantle, Major League Baseball
- 1957 : Ted Williams, Major League Baseball
- 1958 : Herb Elliott, Track and field
- 1959 : Ingemar Johansson, Boxing
- 1960 : Rafer Johnson, Track and field
- 1961 : Roger Maris, Major League Baseball
- 1962 : Maury Wills, Major League Baseball
- 1963 : Sandy Koufax, Major League Baseball
- 1964 : Don Schollander , Swimming
- 1965 : Sandy Koufax, Major League Baseball
- 1966 : Frank Robinson, Major League Baseball
- 1967 : Carl Yastrzemski, Major League Baseball
- 1968 : Denny McLain, Major League Baseball
- 1969 : Tom Seaver, Major League Baseball
- 1970 : George Blanda, National Football League
- 1971 : Lee Trevino, PGA golf
- 1972 : Mark Spitz, Swimming
- 1973 : O.J. Simpson, National Football League
- 1974 : Muhammad Ali, Boxing
- 1975 : Fred Lynn, Major League Baseball
- 1976 : Bruce Jenner, Track and field
- 1977 : Steve Cauthen, Horse racing
- 1978 : Ron Guidry, Major League Baseball
- 1979 : Willie Stargell, Major League Baseball
- 1980 : U.S. Olympic hockey team, Amateur Ice Hockey
- 1981 : John McEnroe, Tennis
- 1982 : Wayne Gretzky, NHL ice hockey
- 1983 : Carl Lewis, Track and field
- 1984 : Carl Lewis, Track and field
- 1985 : Dwight Gooden, Major League Baseball
- 1986 : Larry Bird, NBA basketball
- 1987 : Ben Johnson, Track and field
- 1988 : Orel Hershiser, Major League Baseball
- 1989 : Joe Montana, National Football League
- 1990 : Joe Montana, National Football League
- 1991 : Michael Jordan, NBA basketball
- 1992 : Michael Jordan, NBA basketball
- 1993 : Michael Jordan, NBA basketball
- 1994 : George Foreman, Boxing
- 1995 : Cal Ripken Jr., Major League Baseball
- 1996 : Michael Johnson, Track and field
- 1997 : Tiger Woods, PGA golf
- 1998 : Mark McGwire, Major League Baseball
- 1999 : Tiger Woods, PGA golf
- 2000 : Tiger Woods, PGA golf
- 2001 : Barry Bonds, Major League Baseball
- 2002 : Lance Armstrong, cycling
- 2003 : Lance Armstrong, cycling
Adapted from the article Associated Press Athlete of the Year, from Wikinfo, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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