Billie Jean King makes history as the first individual female athlete to be awarded Congressional Gold Medal

Billie Jean King keeps making history. 

The 80-year-old volition go the archetypal idiosyncratic pistillate jock to beryllium awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. 

King had already been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom successful 2009 by former President Obama for her advocacy enactment connected behalf of women and the LGBTQ community.

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Billie Jean King attends the 2024 New York #LWTSUMMIT Sept. 19, 2024, successful New York City.  (Bonnie Biess/Getty Images for Lesbians Who Tech & Allies)

King joins a uncommon people of athletes who person been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. 

The medal is awarded by Congress for distinguished achievements and contributions to society. The medal has been antecedently fixed to Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer. 

Legislation for the grant passed successful September 2023 connected the 50th day of King’s triumph implicit Bobby Riggs successful the "Battle of the Sexes." The measure passed unanimously successful the Senate. 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1973, TENNIS STAR BILLIE JEAN KING WINS 'BATTLE OF THE SEXES' IN HOUSTON

(L-R) Jessica Pegula of the United States, erstwhile nonrecreational tennis subordinate Billie Jean King and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus airs for a photograph aft the women's singles last lucifer of the 2024 U.S. Open astatine USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Sept. 7, 2024, successful the Flushing vicinity of the Queens borough of New York City.  (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

President Biden signed the authorities into instrumentality Thursday.

King relentlessly advocated for adjacent wage successful tennis. Her efforts led to the U.S. Open becoming the archetypal Grand Slam tourney to connection men and women adjacent prize wealth successful 1973. 

In 2014, she founded the Billie Jean King Foundation, a nonprofit creating an equitable aboriginal done sports, acquisition and activism. 

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Billie Jean King waves to the assemblage astatine the 2024 US Open astatine USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Sept. 5, 2024, successful the Flushing vicinity of the Queens borough of New York City.  (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

King was dominant, winning 39 Grand Slam titles, 12 singles titles, 16 titles successful women’s doubles and 11 titles successful mixed doubles. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame successful 1987.

King is besides the archetypal pistillate to person a large sports venue named successful her honor. In 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center successful Flushing, New York, location of the U.S. Open, was rededicated arsenic the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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