Betty Robinson
She won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in the women's 100-meter dash, then staged a miraculous comeback after a plane crash.
1911–1999 (age 88)·American Olympic champion·Birthday: August 23·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Betty Robinson wasn't just fast; she was a pioneer who appeared almost out of nowhere. As a 16-year-old high school student in Illinois, a biology teacher spotted her sprinting for a train and urged her to try out for the track team. Just months later, in 1928, she stood on the track in Amsterdam for the inaugural women's Olympic 100-meter race. She won, becoming the first woman to claim gold in the event. Her story took a dramatic turn in 1931 when a plane she was in crashed. Rescuers found her unconscious and presumed dead, placing her in a trunk bound for an undertaker. She was, in fact, alive but severely injured, and spent two years learning to walk again. Defying all odds, she returned to sprinting, winning a relay gold in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, cementing a legacy of sheer resilience.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Betty was born in 1911, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Betty Was Born
The biggest hits of 1911
Betty's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1911Born
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1916Started school
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Became a teenager
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1927Could drive
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1929Could vote
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1932Turned 21
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1941Turned 30
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 40
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 50
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 60
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 70
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 80
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1999Died at 88
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
Key Achievements
- Won the first Olympic gold medal in the women's 100 meters at the 1928 Amsterdam Games.
- Earned a second Olympic gold medal as part of the U.S. 4x100 meter relay team in Berlin in 1936.
- Set a world record in the 100-yard dash in 1928.
- Inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975.
Did You Know?
She had never run an organized race before her high school teacher discovered her talent.
After her plane crash, she could not kneel for a standard sprint start and had to begin races from a standing position.
She carried the Olympic torch through Chicago in 1996.
Her married name was Elizabeth Schwartz.
“I just ran. I didn't know I was making history.”
