Iconic sportswoman and activist Billie Jean King honored with Hollywood star
Iconic tennis player and former world number one Billie Jean King received the 2,807th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday.
King famously competed against male tennis player Bobby Riggs in the 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" in order to promote equal pay between male and female sports stars. She ended up defeating Riggs.
Former basketball player Magic Johnson was a special guest at the ceremony.
'She's an amazing person, and what I love about Billie Jean is that she used her platform to bring about change. When we talk about that 'Battle of the Sexes', it was more than just you beating Bobby Riggs. You were fighting for equal pay for women and all these young ladies that are making all these millions and millions of dollars today should be thanking you for what you did for all of them," Johnson said.
King was the first female athlete to receive both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. She is the founder of both the Women's Sports Foundation and the Women's Tennis Association.
King came out as a lesbian in 1981, and has advocated for LGBTQ rights. King's wife, former tennis player Ilana Kloss, also attended the ceremony.
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis said, 'There is not a woman in any professional sport or any LGBTQ+ human being whose life has not been shaped and helped and supported by this extraordinary woman's great talents and her even greater contributions to improving the lives of other people on a daily basis.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Telegraph
King shares ‘salty tales' with old shipmates
The King has hosted a private Buckingham Palace reception for old shipmates from his naval days to 'share a few salty tales on the trip down memory sea-lane'. The event, thought to be the first of its kind, was personally requested by the King to thank his old comrades for their 'continued loyalty, laughter and support over the decades'. It was funded by the monarch privately. The King, as Prince of Wales, served in both the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force during the 1970s. Three months ago, he said: 'My own time at sea… remains one of the most formative, and fondest, experiences of my life.' Among some 400 guests invited to the reception were previous shipmates and their partners from HMS Bronington, Jupiter, Norfolk, Hermione, Minerva, Hermes, Dryad, Fox, and Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, as well as fellow aviators drawn from 845 Naval Air Squadron, and across the Fleet Air Arm. When the King gave up his military career to dedicate himself to royal duties in 1976, he used his Royal Navy severance pay to create the King's Trust. A palace aide said ahead of the reception: 'His Majesty was greatly looking forward to seeing his old shipmates, and no doubt sharing a few salty tales on the trip down memory sea-lane. 'He is most grateful for their continued loyalty, laughter and support over the decades, and looked forward to hearing where life's journeys had taken them all. 'As we approach the 50th anniversary of The King's Trust, which was initially funded with His Majesty's £7,400 severance pay from the Navy, it was a timely opportunity to reflect on what great things have sprung from those formative years – including lifelong friendships and a continued commitment to public service.' Others invited to the palace on Wednesday included a contingent from HMY Britannia and representatives from the King's patronages the White Ensign Association, the Royal Navy Club of 1765 and 1785, the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust and the Association of Royal Naval Officers. The King, as Prince of Wales, was taught to fly while he was studying at Cambridge University by RAF Squadron Leader Philip Penney. In 1971, he flew himself to RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire to train as a jet pilot, graduating later that year after receiving his wings. The King went on to embark on his naval career, joining the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He began as a 22-year-old acting sub-lieutenant, and was later posted to the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk and then to the frigates HMS Minerva and HMS Jupiter in the West Indies and the Pacific respectively. The King returned to England to learn naval aviation, eventually earning the Double Diamond trophy as best pilot. He rose to command minesweeper HMS Bronington before returning to royal duties. In 2012, Elizabeth II awarded him the highest rank in all three services – Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Air Force. On her death in 2022, the King became the Commander-in-Chief of the UK Armed Forces and, a month later, he replaced his younger son, the Duke of Sussex, as Captain General of the Royal Marines. In March this year, the King became the first monarch to visit a Royal Navy warship at sea in almost 40 years when he flew by helicopter to HMS Prince of Wales in the English Channel as it prepared for a major deployment to Japan. He spoke with deep affection about his time in the Navy and described his 'enduring respect' for the service. Meanwhile, the Queen has hailed the legacy of a literary prize that brought women's writing 'from the margins of the literary world to its very centre'. Camilla surprised shoppers when she dropped in on a pop-up Waterstones store in London, before joining an event to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Women's Prize for Fiction. She said the prize had 'transformed the literary landscape for women', launching careers and ensuring that bestsellers had 'flown off the shelves into the hands and hearts of the public'. The Queen met the six authors shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction including Nussaibah Younis, whose novel Fundamentally tells the story of an academic who travels to Iraq to de-radicalise a teenage Islamic State recruit, and Yael van der Wouden, who wrote The Safekeep. 'I shall be thinking of you' Her Majesty told Tell Me Everything writer Elizabeth Strout: 'I have read your books, they are lovely.' 'Good luck to you all,' she told the group. 'I shall be thinking of you.' She was then introduced to the six shortlisted authors for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction, including singer-songwriter and rapper Neneh Cherry, whose debut book, A Thousand Threads, tells the story of her career. The Queen told Clare Mulley, whose Agent Zo tells the story of the Polish wartime resistance fighter Elzbieta Zawacka: 'I think I will put that on my holiday reading list.' And she delighted author Chloe Dalton by telling her she had read her memoir Raising Hare about swapping the rat race for a rural life. Author Kate Mosse, who founded the prize, said the Queen's attendance had been kept secret. 'Nobody knew, which is why people were so surprised,' she said. 'If you're going to lay on the Queen, if it's not Beyoncé, it's got to be the actual Queen.'
Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
King Charles two birthdays explained - and why Prince William may only get one
King Charles is preparing for the annual Sovereign's Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, even though he was actually born in November - and the centuries-old tradition of dual birthdays for the monarch comes down to one very British reason King Charles is busy preparing to celebrate his official birthday on Saturday with the annual Trooping the Colour, which will see the royal family and thousands of royal fans step out to join in the celebration. Trooping the Colour takes place every year in June, even though Charles' actual birthday is in November. He is not the only monarch to have two birthdays marked in the royal calendar, as Queen Elizabeth II, and many previous monarchs, also celebrated Trooping the Colour only to have their actual birthdays later in the year. But why does the monarch have two birthdays in the first place? And why isn't Trooping the Colour celebrated on the King's actual birthday? The answer comes down to two very British things: tradition and the weather. Why does the King have two birthdays? The reason why the King has two birthdays is a centuries-old tradition set in place by a series of past monarchs. The very first Trooping the Colour is believed to have been performed during the reign of King Charles II, who was Monarch from 1660 to 1685. However, it wasn't until 1748 that it was decided for the parade to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign, becoming an annual event after George III became King in 1760. But it was King Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910 and was born in November, that began the tradition of holding Trooping the Colour in June. For the monarchs whose birthdays have fallen at different times during the year, they commemorate their ceremonial birthday in June, and their actual birthdays on the dates of their birth. Why is the King's offical birthday celebrated in June? The King's official birthday is celebrated in June due to a decision that was made a century ago that was largely inspired by the eternal British yearning for nice weather. When King Edward VII was planning his birthday celebrations, he decided that November - when his actual birthday is held - is not the optimal time of year for a large outdoor gathering. So instead, he moved Trooping of the Colour to May or June because there was less chance of it being cold and drizzly on the big day. The monarch after Edward VII - George V - helpfully had an actual birthday in June, but the Queen's father, George VI, whose birthday was in December, reintroduced the tradition of an official birthday in summer, which Elizabeth II continued. When is King Charles' actual birthday and is it a bank holiday? Despite his official birthday being celebrated in June, King Charles' birthday is actually in November. Charles was born on November 14 1948, and will be celebrating his 77th birthday later this year. Neither his actual birthday nor his official birthday are bank holidays in the UK. Will Prince William have two birthdays when he is King? There is a possibility that when Prince William ascends to the throne, he will only have one birthday celebration, due to his actual birthday already being in June (June 21st to be exact). Similarly, Prince George also has a summer birthday (July 22nd), and could opt to only have one birthday celebration when he becomes King, meaning the tradition of two birthdays could disappear for several decades.
ITV News
2 days ago
- ITV News
Sir Sadiq Khan is made a Knight Bachelor by King Charles at Buckingham Palace
The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said he and the King discussed which of them is 'a bigger workaholic' as he received a knighthood for political and public service. Sir Sadiq, the first London mayor to win a third term, was knighted by Charles in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The 54-year-old said: 'I have got the pleasure of working closely with the King. We were just comparing who's a bigger workaholic. 'He was very chuffed that he managed to personally give me this honour and he actually apologised for it taking so long – which is not a problem at all.' Sir Sadiq, a second-generation immigrant, said: 'My mum's here, and she's been emotional since it was announced on January 1, and today's just a great day for the family. 'Obviously, from my background, being the son of immigrants, my parents coming here from Pakistan, it's a big deal for us.' Asked what he is proudest of in his time as the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq said free school meals for primary school children, 'cleaning the air and investing in affordable housing'. 'What I'm really proud of is the chance to work with Londoners, like His Majesty.' Sir Loyd Grossman, who was knighted at the same ceremony, said London is 'the greatest city in the world'. The 74-year-old broadcaster and author, known widely for his range of cooking sauces, was awarded a knighthood for services to heritage, having led the transition of The Royal Parks, as chairman, from a government agency through to its establishment as an independent charity. Born in Massachusetts in the US, Sir Loyd came to England in his mid-20s. 'I've always felt that our heritage is so important to us, because not only is it beautiful, it's also inspiring,' Sir Loyd said. 'It helps us realise what it's like to be citizens together. 'It's one of the things that we do better in this country than anywhere in the world. 'People all over the world, when you ask them about London: what is it that's so great about London – which is the greatest city in the world – almost always they say your parks.' He said The Royal Parks were a lifeline for Londoners in lockdown, but that he 'couldn't possibly say' which is his favourite. 'The first one I ever went to, when I came here as a student, was Kensington Gardens, so I have a particularly strong affinity for Kensington Gardens but I just love all of them.' Dame Emily Thornberry, who has been Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury since 2005, was formally made a dame at Buckingham Palace. The chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, 64, said she does not usually get nervous but was 'fizzy with nerves' after receiving the honour. Dame Emily, who was honoured for political and public service, wore brooches belonging to her mother and grandmother in her hat at the ceremony. 'My grandmother used to work for Lloyds Bank and she wasn't allowed to work after she got married. If she knew that I'd become a dame, she wouldn't believe it,' the former shadow foreign secretary said. 'Neither would my mum.'
