Elizabeth Robinson, later Elizabeth R. Schwartz was an American athlete and winner of the first Olympic 100 m for women. Born in Riverdale, Illinois, Robinson ran her first 100 meter race on March 30, aged 16. She finished second only to the American record holder. At her next race, she equalled the world record, though her time was not recognized. At the Amsterdam Olympics, her fourth 100 m competition, Robinson reached the final and won, equalling the world record. She was the inaugural Olympic champion in the event, since athletics for women had not been on the program before, and its inclusion was in fact still heavily disputed among officials. With the American 4�100 meters relay team, Robinson added a silver medal to her record. In 1931, Robinson was involved in a plane crash, and was severely injured. A man who discovered her in a coma in the wreckage wrongly thought she was dead, put her in his trunk and drove her to an undertaker, where his mistake was discovered. She awoke from the coma seven months later, although it was another six months before she could get out of a wheelchair, and two years before she could walk normally again. 

August 23rd, 1911 in Riverdale  /  Died:   May 18th, 1999