George Branham
On this date, George Branham was the first Black to win a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) championship. He defeated Mark Roth from Detroit in Glendale Heights, Illinois, on this date in 1986. . .
He had bowled since he was six and joined the PBA at age 24. Branham won five major titles in 17 years as a professional bowler, including the sport's highest honor, the Tournament of Champions. He also rolled 23 games with a perfect score of 300 and earned $747,138 in prize money.
When he retired from the game in 2004, he remained one of the world's top contenders and was still the only black bowler to become a PBA champion.
