On March 7, the daily Google Doodle paid tribute to Masako Katsura (pictured), who on that date in 1952 made history as the first woman to ever compete for an international billiards title.
To celebrate the Japanese sharpshooter’s achievement, Google dedicated an animated Doodle to Katsura, widely known as “the first lady of billiards.”
Born in Tokyo in 1913, Katsura began playing billiards after her father died when she was 12 and she went to live with her older sister and brother-in-law, who was the owner of a billiards parlor. By 14, she was working at the parlor as an attendant and was practicing the sport diligently.
By age 15, she won the women’s championship straight rail tournament of Japan and soon became the country’s only female professional player. She took second place three times in Japan’s three-cushion billiards championship. In one exhibition game of straight rail, she racked up 10,000 points, which are scored by making contact with the other two balls on the table during the same shot.
After Katsura moved to the U.S. in 1951, eight-time world champion Welker Cochran came out of retirement to play her in a series of three-cushion matches. Sunday’s Doodle depicts how a point is scored in the game — the cue ball must strike three rail cushions before making contact with the second object ball.
Cochran was so impressed with her talent that he sponsored the World Championship Billiards tournament in 1952 in his San Francisco billiard room. And although she upset some of the sport’s finest players, she finished seventh, but ahead of three prominent male players.
After losing a 1961 title match, Katsura drifted from the spotlight for many years before making a surprise appearance at Palace Billiards in San Francisco in 1976. Using a borrowed pool cue, the 63-year-old ran up 100 points straight with ease. She bowed to the adoring crowd’s applause and vanished from America’s billiards stage.
Katsura was one of the first inductees of the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Hall of Fame in 1976. She moved back to Japan in the 1990s and died in 1995.
Legend Behind the Camera
An Asian Presence at 91st Academy Awards
Taking a Bold Stand: How a Holiday Gift Turned Into a Small Business
MANAA Refutes ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ Filmmakers Who Claim It’s Not Another White
‘Mind Game’ at the Egyptian
Shiho Tendou to Present ‘Hannari’
Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival Set for April 27
‘A Revolution in Movement’ with Umekawa Ichinosuke
Deadlock стала самой желанной игрой в Steam
Hina Matsuri at El Marino Language School
Bonsai Tool Sharpening Demonstration
Filmmaker and Sand Artist
‘Penguin Highway’ at Japan Foundation
Mark de Clive
‘Mary and the Witch’s Flower’ at Aero Theatre
Tokyo City Cup, Japan Family Day to Be Held as Scheduled Sunday
Nina Revoyr's New Novel: 'A Student of History'
‘Terrolun and Lunlun’ at Method Fest Independent Film Festival
West Covina Cherry Blossom Festival This Saturday
Hilty & Bosch, Takarabune to Perform ‘Awa
Congresswoman shows up to vote dressed as Batgirl8chan returns with a new name and a reminder not to do illegal stuffNVIDIA's new Shield TV ups the Android streaming gameSouthern California will get lashed by its worst fire weather yet8chan returns with a new name and a reminder not to do illegal stuffTeen girl invents simple, yet innovative way to remove blind spots in carsGreta Thunberg declines $52,000 environmental awardFisker Ocean wants to be a sustainable, affordable electric SUVDell laptops up to 52% off: Save on refurbished with Dell OutletThe enduring excellence of 'Event Horizon,' a true Halloween fave Olympics Live: US Figure Skater Zhou out after COVID Test Wakamatsu Colony: Japanese Pioneer Woman Nami and the Sad Fate That Awaited Her Report: One LTSC Secures $30 Million for Crocker Apartments Project Members of President's AANHPI Advisory Commission Sworn In The Innovation Game: Hanyu Pushes Figure Skating Boundaries RPV Votes to Reconsider Terminating Hatano Farm Lease Suspect Nabbed in Little Tokyo Bank Robbery NiP overrun Dignitas in ESL One: Road to Rio New Discoveries of Wakamatsu Colony: Sakichi Yanagisawa’s Dream of California
0.1711s , 10286.375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【home sex videos twitter】Google Doodle Honors ‘First Lady of Billiards’,Global Hot Topic Analysis
