Venus Williams was born on June 17, 1980.

After turning professional at age 14, Williams struggled early in her career. In April 1997, she finally broke into the top 100, ending the year ranked No. 22 in the world. Her debut in a main draw of a Grand Slam came at the French Open in '97, where she reached the second round, before losing to Nathalie Tauziat.

In 2000 Williams won her first two Grand Slams (Wimbledon and U.S. Open). As the first African-American woman to win a Grand Slam, Williams paved the way for a new generation of more powerful and athletic players.

Williams has won seven Grand Slam titles, with the 2008 Wimbledon championship being the most recent, as well as an Olympic gold medal from 2000.

Check out more famous birthday sports history in Throwback on ThePostGame.