Title IX celebrated its 40th birthday on Saturday.

The law that passed on June 23, 1972 said "no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Title IX gave girls and women more opportunities to play high school and college sports, which empowered women not just on the field, but in the classroom and into formerly male dominated careers as well.

A gathering of high-profile women athletes gathered at the White House Friday to reflect and discuss how the law changed their lives and what still needs to be done for equality in athletics.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama, the father of two daughters, wrote this op-ed in The Daily Beast.

"Today, thanks in no small part to the confidence and determination they developed through competitive sports and the work ethic they learned with their teammates, girls who play sports are more likely to excel in school. In fact, more women as a whole now graduate from college than men. This is a great accomplishment—not just for one sport or one college or even just for women but for America. And this is what Title IX is all about," Obama wrote.

Read the entire Daily Beast story here.

Tell us in the comments: Do you remember what sports were like for girls and women prior to Title IX? If you came of age after Title IX, how did the law help you?