2014 Event Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjoergen set a new record for the highest number of Olympic medals awarded to a female Winter Olympics athlete after her gold medal at Sochi; Bjoergen has won ten Olympic medals over to date, including six golds 2014 Event Renaud Lavillenie, French champion pole vaulter, breaks the previous height record, held by athlete Sergey Bubka, at the Pole Vault Stars meet in Donetsk, Ukraine; Lavillenie reached 6.16 meters indoors, exceeding Bubka's world record of 6.15 m indoors achieved in 1993 2012 Event David Rudisha of Kenya becomes the first athlete at the 2012 Summer Olympics to set a new world track record and secures the 800m gold medal 2012 Event During the U.S. selection trials, U.S. track and field athlete Ashton Eaton sets the new world record for the decathlon 2005 Death Hank Stram, American Athlete 2004 Death Johnny Oates, American Athlete 2004 Death Arthur Lydiard, New Zealander Athlete 2004 Death Fanny Blankers-Koen, Dutch Athlete 2004 Death Tug McGraw, American Athlete 2003 Death Ron Burton, American Athlete 2003 Death Chris Brasher, British Athlete 2003 Death Craig Kelly, American Athlete 2002 Death Bob Hayes, American Athlete 2002 Death Ted Williams, athlete, last person to hit .400 for a season as a major leaguer, dies at 83 2002 Death Carl Olson, American Athlete 2001 Death Harvey Martin, American Athlete 2000 Death Bob Lemon, American Athlete 2000 Death Phillip Carrick, cricketer, athlete, dies 1999 Death Pee Wee Reese, American Athlete 1999 Death Harry Walker, American Athlete 1999 Death Joe DiMaggio, athlete, dies at 84 1999 Death Early Wynn, American Athlete 1996 Death W. H. Murray, Scottish Athlete 1995 Death Bobby Stokes, athlete, English footballer, scored the winning goal in 1976, Southampton F.C. vs. Manchester United, FA Cup Final, in the 83rd-minute, considered biggest upset in FA Cup Final history, dies at 44 1991 Death Cool Papa Bell, American Athlete 1991 Death Harold Grange, American Athlete 1990 Death Ed Parker, American Athlete 1990 Death Fred Shero, Canadian Athlete 1990 Death Lev Yashin, Russian Athlete 1989 Birthday Michelle Wie, American Athlete 1989 Birthday Freddy Adu, born in Tema, Ghana, athlete, soccer phenomenon, played for D.C. United, Real Salt Lake 1987 Birthday Maria Sharapova, Russian Athlete 1987 Death Herman Smith-Johannsen, Norwegian Athlete 1986 Death Tommy Farr, Welsh Athlete 1985 Birthday Wayne Rooney, English Athlete 1985 Death Smokey Joe Wood, American Athlete 1985 Birthday Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese Athlete 1984 Birthday Sasha Cohen, American Athlete 1984 Death Walt Alston, American Athlete 1984 Birthday Paul Gallagher, Scottish Athlete 1984 Birthday Carmelo Anthony, American Athlete 1983 Birthday Miguel Cabrera, Venezuelan Athlete 1983 Birthday Natalie Gulbis, American Athlete 1982 Birthday Robert Anthony, born in Chicago, Illinois, ring name, 'Egotistico Fantastico', professional wrestler, athlete, World Junior Heavyweight Champion, Iron Man Champion, AAW Heavyweight Championship 1981 Death Bill Shankly, Scottish Athlete 1981 Birthday Serena Williams, born in Saginaw, Michigan, professional tennis player, winner, top earning female athlete of all time, 5th Australian title at 2010 Australian Open 1980 Birthday Yao Ming, Chinese Athlete 1980 Birthday Robbie Keane, Irish Athlete 1980 Birthday Richard Jefferson, American Athlete 1980 Birthday Steven Gerrard, English Athlete 1980 Death Jesse Owens, American Athlete 1980 Death Dixie Dean, English Athlete 1980 Birthday Steve Blake, American Athlete 1980 Birthday Marat Safin, Russian Athlete 1979 Birthday Tim Cahill, Australian Athlete 1979 Birthday Jamal Lewis, American Athlete 1978 Birthday Jackie Stiles, American Athlete 1978 Birthday Rio Ferdinand, English Athlete 1978 Birthday Dante Hall, American Athlete 1978 Birthday Nick Johnson, American Athlete 1978 Birthday Frank Lampard, English Athlete 1978 Birthday Barry Zito, American Athlete 1978 Birthday Michael East, American Athlete 1977 Birthday Thierry Henry, French Athlete 1977 Birthday Ricky Williams, American Athlete 1977 Birthday Kelli White, American Athlete 1977 Birthday Randy Moss, American Athlete 1976 Birthday Peyton Manning, American Athlete 1976 Death Paul Robeson, athlete/lawyer/singer, dies in Philadelphia at 77 1975 Birthday Tiger Woods, born in Cypress, California, pro golfer, highest paid pro athlete, most successful golfer of all time 1975 Birthday Marion Jones, American Athlete 1975 Event Jury can't decide on trial of Dave Forbes of Boston Bruins (1st athlete indicted for excessive violence during play) 1975 Birthday Jonah Lomu, New Zealander Athlete 1975 Birthday Robbie Fowler, English Athlete 1975 Birthday Gary Neville, English Athlete 1975 Birthday David Ortiz, Dominican Republican Athlete 1974 Birthday Alessandro Del Piero, Italian Athlete 1974 Death Dizzy Dean, American Athlete 1974 Death Frederick Kelly, American Athlete 1973 Birthday Ato Boldon, born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, athlete, world's fastest human sprinter, 4-time World Champion and Olympic medalist 1973 Birthday Paula Radcliffe, English Athlete 1973 Birthday Ryan Giggs, Welsh Athlete 1973 Birthday Nomar Garciaparra, American Athlete 1973 Birthday Jamie Redknapp, English Athlete 1973 Birthday Haile Gebrselassie, Athlete 1972 Birthday Hermann Maier, Austrian Athlete 1972 Event U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz becomes 1st athlete to win 7 olympic gold medals 1972 Birthday Zinedine Zidane, French Athlete 1972 Birthday Brian McBride, American Athlete 1972 Birthday Dwayne Johnson, American Athlete 1972 Birthday Steve McManaman, English Athlete 1971 Birthday Irena Slavutskay, Israel, athlete, 1996 Olympics 1971 Birthday Ian Walker, English Athlete 1971 Event Billie Jean King became 1st female athlete to win $100,000 1971 Birthday Ekaterina Gordeeva, Russian Athlete 1970 Birthday Latrell Sprewell, American Athlete 1970 Birthday Cobi Jones, American Athlete 1969 Birthday Nancy Kerrigan, American Athlete 1969 Birthday Retief Goosen, South African Athlete 1968 Birthday Ritchie Woodhall, born in Woodside, Telford, England, boxer, athlete, television and radio broadcaster, bronze medal winer, 1988 Seoul Olympics, 1990 Gold Commonwealth Games 1967 Birthday Paul Ince, English Athlete 1966 Birthday Bill Goldberg, American Athlete 1966 Birthday Eric Cantona, French Athlete 1966 Birthday Craig Kelly, American Athlete 1965 Birthday Will Carling, English Athlete 1965 Death French Luitjes, Dutch athlete, dies at 21 1965 Birthday Chris Washburn, born in Hickory, North Carolina, Christopher Scott Washburn, athlete, NBA player, played for North Carolina State 1985 - 1986 1965 Birthday John Jensen, Danish Athlete 1964 Birthday Yvonne Murray, born in Musselburgh, Scottish track, running athlete, won Olympic bronze medal, 3000m, Seoul, 1988 1964 Birthday Greg Best, born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Equestrian athlete, Silver Medal 1988, 1992 Olympics 1964 Birthday Paul Parker, born in West Ham, London, athlete, soccer player, commentator, critical player at 1990 World Cup with England, manager, Blue Square Premier League 1963 Birthday Randy Johnson, American Athlete 1962 Birthday Alain Robert, French Athlete 1961 Event For 2nd cons year, AP names Wilma Rudolph female athlete of year 1961 Birthday David Kirk, New Zealander Athlete 1961 Birthday Carl Lewis, born in Birmingham, Alabama, American Athlete 1961 Birthday Thomas Dooley, German Athlete 1960 Birthday Diego Maradona, Argentinian Athlete 1960 Birthday Steve Cauthen, American Athlete 1960 Birthday Sean Kerly, born in Whitstable, Kent, England, Sean Robin Kerly, athlete, field hockey player, awarded bronze medal at 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, 1984, scored eight goals at 1988 Olympics in Seoul, playing for Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad 1959 Birthday Lee Haney, American Athlete 1959 Birthday Martin Weston, born in Worcester, England, athlete, professional cricketer, played for Worcestershire 1979 - 1995 1958 Birthday Alvin Martin, British Athlete 1958 Birthday Tom Feeney, American Athlete 1957 Birthday Hansi Muller, born in Stuttgart, Germany, athlete, footballer, played for German national football team 1957 Birthday Danny Heep, born in San Antonio, Texas, Daniel William Heep, athlete, baseball player, outfielder, coach, played for Houston Astros, played in two World Series, 1986 with New York Mets, 1988 with Los Angeles Dodgers, head coach for University of the Incarnate Word, Texas 1956 Birthday Sebastian Coe, born in Chiswick, England, politician, Conservative party, former athlete, Olympic gold medalist 1980 and 1984, considered greatest middle distance runner ever 1956 Death Charles Burgess Fry, English athlete/cricketer/journalist, dies at 84 1956 Birthday Sugar Ray Leonard, American Athlete 1955 Birthday Norio Honaga, born in Japan, athlete, professional wrestler, junior heavyweight three-time, New Japan Pro Wrestling Champion in IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, retired and became referee in 1988 1955 Birthday Tim Young, born in Ontario, Canada, athlete, former professional ice hockey center in the National Hockey League 1955 Birthday Eric Money, born in Detroit, Michigan, athlete, former pro basketball player for the NBA, averaged 12.2 points per game 1954 Birthday Sammy McIlroy, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, soccer player, athlete, played for Manchester United, manages Morecambe Football Club, in Football League Two, the fourth division of English football 1954 Birthday Marvin Hagler, American Athlete 1954 Birthday Randy Cross, American Athlete 1953 Birthday David Moorcroft, born in Coventry, England, British athlete, long distance runner, 5,000 meters record holder, Chief Executive of UK Athletics from 1997 to 2007 1952 Birthday Joaquin Andujar, Dominican Republican Athlete 1952 Birthday Cathy Rigby, American Athlete 1952 Birthday Phillip Carrick, born in Yorkshire, England, cricketer, athlete 1952 Birthday Roger Milla, Cameroonian Athlete 1952 Birthday David Icke, English Athlete 1952 Birthday Mike Varty, born in Detroit, Michigan, athlete, American football linebacker for the National Football League 1952 Birthday Ben Crenshaw, American Athlete 1951 Death Shoeless Joe Jackson, American Athlete 1951 Death Bill Klem, American Athlete 1951 Birthday John Conteh, born in Liverpool, England, athlete, former British boxer, world light-heavyweight boxing champion 1951 Birthday John Hannah, American Athlete 1951 Birthday Bobby Stokes, born in Portsmouth, England, athlete, English footballer, scored the winning goal in 1976, Southampton F.C. vs. Manchester United, FA Cup Final, in the 83rd-minute, considered biggest upset in FA Cup Final history 1951 Event Fred Wilt wins AAU Sullivan Memorial Trophy (U.S. athlete of 1950) 1950 Birthday Harvey Martin, American Athlete 1950 Birthday Rich Glover, born in Bayonne, New Jersey, athlete, American football player, played in the NFL's New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles 1949 Death Jack Lovelock, New Zealand/U.S. surgeon/athlete 1936 Olympics gold, dies at 39 1949 Birthday Tom Kite, American Athlete 1949 Birthday Rob Walton, Canadian Athlete 1948 Birthday Peggy Fleming, American Athlete 1948 Birthday Gary McCord, American Athlete 1948 Birthday Walter Smith, Scottish Athlete 1948 Death Mordecai Brown, American Athlete 1947 Birthday Emiel Puttemans, Flemish athlete 1947 Birthday O. J. Simpson, American Athlete 1946 Birthday George Best, Irish Athlete 1946 Birthday Catfish Hunter, American Athlete 1946 Birthday Johnny Oates, American Athlete 1945 Birthday Franz Beckenbauer, German Athlete 1945 Birthday Peter Storey, English Athlete 1945 Birthday Bubba Smith, American Athlete 1945 Birthday David Pleat, English Athlete 1944 Birthday Earl Monroe, American Athlete 1944 Birthday Rodney Marsh, born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, athlete, footballer, striker, player for Manchester City, Queens Park Rangers, Tampa Bay Rowdies, coached the New York United team in the American Soccer League 1944 Birthday Tug McGraw, American Athlete 1944 Birthday Frans Luitjes, Dutch athlete 1944 Birthday Francis Lee, English Athlete 1943 Birthday Joe Morgan, American Athlete 1942 Birthday Bob Hayes, American Athlete 1942 Birthday Dennis Conner, American Athlete 1942 Birthday Angel Cordero, Jr., Athlete 1942 Birthday Richie Allen, American Athlete 1941 Birthday Bobby Moore, English Athlete 1940 Birthday Joe Torre, American Athlete 1939 Birthday Lee Trevino, American Athlete 1939 Birthday Ron Atkinson, British Athlete 1939 Birthday Murray Rose, Scottish Athlete 1938 Birthday Ann Jones, English Athlete 1938 Birthday Paul Maguire, American Athlete 1938 Birthday Ron Fairly, American Athlete 1938 Birthday Ian St. John, Scottish Athlete 1937 Birthday Gordon Banks, English Athlete 1936 Birthday Al Oerter, born in New York City, American athlete, four-time, consecutive, Olympic Champion in the discus throw 1936 Birthday Ron Burton, American Athlete 1935 Death Billy Sunday, American Athlete 1935 Birthday Len Dawson, American Athlete 1935 Birthday Gene Oliver, American Athlete 1934 Birthday Marlene Bauer Hagge, Eureka, South Dakota, LPGA golfer, 1950 Woman Athlete 1933 Birthday Just Fontaine, French Athlete 1932 Birthday Bob Pettit, American Athlete 1932 Birthday Wes Santee, born in Ashland, Kansas, runner, athlete, competed in 1,500-meter events, competed against Roger Bannister, John Landy 1932 Event U.S. bobsled team member Eddie Eagan becomes only athlete to win gold in both Summer and Winter Olympics (1920 boxing gold) 1931 Birthday Eddie Mathews, American Athlete 1931 Birthday Ed Parker, American Athlete 1931 Birthday Christopher Chataway, British MP/athlete, world record 5k 1930 Event University of California dedicates $1,500 to research on prevention and cure of athlete's foot 1929 Birthday Lev Yashin, Russian Athlete 1929 Birthday Arnold Palmer, American Athlete 1929 Birthday Yvette Corlett, athlete 1928 Birthday Whitey Ford, American Athlete 1928 Birthday Chris Brasher, British Athlete 1928 Birthday Jimmy Hill, British Athlete 1928 Birthday Carl Olson, American Athlete 1928 Birthday Dick Lane, American Athlete 1926 Birthday Duke Snider, American Athlete 1926 Birthday Bob Richards, American Athlete 1925 Birthday Fred Shero, Canadian Athlete 1925 Death Christy Mathewson, American Athlete 1925 Birthday Ted Lindsay, Canadian Athlete 1925 Birthday Yogi Berra, American Athlete 1924 Death Candy Cummings, American Athlete 1923 Birthday Hank Stram, American Athlete 1923 Death Willie Keeler, American Athlete 1918 Birthday Harry Walker, American Athlete 1918 Birthday Pee Wee Reese, American Athlete 1917 Birthday Lou Bourdeau, baseball player/manager, 1948 AP Athlete of Year 1917 Birthday Arthur Lydiard, New Zealander Athlete 1914 Birthday Tommy Farr, Welsh Athlete 1913 Birthday Bill Shankly, Scottish Athlete 1913 Birthday W. H. Murray, Scottish Athlete 1911 Birthday Walt Alston, American Athlete 1910 Birthday Dizzy Dean, American Athlete 1907 Birthday Dixie Dean, English Athlete 1906 Birthday Satchel Paige, American Athlete, baseball pitcher, never look back 1903 Birthday Lou Gehrig, American Athlete, 1st baseman, New York Yankees 1903 Birthday Harold Grange, American Athlete 1903 Birthday Cool Papa Bell, American Athlete 1902 Birthday Bobby Jones, American Athlete 1895 Birthday Babe Ruth, American Athlete, baseball legend 1891 Birthday Frederick Kelly, American Athlete 1889 Birthday Smokey Joe Wood, American Athlete 1889 Birthday Shoeless Joe Jackson, American Athlete 1876 Birthday Mordecai Brown, American Athlete 1875 Birthday Herman Smith-Johannsen, Norwegian Athlete 1874 Birthday Bill Klem, American Athlete 1872 Birthday Willie Keeler, American Athlete 1862 Birthday Billy Sunday, American Athlete 1848 Birthday Candy Cummings, American Athlete 1653 Event An athlete from Croydon is reported to have run 20 miles from St. Albans to London in less than 90 minutes
