Happy Birthday, Helene Madison
Olympic swimmer Helene Emma Madison was born on June 19, 1913, in Madison, Wisconsin. “Queen Helene” won three gold medals at the 1932 Summer Olympics and broke multiple world records.
Sports
Opening of the Baseball Hall of Fame
On June 12, 1939, the Baseball Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown, New York. Often referred to as simply Cooperstown, it’s become the home of baseball, with more than 300 inductees over the years.
Happy Birthday, Vince Lombardi!
Vincent Thomas Lombardi was born on June 11, 1913, in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. One of the most successful coaches in NFL history, the Super Bowl trophy is named in his honor.
“Casey at the Bat”
On June 3, 1888, the now-famous poem “Casey at the Bat” was first published in the San Francisco Daily Examiner. It’s been performed and recorded thousands of times and adapted to several other media, become the most famous baseball poem in history.
Happy Birthday Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe said he was born on May 28, 1888, in Indian Territory. A world renowned athlete, he helped popularize football in the United States and was the first athlete to win both the decathlon and the pentathlon at the 1912 Olympics.
Birth of Olympian Eddie Eagan
Edward Patrick Francis Eagan was born on April 26, 1897, in Denver, Colorado. He’s the only person in Olympic history to win gold medals in both Summer and Winter sports.
First U.S. Olympic Stamp
On January 25, 1932, the US Post Office Department issued its first stamp honoring the Olympic Games. Those games were the first to be held in the US.
Happy Birthday “Hammerin’ Hank”
On January 1, 1911, Henry Benjamin Greenberg was born in New York City, New York. One of the greatest sluggers in baseball history, he put his career on hold to serve 47 months with the Army during World War II, the most of any major league player.
Birth of Roy Campanella
Roy “Campy” Campanella was born on November 19, 1921, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Considered one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, he was the first catcher to break organized baseball’s color line when he debuted in the Majors in 1948.