| Thursday, October 1, 2009 |
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| Roger Maris |
Answer of the DayWho was the first to break Babe Ruth's record 60 home runs? NY Yankees super-slugger Roger Maris became the most hated man in baseball on this date in 1961, when, with a single blow, he hit his 61st home run and broke the long-standing record of 60 home runs hit in a single season held by the fans' beloved Babe Ruth. Some cried foul since Ruth had played 154 games in a season, compared to Maris' 162, and the controversy was only settled in 1991, when baseball commissioner Fay Vincent declared the record official. Maris had been pitted against his crowd-pleasing Yankees teammate, Mickey Mantle, who ended the season with 54 home runs.
Quote"It would have been a helluva lot more fun if I had not hit those sixty-one home runs."
Word of the daychuffed
Brit. proud, satisfied
George Bernard Shaw pithily observed, "England and America are two countries separated by a common language." For the next fortnight, we'll examine words that are current in the UK but may be unfamiliar to the average American.
Today's History
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| Yosemite National Park |
- Treaty of San Ildefonso: secret pact in which Spain ceded Louisiana to France was signed (1800)
- Yosemite National Park: central California preserve called "the greatest marvel of the continent" was established (1800)
- Walt Disney World: world's largest resort opened its doors southwest of Orlando (1971)
Today's Birthdays
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| Julie Andrews |
- William Edward Boeing (1881-1956): aviation pioneer who founded the Boeing Company
- Jimmy Carter (85): 39th US president; England's king Henry III (1207-1272) shared this birth date
- Julie Andrews (74): actress, Mary Poppins, The Princess Diaries, Shrek 2; also, actors Walter Matthau (1920-2000), James Whitmore (1921-2009), Tom Bosley (82), Stella Stevens (71), Stephen Collins (62), Randy Quaid (59), Yvette Freeman (52), Esai Morales (47), Christopher Titus (45), Jurnee Smollett (23) and Brie Larson (20)
- Dave Holland (63): avant-garde jazz bassist and composer; other musicians born on this date include Vladimir Horowitz (1904-1989), Roger Williams (85) and Jerry Martini (66)
- Mark McGwire (46): slugger who beat Roger Maris' home-run record; baseball player Rod Carew (64) shares this birth date
