1965- American basketball player Scottie Pippen Considered one of the top basketball players of all time, point forward Scottie Pippen made news both on and off the court throughout his decades-long career as a professional athlete. Beginning in 1987 with the Chicago Bulls, Pippen has gone on to demonstrate his multiple talents in shooting, passing, blocking, and rebounding, as well as in d…
1929-1986 Canadian hockey player Apioneer hockey goaltender on several fronts, Jacques Plante changed the position forever when he became the first wear a goalie mask in games on a regular basis after a serious injury to his face. Though Plante took much grief for wearing the mask, it became standard gear for goaltenders within a decade. He also became the first goalie to regularly leave his creas…
1978- Ukrainian gymnast As an Olympic champion, Lilia "Lily Pod" Podkopayeva affirmed her status as the premiere women's gymnast with gold medal wins in the European Championships, Worlds, and the Olympics. At age seventeen and holding the top titles at every level of competition, Podkopayeva was the first athlete ever to win multiple medals while representing the Ukraine. Kno…
1955- French race car driver Formula One auto racing (F1) is the most elite, well funded, avidly followed, and competitive sport in the world. The drivers of F1 are among the most talented racing car drivers in the world, and Alain Prost retired in 1993 as the greatest driver in F1 history. Known for his seemingly effortless ability, Prost won a recordbreaking fifty-one races in his career, with a…
1960- American baseball player Baseball player Kirby Puckett played twelve seasons with the Minnesota Twins, from 1984 to 1996, helping his team win the World Series in 1987 and 1991. A superstar beloved of Minnesota fans, he was given the nickname "Puck" for his short stature and jovial nature. He was forced to retire as a player at age thirty-six after losing the sight in his right…
1967- American football player Playing for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks, John Randle was a leading defensive tackle in the 1990s. Though small for a defensive tackle in this time period (only 6'1" and 267 lbs.), he once played in 176 consecutive games and started in 140 consecutive games. Randle also had eight consecutive seasons in which he had at least ten quarter…
1962- British rower Sir Steve Redgrave is the greatest competitive rower in history, one of the greatest Olympians ever and, arguably, Britain's greatest sportsman of the twentieth century. His feats as an oarsman are legendary—gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games; nine World Championships; a string of four unbeaten seasons; and countless awards in Thames River competitions.…
1970- American volleyball player Gabrielle Reece is not only known for her physical prowess, but also for her beauty. She has made a name for herself in the world of sports by merely being herself, and she has graced the world with her beauty by modeling to make a living while doing what she truly loves, which is playing volleyball. Reece has made great strides in challenging the world's pe…
1918-1999 American baseball player Major League Baseball player Harold "Pee Wee" Reese was considered one of the greatest of all Brooklyn Dodger players. A superb defensive shortstop, Pee Wee Reese a capable hitter, and a student of baseball who used his intelligence as much as his athletic abilities to beat opponents, Reese, however, earned his place in baseball history for f…
1912-1971 American football executive One of football's greatest innovators, the American entrepreneur Dan Reeves is credited with bringing the first major sports team to the West Coast. After purchasing the Cleveland Rams in 1941, Reeves moved the team to Los Angeles five years later, paving the way for other Pacific Coast sports teams. Reeves was also the first modern day National Footbal…
1968- American gymnast Mary Lou Retton burst onto the gymnastic front with all the vivaciousness she could muster, and in doing so, took the world by storm. She changed the way people thought of a gymnast, not having the typical physique for the sport. Retton was very muscular, a change from the petit, smaller gymnasts fans were used to seeing catapulting off the balance beam and swinging around t…
1972- Canadian hockey player In 1992, Manon Rheaume became the first woman to play in one of the United States' four major professional sports when she played goal for the National Hockey League's (NHL) Tampa Bay Lightning. Rheaume was also the first woman to play in a major junior hockey game. For much of her career, Rheaume played against boys and men, though she was also a member …
1962- American football player When you mention "the greatest football player ever," you will find many different ideas about who that might be. Jerry Rice, however, will always be near the top of the list. Playing the bulk of his years with the San Francisco 49ers, a powerhouse of a team that won a record five Super Bowls over the past twenty years, Jerry Rice is still a force to be…
1921-2000 Canadian hockey player When Maurice Richard—universally known by his nickname, "The Rocket"—died in Montreal on May 27, 2000, the entire nation of Canada went into mourning. One of the greatest players in the history of hockey, Richard's legendary exploits on the ice helped the Montreal Canadiens win eight Stanley Cup championships during his eighteen y…
1961- American softball player Two-time Olympic softball gold medalist Dot Richardson is much more than just a star shortstop. Richardson, who hit the first home run ever in Olympic softball, became an orthopedic surgeon while simultaneously training for the U.S. Olympic team. Richardson chronicled her success in a memoir, Living the Dream. (With Don Yaeger) Living the Dream, New York: Kensington …
1881-1965 American baseball executive The names Rickey and Robinson will always be linked in the annals of sport because of their respective roles in breaking major league baseball's "color line," a seminal event which is regarded as having had a monumental effect — perhaps most of all symbolically, but also in a practical sense — on the Civil Rights movement. We…
1956- American dogsledder The 13th annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1985 was particularly grueling—"jinxed from the start by bad weather, bad trail and bad luck," according to Associated Press reports. Temperatures plunged to -50 degrees Farenheit and storms twice forced race officials to halt the competition, for a total of eighty-seven hours, and fly in emergency ratio…
1952- American gymnast Before Mary Lou Retton, before Nadia Comaneci, even before Olga Korbut came the gymnast whose prodigious talent and upbeat personality served to make her a representative of her sport. America's Cathy Rigby never won an Olympic medal, but she was much-honored in international competition and helped boost gymnastics in the United States. Following her competitive caree…
1945- American basketball coach Currently president and head coach for the Miami Heat basketball team, Pat Riley has been an NBA coach for more than 20 years. He started as a coach for the Los Angeles Lakers before moving to the New York Knicks, and finally to the Miami Heat. His NBA regular season win-loss record in 2002 stood at a remarkable 1,085-502. Those 1,085 wins were second only to coach …
1960- American baseball player Merely going on his playing accomplishments—a much-admired all-around slugger/shortstop, several Golden Glove and Player of the Year honors—Cal Ripken, Jr. may well be placed among professional baseball's elite. But beyond his talent, Ripken demonstrated a devotion to his game and to his team, the Baltimore Orioles, that moved him into the panthe…
1973- Ethiopian marathon runner The first African woman to ever win an Olympic marathon, Fatuma Roba walked away with the gold in 2000 after crossing the marathon finish line in Olympic Stadium in 2:26.05 and beating silver medalist Valentina Yegorova of Russia by two minutes. A native of Ethiopia, Roba made similar history in her first attempt at the historic Boston Marathon in 1997, becoming …
1938- American basketball player Oscar Robertson Oscar Robertson is known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. A standout at the University of Cincinnati, he went on to become a star National Basketball Association (NBA) player for the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) and the Milwaukee Bucks, and a co-captain of an Olympic team considered by some to be the grea…
1937- American baseball player Brooks Robinson was one of baseball's greatest third basemen. Many say that he single-handedly turned the Baltimore Orioles from a no-name team into a legitimate contender year after year. Off the field, Robinson was kind and gentle, a true ambassador of the game, while on the field he was known primarily for his fielding. Opposing teams would try and keep the…
1965- American basketball player David Maurice Robinson, known as "The Admiral," did not play his first professional basketball game until he was twenty-four years old, after serving two years in the U.S. Navy. A member of the San Antonio Spurs for his entire career, Robinson has established himself as one of the best big men to ever play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).…
1935- American baseball player Frank Robinson Frank Robinson was a ballplayer whose career was so outstanding that he starred in both major leagues, both as a player and as a manager. In 21 seasons as an active player, primarily with the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles, Robinson hit for both power and average, with a career average of .294, 586 home runs, and 1812 runs batted in. …
1973- American basketball player The odds may not have looked good for NBA star Glenn Robinson. Born January 10, 1973, to Christine Bridgeman, an unmarried teenager, Robinson had little contact with his father, who often found himself in trouble with the law. Robinson's neighborhood in Gary, Indiana, was riddled with crime and drugs, but under Bridgeman's guidance, Robinson stayed st…
1919-1972 American baseball player Jackie Robinson is most remembered as the player who broke baseball's color barrier. By stepping into the white baseball world, the black Robinson changed the face of not only baseball, but the United States. Jackie Robinson Robinson integrated baseball during a time when schools, buses, restaurants, hotels, and drinking fountains remained segregate…
1964- American race car driver As a woman stock car racer, Shawna Robinson has a long list of "firsts" behind her name, including being the first woman to start a NASCAR Winston Cup race since Patty Moise did so in 1989 and the first woman to finish a Winston Cup race since Janet Guthrie in 1980. Yet, she has said she is more interested in being remembered as a winning driver than as…
1921-1989 American boxer Five-time middleweight champion of the world, Sugar Ray Robinson is remembered as the greatest boxer ever produced by the sport. He won Golden Gloves championships in both featherweight and welterweight classifications and retired undefeated as the world welterweight champion in 1952. He managed also a brief career as a tap dancer, and his Ray Robinson Enterprises spanned …
1974- American baseball player John Rocker caused a tempest among New York Mets fans and the general public in 1999 when he publicly John Rocker vented his feelings over what he saw as character flaws of the people of New York City. In his comments, originally published in a Sports Illustrated article, Rocker took umbrage at the city's immigrants, single mothers, homosexuals, and, of…
1888-1931 American college football coach Knute Rockne holds college football's record for career wins as a coach. Rockne led Notre Dame's "Fighting Irish" team for 13 seasons before his untimely death in 1931, and made the Indiana school a powerhouse in the game during its day. Known for his spirited, if sometimes truth-stretching, team pep talks, Rockne helped popular…
1961- American basketball player Bad Boy of Basketball Dennis Rodman is perhaps more famous for his exploits off the court (as well as a few key incidents while on the court) than he is for his superlative play. Rodman's physical appearance is as hard to miss as the rumors and gossip that surround him. Known for his multi-hued, everchanging hair color and a penchant for adding a new tattoo …
1975- American baseball player At a very young age, Alex Rodriguez was being compared to the greatest shortstops in baseball history. Few if any shortstops had ever combined consistent and slick fielding with powerful offensive production the way Rodriguez did in his early years. At age 26 he established a new all-time record for home runs by a shortstop in a single season, and the following year …
1935- American golfer Professional golfer Chi Chi Rodríguez has entertained generations of golf fans with his powerful drives, his victory dances, and his wisecracks. Rodríguez has been declared the longest-driving golfer ever on a pound-for-pound basis: The five-foot-seven-inch golfer, who weighed 117 pounds when he began playing on the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA)…
1941- American baseball player Baseball's all-time leader in hits, singles, at-bats, and games played, Pete Rose has often been compared to the legendary Ty Cobb, whose decades-old hitting record Rose broke on September 11, 1985. Curiously, the comparisons Pete Rose between Rose and Cobb don't end with their outstanding hitting abilities. Late in their respective careers, both…
1965- Canadian hockey player One of the greatest goalies to ever play the game, Patrick Roy was a dominant goalie from his rookie season in Montreal in which he lead the Montreal Canadiens to a Stanley Cup. In addition to winning four Stanley Cups with Montreal and the Colorado Avalanche, Roy also won three Conn Smythe Trophies as playoffs most valuable player. Roy also surpassed Terry Sawchuk as …
1926-1996 American football commissioner For nearly three decades, Pete Rozelle guided professional football as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). Under his direction, pro football attained unprecedented popularity with the American public, as well as a level of profitability that far exceeded anything seen before Rozelle. He engineered the merger of the rival American Footbal…
1949- American jockey Barbara Jo Rubin overcame polio as a child and prejudice as an adult to become a pioneer in sports. In 1969 Rubin was a member of the charter class of young women seeking work as professional jockeys—no small accomplishment in Thoroughbred racing, long known as the "sport of kings" and a male-only bastion. In the space of just one year of racing, Rubin ac…
1940-1994 American track and field athlete Wilma Rudolph made Olympic history in 1960 when she became the first American woman ever to win three gold medals in track and field events. Her achievement would have been remarkable for any athlete, but it was even more impressive because Rudolph had spent her childhood in leg braces and special shoes; doctors had told her family that she would never wa…
1934- American basketball player Bill Russell, the Boston Celtics' Hall of Fame center who almost single-handedly redefined the game of basketball, was, in the words of Basketball's Big Men by David Klein, "the standard against whom all others will be judged." A big man who specialized in defense rather than scoring, Russell was the ultimate winner. After winning two Na…
1895-1948 American baseball player As befitting his legendary status in American popular culture, Babe Ruth's exact birth date is a matter of debate. For most of his life Ruth, himself, believed he had been born in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 7, 1894, but when he applied for a passport, the date on his birth certificate read February 6, 1895. Ruth continued to celebrate his birthday on…
1911-1998 Norwegian ski jumper In Norway, Birger Ruud is a national hero. He was not only a champion ski jumper; he was also a fierce patriot. He won two Olympic gold medals and one silver. In world championships, he won three gold medals and one silver. During World War II he joined the Resistance and used his skiing skills to subvert the Nazis who had invaded his country. His skill was the resul…
1947- American baseball player Baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan is the all-time strikeout king, with a career total of 5,714 strikeouts, and seven no-hitters. His career lasted 27 years, the longest Nolan Ryan of any major league baseball player. With a career average of 9.55 strikeouts per nine innings, he was one of only three pitchers to average a strikeout per inning. He set a major league r…
1970- Argentine tennis player Argentinean Gabriela Sabatini was a teen tennis phenomenon in the mid-1980s who, while popular on the circuit, never lived up to her potential as a player. While she had a great tennis game, she only won one grand slam singles title, the U.S. Open in 1990. Sabatini left professional tennis behind in the mid-1990s to concentrate on her work in the perfume business. Bor…
1969- Canadian hockey player Champion hockey player Joe Sakic has earned respect as a quiet leader and a skillful player with a Joe Sakic talent for stealth and a lightning-quick wrist. From his childhood in Canada, the son of Croatian immigrants, to his 2002 standing as one of the most highly paid, award-winning players in the National Hockey League (NHL), Sakic has followed his father�…
