Why Famous:American baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees (1923–1939).
A seven-time All-Star and six-time World Series champion, Gehrig won the Triple Crown in 1934 and was twice named the American League's Most Valuable Player. Gehrig was the first MLB player to have his uniform number retired, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.
Died: June 2, 1941 (aged 37) Cause of Death: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a disorder now commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease
Married Life
1933-09-29 NY Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig (30) weds Eleanor Twitchell in New Rochelle, New York
Historical Events
1923-09-27 NY Yankee Lou Gehrig hits 1st of his 493 HRs
1925-06-01 Future NY Yankees Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig pinch hits for shortstop Pee-Wee Wanninge in a 5-3 loss to Washington; first of record 2,130 consecutive games
1925-07-23 NY Yankee Lou Gehrig hits his 1st of 23 career grand slammers
1927-06-23 Lou Gehrig hits 3 HRs in 11-4 victory over Red Sox
1927-10-11 New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig is named American League MVP; despite hitting MLB record 60 HR's Babe Ruth as a former winner is not eligible
1928-06-12 New York Yankees future Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig collects 14 total bases with 2 triples and 2 home runs in a 15-7 win over Chicago White Sox
1930-05-22 Yankees' future Baseball Hall of Fame 1st baseman Lou Gehrig becomes first to hit 3 HRs three times as NY outscores Philadelphia A's, 20-13; teams combine for then-record 10 homers
1930-06-22 Lou Gehrig hits 3 HRs in a game, Ruth hits 3 in doubleheader
1930-07-31 NY Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig drives in 8 runs with a grand slam and 2 doubles in a 14-13 win over the rival Boston Red Sox
1930-09-28 Lou Gehrig's errorless streak ends at 885 consecutive games
1931-04-02 17-year old girl Jackie Mitchell strikes out New York Yankees stars Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition baseball game at Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee
1931-04-26 Lou Gehrig hits a HR but is called out for passing a runner, mistake costs him AL home run crown; he & Babe Ruth tie for season
1931-08-18 Lou Gehrig hitless in Detroit, his 1,000th consecutively played game
1931-09-01 Future Baseball Hall of Fame 1st baseman Lou Gehrig hits his 3rd grand slam in 4 days & 6th homer in consecutive games in NY Yankees' 5-1 win v Boston Red Sox
1931-09-20 MLB's Lou Gehrig's 4 RBIs break his old RBI mark of 175 en route to 184
1931-09-27 MLB's Lou Gehrig completes his 6th straight season, playing in every game (.3486) Jim Bottomley (.3481)
1932-06-03 MLBs Lou Gehrig is 1st to hit 4 consecutive HRs; Yanks beat A's 20-13
1932-06-23 Lou Gehrig plays 1,103rd successive game in a NY uniform, equaling Joe Sewell's record with one team (Cleveland)
1933-06-14 MLB's Lou Gehrig and Joe McCarthy thrown out of game, McCarthy suspended 3 games but Gehrig isn't, so he continues his streak at 1,249 games
1933-08-17 MLB player Lou Gehrig plays record 1,308th consecutive game
1934-06-25 NY Yankee Lou Gehrig hits for the cycle beating White Sox 11-2
1934-07-05 Lou Gehrig hits record 17th career grand slam in Yankees 8-3 win v Washington, passes Babe Ruth's total
1934-09-25 Lou Gehrig plays in his 1,500th consecutive game
1934-10-20 MLB All-Star team led by Connie Mack and including Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig sails to Japan for 18-game series against Big-Six University League
1934-11-03 NY Yankees 1st baseman Lou Gehrig wins American League Triple Crown after hitting .363 with 49 HRs and 165 RBI; but Philadelphia A's catcher Mickey Cochrane (.320, 2 HRs, 76 RBI) is named AL MVP
1934-11-20 17 year old pitcher Eiji Sawamura gives up just 1 hit, a Lou Gehrig HR, as US All Stars beat Japan, 1-0
1937-07-07 5th MLB All Star Game, Griffin Stadium, Washington: AL wins 8-3, Lou Gehrig drives in 4 runs with HR & double
1938-08-20 NY Yankees future Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig hits record 23rd & final grand slam in 11-3 win over Philadelphia A's at Shribe Park
1939-04-30 Lou Gehrig sets a MLB record playing his 2,130th consecutive and final game for the New York Yankees.
1939-06-21 NY Yankees announce Lou Gehrig's retirement after doctors reveal he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
1939-07-04 Lou Gehrig is first MLB player to have his number (4) retired on his "Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium, makes iconic "luckiest man" speech
1939-12-07 Lou Gehrig, 36, is elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame
1941-07-06 New York Yankees team unveils a monument to former captain Lou Gehrig in center field at Yankee Stadium; the future Hall of Famer died the previous month
1994-08-01 Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. becomes only the second player after Lou Gehrig to appear in 2,000 consecutive MLB games, in a 1-0 win vs Twins
Frank Robinson
Joe Cronin
Mike Schmidt
Roger Maris
Tom Seaver
Yogi Berra