On This Day

Athletics in History (Part 3)

Athletics: Decathlon - Discus Throw - Hammer Throw - Heptathlon - High Jump - Hurdles - Javelin Throw - Long Jump - Marathon Running - Middle Distance Running - Pentathlon - Pole Vault - Race Walking - Relay Race - Shot Put - Sprinting - Triple Jump - World Championships in Athletics

Events in Sport


Birthdays in Sport

Birthdays 201 - 300 of 446

  • 1941-11-27 Henry Carr, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 4x400m 1964) and football safety (NY Giants), born in Montgomery, Alabama (d. 2015)
  • 1942-04-02 Terry Holland, American college basketball coach (Davidson, Virginia) and athletics administrator (Davidson, Virginia, East Carolina), born in Clinton, North Carolina (d. 2023)
  • 1942-05-14 Valeriy Brumel, Soviet athlete (d. 2003)
  • 1942-12-20 Bob Hayes, American athlete (2 x Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay 1964) and Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver (3-time Pro Bowl; Dallas Cowboys), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2002)
  • 1943-05-10 Andrzej Badeński, Polish athlete (400 metres) (d. 2008)
  • 1943-06-08 Willie Davenport, American bobsledder and track athlete (Olympic gold 110m hurdles 1968), born in Troy, Alabama (d. 2002)
  • 1943-07-24 Lyudmila Bragina, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR 1500m 1972 WR 4:01.38), born in Yekaterinburg, Russia
  • 1944-06-03 Eddy Ottoz, Italian athlete (hurdles) and coach, born in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, France

Tommie SmithTommie Smith (78 years old)

1944-06-06 American athlete and 200m sprinter who was the 1st to break the 20-second barrier (performed the black power salute while accepting his Olympic gold medal in 1968), born in Clarksville, Texas

Tommie Smith
  • 1944-08-13 Divina Galica, British athlete and racing driver, born in Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, England
  • 1945-02-11 Ralph Doubell, Australian athlete (Olympic gold 800m WR 1:44.40 1968), born in Melbourne, Australia
  • 1945-03-05 Randy Matson, American field athlete (Olympic gold shot putt 1968), born in Pampa, Texas
  • 1945-07-05 Jim Fuller, American college football coach and athletics administrator (coach 1977-83; AD 2003-08 Jacksonville State University), born in Birmingham, Alabama (d. 2021)
  • 1945-10-03 Viktor Saneyev, Georgian athlete (Olympics 3 x gold, Soviet Union, triple jump 1968, 72, 76; silver 1980), born in Sukhumi, Georgia (d. 2022)
  • 1946-05-24 Irina Szewińska, Polish athlete, administrator (Olympic various sprint gold 1964, 68, 76), born in Leningrad, Russia (d. 2018)
  • 1946-07-21 Jüri Tarmak, Estonian athlete (Olympic gold USSR high jump 1972), born in Tallinn, Estonia (d. 2022)
  • 1946-08-29 Bob Beamon, American track and field long jumper (Olympic gold 1968, 29' 2½" 8.9m), born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York
  • 1946-09-10 Jim Hines, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay 1968), born in Dumas, Arkansas
  • 1946-10-01 Ewa Klobukowska, Polish athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1964), born in Warsaw, Poland
  • 1946-10-23 Miklós Németh, Hungarian athlete (Olympic gold javelin 1976), born in Budapest, Hungary
  • 1947-02-25 Lee Evans, American athlete (Olympic gold men's 400m, 4x400m relay 1968), born in Madera, California (d. 2021)
  • 1947-03-06 Dick Fosbury, American athlete (Olympic gold high jump 1968, "Fosbury Flop"), born in Portland, Oregon (d. 2023)
  • 1947-06-12 Ron Freeman, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m, bronze 400m 1968), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey
  • 1947-09-03 Dick Buerkle, American athlete (WR 1 mile indoor 3:54.93 1978), born in Rochester, New York (d. 2020)
  • 1947-10-08 Emiel Puttemans, Flemish athlete, born in Vossem, Belgium
  • 1947-11-06 Larry James, American track athlete, 4X400m relayer (Olympic gold 1968), born in Mount Pleasant, New York (d. 2008)

Bill RodgersBill Rodgers (75 years old)

1947-12-23 American athlete (Boston Marathon 1975, 78, 79, 80; NY Marathon 1976, 77, 78, 79; Fukuoka Marathon 1977), born in Hartford, Connecticut

Bill Rodgers
  • 1947-12-27 Willy Polleunis, Belgian athlete
  • 1948-01-03 Manfred Kokot, East German athlete (world record 50m indoor sprint 5.61s 1973), born in Templin, Germany
  • 1948-01-11 Madeline Manning-Mimms, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m 1968), born in Cleveland, Ohio
  • 1948-04-07 Arnie Robinson Jr., American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1976; bronze 1972), born in San Diego, California (d. 2020)
  • 1948-07-15 Enriqueta Basilio, Mexican track and field athlete, and first woman to light the Olympic Cauldron (Mexico City, 1968), born in Mexicali, Baja California (d. 2019)
  • 1948-11-20 Jacqueline Hansen, American long distance athlete (world women's marathon record 1974 2:43:54; 1975 2:38:10; Boston Marathon 1973), born in Binghamton, New York
  • 1948-12-13 Lillian Board, British 400m athlete (Olympic silver 1968), born in Durban, South Africa (d. 1970)
  • 1949-03-18 Hannu Siitonen, Finnish athlete
  • 1949-03-28 Ronnie Ray Smith, American athlete, 4 X 100m relay runner (Olympic gold 1968), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2013)
  • 1949-06-08 Hildegard Falck, German athlete (Olympic gold 800m 1972 FRG), born in Nettelrede, Germany

Caitlyn JennerCaitlyn Jenner (73 years old)

1949-10-28 American athlete (Olympic gold decathlon 1976), TV personality ('Keeping Up with the Kardashians') and prominent transgender figure, born in Mt Kisco, New York

Caitlyn Jenner
  • 1949-12-03 John Akii-bua, Ugandan athlete (Olympic gold 400m hurdles 1972), born in Abako, Uganda (d. 1997)
  • 1950-05-01 Marina Stepanova, Russian athlete (3-time 400m hurdles WR; first woman to run sub 53s; 52.94s 1986), born in St. Petersburg, Russia
  • 1950-05-18 Rodney Milburn Jr, American athlete (Olympic gold 110m hurdles 1972), born in Opelousas, Louisiana (d. 1997)
  • 1950-06-03 Marlene Elejarde, Cuban athlete 4x100m runner (Olympic silver 1968), born in Havana, Cuba
  • 1950-08-07 Dave Wottle, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m 1972), born in Canton, Ohio
  • 1950-09-19 Bill Roe, American sports executive (President USA Track & Field 2000-2008), born in Seattle, Wahington (d. 2020)
  • 1950-12-03 Alberto Juantorena, Cuban athlete (Olympic gold 400m/800m [WR 1:43.50] 1976; only athlete to win that double), born in Santiago de Cuba
  • 1950-12-31 Inge Helten, German athlete (Olympic silver FRG 4x100m relay, bronze 100m 1976; WR 100m 11.04s 1976), born in Sinzig, Germany
  • 1951-01-26 Jarmila Kratochvilova, Czech athlete (World C'ship gold 400/800m 1983; Olympic silver 400m 1980), born in Golčův Jeníkov, Czech Republic
  • 1951-05-18 Angela Voigt, German athlete (Olympic gold GDR long jump 1976), born in Weferlingen, Germany (d. 2013)
  • 1951-11-02 Kathy Hammond, American athlete (Olympic bronze 400m, silver 4x400m relay 1972), born in Sacramento, California
  • 1952-05-03 Allen Wells, Scottish athlete (Olympic 100m gold 1980), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
  • 1952-06-09 Beth Bonner, American athlete (WR marathon 1971, 3:01:42; first winner women's division New York City Marathon 1971), born in Preston County, West Virginia (d. 1998)
  • 1953-04-10 David Moorcroft, British athlete (5,000m world record holder 1982-85), born in Coventry, England

Grete WaitzGrete Waitz (1953-2011)

1953-10-01 Norwegian long distance athlete (9 x NYC Marathon titles; World C'ship gold 1983; 5 x gold World Cross Country; WR x 4), born in Oslo, Norway

Grete Waitz
  • 1954-10-08 Ben Amonette, American free pistol shooting athlete (Olympics 1992, 96), born in Radford, Virginia
  • 1954-11-04 Aleksandr Aksinin, Russian athlete (Olympic gold, 4×100m relay 1980; bronze 1976), born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 2020)
  • 1955-02-14 Ronald Desruelles, Belgian athlete
  • 1955-06-01 Lorraine Moller, New Zealand athlete (Olympic bronze marathon 1996; Boston Marathon 1984; Osaka Ladies Marathon 1986, 87, 89), born in Putaruru, New Zealand
  • 1955-06-11 Yuriy Sedykh, Russian field athlete (Olympic gold hammer throw 1976, 80 Soviet Union; WR 86.74m), born in Novocherkassk, Russia (d. 2021)
  • 1955-10-09 Steve Ovett, British athlete (Olympics gold 800m, bronze 1500m 1980), born in Brighton, England
  • 1956-03-21 Ingrid Kristiansen, Norwegian long distance athlete (World C'ship gold 10,000m 1987; WR 5,000m, 10,000m, marathon; NYC 1989; Boston Marathon 1986, 89), born in Trondheim, Norway
  • 1956-05-04 Ulrike Meyfarth, German athlete (Olympic gold high jump 1972 WR 1.92m, 1984; WR 2.02m 1982), born in Frankfurt, Germany
  • 1956-05-30 Allison Roe, New Zealand athlete (NYC Marathon, Boston 1981; Seoul 1982), born in Auckland, New Zealand
  • 1956-08-28 Beverley Goddard-Callender, English track and field athlete (Olympic bronze 1980, 84), born in Barbados
  • 1957-01-01 Vladimir Kiselyov, Russian athlete (Olympic gold, Soviet Union, shot put 1980), born in Myski, Russia (d. 2021)
  • 1957-02-27 Viktor Markin, Russian athlete, born in Ust-Tarksky District, Russia
  • 1957-03-28 Harvey Glance, American athlete, 4x100m runner (Olympic gold 1976), born in Phenix City, Alabama
  • 1957-04-15 Evelyn Ashford, American athlete (4 x Olympic sprint gold 1984, 88, 92), born in Shreveport, Louisiana
  • 1957-05-16 Joan Benoit Samuelson, American long distance athlete (Olympic gold, marathon 1984; WR 1980, 82; Boston Marathon 1979, 83), born in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Rick HansenRick Hansen (65 years old)

1957-08-26 Canadian wheelchair athlete (Paralympic gold 1980, 2 x 1984), born in Port Alberni, British Columbia

Rick Hansen
  • 1957-09-05 Peter Winnen, Dutch bicycle road athlete, born in Ysselsteyn German war cemetery, Netherlands
  • 1958-04-04 Lam Jones, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1976) and NFL wide receiver (NY Jets 1980-86), born in Lawton, Oklahoma (d. 2019)
  • 1958-08-04 Greg Foster, American athlete (3 x World C'ship gold 110m hurdles; Olympic silver 1984), born in Maywood, Illinois (d. 2023)
  • 1958-12-01 Alberto Cova, Italian athlete (Olympic gold 10,000m 1984; World C'ship gold 10,000m 1983), born in Inverigo, Italy
  • 1959-04-02 Gelindo Bordin, Italian athlete (Olympic gold marathon 1988), born in Vicenza, Italy
  • 1959-11-02 Saïd Aouita, Moroccan athlete (Olympic gold 5,000m 1984), born in Kenitra, Morocco
  • 1959-12-21 Florence Griffith Joyner, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay 1988; WR 100m: 10.49; 200m: 21.34 1988), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1998)
  • 1960-01-19 Al Joyner, American athlete (Olympic gold triple jump 1984), born in East St. Louis, Illinois
  • 1960-01-26 Jeanette Bolden, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m 1984), born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1960-03-04 Christina Sussiek, German athlete, born in Werther, West Germany
  • 1960-04-02 Linford Christie, British athlete (Olympic gold men's 100m 1992), born in Saint Andrew, Jamaica
  • 1960-04-20 Debbie Flintoff-King, Australian athlete (Olympic gold 400m hurdles 1988), born in Melbourne, Australia
  • 1960-04-28 Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Icelandic strength athlete (d. 1993)
  • 1960-07-06 Valerie Brisco-Hooks, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 400m, 400m relay 1984), born in Greenwood Mississippi
  • 1960-10-29 Michael Carter, American football nose tackle (Super Bowl 1984, 88, 89; Pro Bowl 1985, 87, 88; First-team All-Pro 1986, 87, 88; SF 49ers) and athlete (Olympic silver shot put 1984), born in Dallas, Texas
  • 1960-12-04 Glynis Nunn, Australian athlete (Olympic gold heptathlon 1984), born in Toowoomba, Australia
  • 1961-01-08 Calvin Smith, American athlete, born in Bolton, Mississippi
  • 1961-01-24 William Van Dijck, Belgian athlete, born in Leuven, Belgium
  • 1961-03-04 Sabine Everts, German track athlete, born in Düsseldorf,, West Germany
  • 1961-03-31 Ron Brown, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m 1984), born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1961-06-01 Werner Günthör, Swiss athlete (World C'ship gold, shot put 1987, 91, 93; Olympic bronze 1988), born in Uttwil, Switzerland
  • 1961-10-10 Brian Lee Diemer, American steeplechase athlete (Olympic bronze 1984), born in Grand Rapids Michigan
  • 1961-10-31 Alonzo Babers, American track and field athlete, 400m/4X400m relay (Olympic gold 1984), born in Montgomery, Alabama
  • 1961-12-30 Ben Johnson, Canadian athlete (Olympic 100m gold 1988-disqualified), born in Falmouth, Jamaica

Jackie Joyner-KerseeJackie Joyner-Kersee (61 years old)

1962-03-03 American athlete (Olympic gold heptathlon 1988, 92; long jump 1988; World C'ship gold x 4), born in East St. Louis, Illinois

Jackie Joyner-Kersee
  • 1962-04-03 Nancy Filteau, Canadian athlete, 72k judoka (Olympics 1996), born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan
  • 1962-04-15 Nawal El Moutawakel, Moroccan athlete (Olympic gold 400m hurdles 1984), born in Casablanca, Morocco
  • 1962-06-01 Sherri Howard, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m hurdles 1984), born in Sherman, Texas
  • 1962-07-29 Vincent Rousseau, Belgian athlete
  • 1962-10-05 Mike Conley Sr., American athlete (Olympic gold triple jump 1992; World C'ship gold 1993), born in Chicago, Illinois
  • 1962-11-21 Sabine Busch, German athlete

Weddings in Sport


Divorces in Sport


Deaths in Sport

Deaths 201 - 220 of 220

  • 2021-06-30 Janet Moreau Stone, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1952), dies at 93
  • 2021-09-01 Jim Fuller, American college football coach and athletics administrator (coach 1977-83; AD 2003-08 Jacksonville State University), dies from COVID-19 at 76
  • 2021-09-14 Yuriy Sedykh, Russian field athlete (Olympic gold hammer throw 1976, 80 Soviet Union; WR 86.74m), dies at 66
  • 2022-01-03 Viktor Saneyev, Georgian athlete (Olympics 3 x gold, Soviet Union, triple jump 1968, 72, 76; silver 1980), dies at 76
  • 2022-02-24 Ivanka Khristova, Bulgarian athlete (Olympic gold women's shot put 1976), dies at 80
  • 2022-02-24 John Landy, Australian athlete (2nd man to run sub-4 min mile; WR mile (3:58.0) and 1500m (3:41.8+) 1954; Olympic bronze 1956), dies at 91
  • 2022-03-16 Ralph Terry, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1962, 62²; World Series 1961, 62 [MVP]; NY Yankees, KC Athletics, Cleveland Indians, NY Mets), dies at 86
  • 2022-06-22 Jüri Tarmak, Estonian athlete (Olympic gold USSR high jump 1972), dies at 75
  • 2022-06-30 Bill Squires, American track & field coach (Greater Boston Track Club: Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, Greg Meyer; Boston State College 1965-78), dies at 89
  • 2022-10-07 Bill Nieder, American athlete (Olympic gold shot put 1960, silver 1956), dies at 89
  • 2022-11-01 Wilson Kiprugut, Kenyan athlete (Olympic bronze 800m 1964; silver 1968), dies at 84
  • 2022-11-30 Murray Halberg, New Zealand athlete (Olympic gold 5000m 1960; WR 2 miles: 8:30.0 1961; WE 3 miles: 13.10.0 1961), dies at 89
  • 2023-02-19 Greg Foster, American athlete (3 x World C'ship gold 110m hurdles; Olympic silver 1984), dies from amyloidosis at 64
  • 2023-02-26 Bob Richards, American athlete (Olympic gold pole vault 1952, 56; bronze 1948), dies at 97
  • 2023-02-26 Terry Holland, American college basketball coach (Davidson, Virginia) and athletics administrator (Davidson, Virginia, East Carolina), dies at 80
  • 2023-03-12 Dick Fosbury, American athlete (Olympic gold high jump 1968, "Fosbury Flop"), dies of lymphoma at 76
  • 2023-03-12 Susan Cunliffe-Lister [Lady Marsham of Ilton], British disability campaigner and paralympic athlete (longest-serving female member of UK House of Lords), dies at 87 [1]
  • 2023-04-25 Vera Krepkina, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR long jump 1960; WR 4×100m relay 1956, tied WR 100m 11.3s 1958), dies at 90
  • 2023-04-30 Ralph Boston, American athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1960, silver 1964, bronze 1968; first to break 27 feet [8.2m] barrier), dies after a stroke at 83
  • 2023-05-02 Tori Bowie, American athlete (Olympic gold 4×100 m relay, silver 100m, bronze 200m 2016; World C'ship gold 100m, 4x100m relay 2017), dies at 32

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