January 13

He was 14 when he saw Jackie Robinson play, and knew he wanted to play major league baseball. There were few better.



Henry Louis Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1934. During a 23-year career with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers, Aaron won the National League’s Most Valuable Player and World Series MVP for the champion Milwaukee Braves in 1957, won the Gold Glove award three times, and played on twenty-one All-Star teams.



As an Atlanta Brave he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974 despite intense racial hostility and his 755 career home runs stood as the record for 33 years. When he retired, he held the records for home runs, RBIs, total bases, and extra base hits.



Following in Jackie Robinson’s footsteps, Aaron continued the civil rights struggle begun by his hero in 1947.



Hammerin’ Hank, one of the true greats in Major League Baseball history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 13, 1982, Today in Georgia History.