Golf Central

On this day in 1977, golf bid a sad farewell to one of its finest, most enthusiastic celebrity golfers that ever graced the fairways of the world; Bing Crosby. Not only one of the most popular music acts in history (his voice is the most electrically recorded human voice in history, by the way), Crosby was a fine golfer himself. His lasting legacy to the game will be the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am held annually at Pebble Beach, and his son, Nathaniel, who won the 1981 U.S Amateur.

Elsewhere in the world, on this day in 1808, two nutty Frenchman, more than likely under the influence of drugs, fought in the skies of Paris in a legendary hot air balloon duel. Monsieur de Grandpre and Monsieur de Pique quarreled over a famous dancer called Mademoiselle Tirevit at 2000 feet, with de Grandpre aiming his blunderbuss more effectively, resulting in de Pique falling to his death. Those French will do anything for love! Sadder still, on this day in 1991, the 365th and final episode of hit TV show Dallas was aired. Oh, and on this day in 1963, some bloke called Martin Luther King gave a famous speech.

And it’s Kazuhiro Shimizu! as they say in Japan to English golf commentator Peter Oosterhuis (60), boxing icon Sugar Ray Robinson (88), sort of funny but rather ubiquitous Welsh comedy actor Rob Brydon (43), NHL ice hockey’s first goalie to ever score a goal, Ron Hextall (44), and Danish comedian and radio presenter Sandi Toksvig (50).