Golf Central

On this day, in 1950, all-round sporty chick of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias won her second US Women’s Open title, at Rolling Hills Country Club in Kansas, firing a record total of 291 to beat poor Betsy Rawls by nine shots.

With the win, Zaharias wrapped up the LPGA money title with $14,800, which works out to $120,959.73 in today’s money. Take that, Michelle Wie!

The “Babe” could beat any other girl and lots of the boys at most sports, winning gold medals in javelin and hurdles at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, and starring at basketball. However, she could not beat cancer unfortunately, dying in 1956 at only 45 years of age.

Also on this day, in 1921, smooth-talkin’, smooth-swingin’ Walter Hagen won his first USPGA Championship, beating Englishman Jim Barnes 3 & 2 in New York for the third of his 11 major titles.

And on this day in 1961, New York Yankees slugger Roger Maris blasted his 61st home run of the season, breaking America’s most hallowed sporting record, held since 1927 by Babe Ruth. The record is no longer so hallowed – having been topped six times since by drugs cheats Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds.

Today in 1936, Franco was given the leadership of Spain and in 1939, Sir Winston Churchill referred to the FedEx Cup scoring system as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. Or maybe he actually meant the Soviet Union. Whatever.

That said, it’s Eytyxismena Genethlia!, as they say in Lesbos, to US golf pros George Archer (68) and Willie Wood (47); a big salute to former US prez and peanut farmer Jimmy “Jimmuh” Carter (83); Happy Days actor Tom Bosley (80); English songbird Dame Julie Andrews (72); aforementioned baseballer and steroid gobbler Mark McGwire (44); and former England and Bath rugby captain Phil de Glanville, now a practicing doctor in Somerset. It would also be the b-day of Henry III, who was only 9 when he was crowned in 1216, and whose lack of experience may be why really old people remember him as a bit of a so-so king.