William Robert Horton, born on August 12, 1951, is often called “Willie Horton.” He is an American criminal. In 1974, he was convicted of robbery and murder. In 1986, he escaped from a Massachusetts prison program that allowed him to leave prison temporarily.
Charles Leonard Gehringer (May 11, 1903 – January 21, 1993), nicknamed “the Mechanical Man,” was an American professional baseball second baseman. He played for the Detroit Tigers for 19 seasons from 1924 to 1942. He had a .320 career batting average with 2,839 hits and 1,427 runs batted in (RBIs).
Henry Benjamin Greenberg (January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), called “Hammerin’ Hank,” “Hankus Pankus,” and “the Hebrew Hammer,” was an American baseball player and team leader. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB), mainly for the Detroit Tigers as a first baseman in the 1930s and 1940s. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award twice.
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed “the Georgia Peach,” was an American professional baseball center fielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia, and played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent 22 years with the Detroit Tigers and was the team’s player-manager for the last six seasons.
Albert William Kaline (pronounced KAY-line; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed “Mr. Tiger,” was an American professional baseball player who spent his entire 22-season career in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kaline played in the outfield, primarily as a right fielder.
George Lee “Sparky” Anderson (February 22, 1934 – November 4, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player, coach, and manager. He managed the National League’s Cincinnati Reds from 1970 to 1978 and the American League’s Detroit Tigers from 1979 to 1995. Anderson led the Reds to two World Series championships in 1975 and 1976, then won another championship in 1984 with the Tigers.
John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967), known as “Smoltzie” and “Marmaduke,” was an American baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1988 to 2009. He spent almost all of his career with the Atlanta Braves. Smoltz was named to the All-Star team eight times and was part of a group of three top starting pitchers—Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine—who helped the Braves compete for the championship in the 1990s, including winning the 1995 World Series.
Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Many people consider him the best point guard ever.
Ralph Johnson Bunche was born on August 7, 1904, and died on December 9, 1971. He was an American political scientist, diplomat, and important leader in the mid-20th-century efforts to help countries gain independence and support civil rights in the United States. In 1950, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to settle a conflict between Arab and Israeli leaders in the late 1940s.
Robert Leland Eubanks was born on January 8, 1938. He is an American disc jockey, television personality, and game show host. He is best known for hosting the game show The Newlywed Game from 1966 to the present.