This is a photograph of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The latter did very well that day until the second quarter of the game when they could no longer see the crowd, nor the first-down markers.
The visibility was so low, nobody was getting to the end zone because of the dense fog, as featured in this picture. Referee, Jack Vaughn was trying to pierce his vision over Soldier field, tracing the projectile of the ball after an attempt by Eagles placekicker, Luis Zendejas, to score.
HANK AARON
In this April 8, 1974 photograph, Hank “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron shows where he got his nickname from by batting another baseball out of the stadium for home run number 715. This would break the record for most home runs previously set by the legendary Babe Ruth.
Hammerin’ Hank continued to compete for two more years and by the time he retired he had accumulated a total record of 755 home runs. This record was unbroken for 33 years until Barry Bonds upped the ante in 2007.
RON TURCOTTE ABOARD SECRETARIAT
Ron Turcotte began his career as a hot walker, but he would soon win races, and become an apprentice in thoroughbred racing. He rose to prominence with his triumph aboard Tom Rolfe. This photograph of him was taken on June 9, 1973 in a race at the Belmont Stakes that would make him internationally famous.
Ron Turcotte is featured riding Secretariat, a combination that would result in a phenomenal finish. He won the first Triple Crown in 25 years, and he did it dominantly against the competition, by a 31 length lead—the widest margin in the race’s history. A statue was built of Turcotte and Secretariat crossing the finish line in Grand Falls, New Brunswick.
JOHN HAVLICEK
Being such a high level of competition, you never know what’s going to happen in an NBA game where so many things can tip the tide of an assumed victory. The Boston Celtics only needed to inbound the ball and let the final five seconds play out to secure a 110-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals on April 6, 1965. However, Bill Russell would cause turnover after passing a ball that struck a wire, giving the 76ers a final opportunity to win it.
Havlicek pulled a trick out of his sleeve as he guarded Chet Walker. He spun around and leaped at the exact moment the ball was thrown inbounds, tipping it to his teammate, which secured a Boston victory. The Celtics went on to beat the Lakers in the Finals.
CAL RIPKEN, JR.
Nobody thought Lou Gehrig’s record would be broken. It had withstood generations of baseball players without being threatened. His record for playing consecutive games is 2,130, and it remained untouched for 56 years.
Then came Cal Ripken Jr., nicknamed “The Iron Man,” a shortstop for Baltimore. The two-time (AL) MVP is featured in this photograph when the Angels faced the Orioles on Sept. 6, 1995. He jogs around the crowd that congratulated him for breaking Gehrig’s record, surpassing it by 502 games.