Celebrate Black History: Hank Aaron

Aaron, Henry Louis (Hank Aaron), 1934–, U.S. baseball player, b. Mobile, Ala. A durable outfielder noted for his powerful wrists, Aaron was among the first blacks to play a full career in the major leagues (1954–76). In 1974 he broke Babe Ruth's legendary lifetime mark of 714 home runs. Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, Aaron is baseball's career leader in homers (755), runs batted in (2,297), and extra-base hits (1,477). In 1976 he became one of the first black executives in the game, beginning a long tenure in the Atlanta Braves front office.

See his autobiography (1991).

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