Babe Ruth
A colossal figure who transformed baseball from a tactical game into a spectacle of power, setting records that defined the sport for generations.
1895–1948 (age 53)·American baseball player·Birthday: February 6·The Lost Generation
Biography
George Herman Ruth emerged from a Baltimore orphanage to become the most famous athlete in America, a transformation that mirrored baseball’s own journey to the heart of national culture. He began with the Boston Red Sox as a formidable left-handed pitcher, helping them win three World Series. His sale to the New York Yankees in 1919 became the infamous 'Curse of the Bambino,' but it was in New York that Ruth reinvented the game. With his charismatic swagger and unprecedented power, he turned the home run from a rare event into a regular expectation, captivating crowds and saving baseball’s reputation after the Black Sox scandal. His 60 home runs in 1927 stood as a single-season record for 34 years. Ruth’s larger-than-life persona—his appetites, his charity, his sheer dominance—made him a mythic figure, the first true sports celebrity whose impact stretched far beyond the diamond.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Babe was born in 1895, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Babe Was Born
The biggest hits of 1895
Babe's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1895Born
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1900Started school
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1908Became a teenager
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Could drive
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1913Could vote
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Turned 21
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 30
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1935Turned 40
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1945Turned 50
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Died at 53
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
Key Achievements
- Hit 60 home runs in the 1927 season, a record that stood for 34 years.
- Helped the New York Yankees win seven American League pennants and four World Series titles.
- Had a career .342 batting average and 714 home runs, which was the career record for 39 years.
- Was one of the first five players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Did You Know?
He called his famous home run in the 1932 World Series by allegedly pointing to the center field fence before hitting the ball there.
He was originally a star pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, with a career record of 89-46 and a 2.28 ERA.
His childhood nickname in the orphanage was 'Niggerlips,' due to his large facial features, a fact later documented by biographers.
He was a notorious hypochondriac who often wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep cool.
“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”
