Modern Era · North America · Culture

1974

Hank Aaron breaks the home run record

1974

On an April night in Atlanta, Hank Aaron hit his seven hundred fifteenth career home run off Al Downing, breaking Babe Ruth's longstanding record amid a torrent of racist hate mail and death threats. Two white fans ran onto the field to pound him on the back as he rounded second. He tipped his helmet and kept going.

More from 1974 Modern Era

In context

Also in 1974 (5 other events on record)

Nixon resigns · North America · Politics
Lucy discovered in Ethiopia · Africa · Science
Carnation Revolution in Portugal · Europe · Politics
Haile Selassie deposed · Africa · Politics
Turkey invades Cyprus · Middle East · War

Before and after in North America

Before: April 3, 1973: First mobile phone call
After: 1975: Microsoft and Apple begin

Before and after in Culture

Before: November 25, 1970: Mishima commits ritual suicide
After: 1975: Jaws invents the summer blockbuster

Era

Modern Era (1901–2000), one of 590 events from that era on Saeculum.

Sources

Wikipedia: Hank Aaron