Lou Gehrig

High school

High School of Commerce

College

Columbia University

Pro team(s)

New York Yankees

Hall of Fame

⭐ National Baseball Hall of Fame

Henry Louis Gehrig was born on June 19, 1903, in Yorkville, Manhattan, the son of German immigrants. He attended the High School of Commerce in Manhattan and earned a scholarship to Columbia University, where he starred in football and baseball. He left Columbia after two years to sign with the New York Yankees in 1923. Gehrig was the definition of quiet durability — from June 1, 1925 through April 30, 1939, he played in 2,130 consecutive games, a record that stood for 56 years until Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed it in 1995. The "Iron Horse" won six World Series championships as the Yankees' first baseman and cleanup hitter, batting .340 for his career with 493 home runs and a then-record 1,995 RBI. Batting behind Babe Ruth in the lineup, Gehrig's own accomplishments were often overshadowed, yet his 1927 season (.373, 47 HR, 175 RBI) was arguably better than Ruth's famous 60-homer campaign. He won two AL MVP awards (1927 and 1936) and was a seven-time All-Star. In June 1939 Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — ALS, now commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease — and retired from baseball immediately. On July 4, 1939, Yankee Stadium held Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, and in one of sports' most celebrated speeches he declared himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth." He died on June 2, 1941, at age 37. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939 — the five-year waiting period was waived. Born and raised in New York City.