History of Lou Gehrig in Timeline

Lou Gehrig, nicknamed "The Iron Horse," was a legendary New York Yankees first baseman, playing 17 seasons in MLB. Known for his exceptional hitting and durability, he was a seven-time All-Star, one-time Triple Crown winner, and two-time AL MVP. Gehrig contributed to six World Series championships and maintained impressive career stats, including a .340 batting average and 493 home runs. Famously, he played in 2,130 consecutive games, a record unbroken for decades. His career was tragically cut short by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), now often called Lou Gehrig's disease. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939, and his number 4 was the first ever retired by the Yankees.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Legacy & Impact

1900: Parents Married

In 1900, Lou Gehrig's parents, Anna Christina Foch and Heinrich Wilhelm Gehrig, were married.

June 19, 1903: Lou Gehrig Born

On June 19, 1903, Heinrich Ludwig "Lou" Gehrig was born in New York City.

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1910: Living in Washington Heights

In 1910, Lou Gehrig lived with his parents at 2266 Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights.

June 26, 1920: Grand Slam at Cubs Park

On June 26, 1920, Lou Gehrig garnered national attention by hitting a grand slam completely out of Cubs Park (now Wrigley Field) while playing for Commerce High School.

1921: Record

In 1921, Babe Ruth had 119 extra-base hits.

1921: Graduation from Commerce High School

In 1921, Lou Gehrig graduated from Commerce High School.

1922: Played Football for Columbia

In 1922, Lou Gehrig returned to collegiate sports as a fullback for the Columbia Lions football team.

1922: Total Bases

In 1922, Rogers Hornsby had 450 total bases.

April 18, 1923: Sets Columbia Strikeout Record

On April 18, 1923, Lou Gehrig struck out 17 Williams Ephs batters as a Columbia pitcher, setting a team record. On the same day, scout Paul Krichell observed Gehrig's powerful hitting.

April 29, 1923: Signed with Yankees

On April 29, 1923, Lou Gehrig signed with the New York Yankees.

June 15, 1923: Major League Debut

On June 15, 1923, Lou Gehrig made his major-league debut as a pinch hitter for the New York Yankees at the age of 19.

1923: Played baseball for Columbia

In 1923, Lou Gehrig played first base and pitched for the Columbia baseball team.

1923: Returns to Hartford Senators

In 1923, after signing with the Yankees, Lou Gehrig returned to the minor league Hartford Senators to play part of the season.

1924: Plays for Hartford Senators

In 1924, Lou Gehrig played for the minor league Hartford Senators.

1924: Limited Playing Time

In 1924, Lou Gehrig saw limited playing time, mostly as a pinch hitter.

June 1, 1925: Replaces Wally Pipp

On June 1, 1925, Lou Gehrig replaced Wally Pipp at first base after Pipp took himself out of the lineup due to a headache, marking the beginning of Gehrig's consecutive game streak.

1926: Breakout Season

In 1926, Lou Gehrig had a breakout season batting .313 with 47 doubles, an AL-leading 20 triples, 16 home runs, and 112 RBIs. He also played in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

1927: Greatest Seasons

In 1927, Lou Gehrig had one of his greatest seasons, hitting .373 with 47 home runs and 175 RBIs, helping the Yankees to a 110-44 record and a World Series victory.

1927: AL MVP

In 1927, Lou Gehrig was named the American League MVP. His accomplishments were overshadowed by Babe Ruth's record-breaking sixty home runs.

1929: Wore number 4

In 1929, when the Yankees debuted wearing numbers on their uniforms, Lou Gehrig wore number 4 because he hit behind Babe Ruth.

1931: Nicknamed "The Iron Horse"

During the streak, sportswriters in 1931 nicknamed Lou Gehrig "the Iron Horse".

1932: Four Home Runs in a Game

In 1932, Lou Gehrig became the first player in the 20th century to hit four home runs in a game, accomplishing the feat on June 3 against the Philadelphia Athletics. However, John McGraw's retirement announcement got the main headlines.

1932: Met Eleanor Twitchell

In 1932, Lou Gehrig met Eleanor Twitchell, who he later married.

August 17, 1933: Breaks Consecutive Games Streak

On August 17, 1933, Lou Gehrig played in his 1,308th consecutive game, surpassing Everett Scott's record for the longest consecutive games played streak.

1933: Leaves Parents Home

In 1933, at the age of 30, Lou Gehrig left his parents' home.

April 30, 1934: Wins Triple Crown

In 1934, Lou Gehrig won the AL Triple Crown, leading the league with 49 home runs, 166 RBIs and a .363 batting average.

April 30, 1934: 300th Home Run

On April 30, 1934, Lou Gehrig hit his 300th home run against the Washington Senators, becoming the second player to reach the milestone after Babe Ruth.

1936: Time Magazine Cover Story

In 1936, Lou Gehrig was featured in a Time magazine cover story, which proclaimed him "the game's No. 1 batsman".

January 1938: Gehrig starred in 'Rawhide'

In January 1938, Lou Gehrig starred in the 20th Century Fox film "Rawhide", his only feature-film appearance, playing himself.

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September 7, 1938: Gehrig stole his last two bases

On September 7, 1938, Lou Gehrig stole the last two bases of his career.

September 27, 1938: Gehrig's last extra-base hit

On September 27, 1938, Lou Gehrig had his last extra-base hit, which was a home run.

April 30, 1939: End of Consecutive Game Streak

Lou Gehrig appeared in every game for the Yankees until April 30, 1939.

May 2, 1939: Consecutive Game Streak Ends

On May 2, 1939, Lou Gehrig voluntarily took himself out of the Yankees' lineup, ending his consecutive game streak at 2,130 due to an undiagnosed ailment, later confirmed to be ALS.

June 13, 1939: Gehrig Arrived at Mayo Clinic

On June 13, 1939, Lou Gehrig arrived at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester from Chicago, where he underwent extensive testing for his condition.

June 19, 1939: ALS Diagnosis Released to Public

On June 19, 1939, the staff at the Mayo Clinic publicly released Lou Gehrig's diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

July 4, 1939: Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day

On July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day was held at Yankee Stadium, where he delivered his famous "luckiest man on the face of the earth" speech.

October 1939: Gehrig appointed as NYC parole commissioner

In October 1939, Lou Gehrig accepted Mayor Fiorello La Guardia's appointment to a ten-year term as a New York City parole commissioner.

December 7, 1939: Gehrig elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

On December 7, 1939, Lou Gehrig was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in a special election during a winter meeting of the Baseball Writers' Association.

1939: Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

In 1939, Lou Gehrig was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and had his uniform number 4 retired by the New York Yankees, becoming the first MLB player to receive this honor.

January 2, 1940: Gehrig Sworn in as Parole Commissioner

On January 2, 1940, Lou Gehrig was officially sworn into office as a New York City parole commissioner.

June 2, 1941: Lou Gehrig's Death

On June 2, 1941, Lou Gehrig died at the age of 37.

July 6, 1941: Monument Dedicated to Gehrig at Yankee Stadium

On July 6, 1941, the Yankees dedicated a monument to Lou Gehrig in center field at Yankee Stadium, honoring him as a great ballplayer.

1941: Monument dedicated

In 1941, a monument in Lou Gehrig's honor was dedicated by the Yankees, prominently featuring in Monument Park at the new Yankee Stadium.

1942: Release of The Pride of the Yankees

In 1942, the film "The Pride of the Yankees", starring Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig and Teresa Wright as his wife Eleanor, was released. The film received 11 Academy Award nominations and won for Film Editing. Babe Ruth, Bob Meusel, Mark Koenig, and Bill Dickey appeared as themselves in the movie.

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1955: First Lou Gehrig Memorial Award Presented

In 1955, the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award was first presented to an MLB player who best exhibits Gehrig's character and integrity, created by the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

April 19, 1956: The Lou Gehrig Story on Climax!

On April 19, 1956, "The Lou Gehrig Story", about the days leading up to his farewell speech, was featured on an episode of the CBS anthology TV series "Climax!", starring Wendell Corey and Jean Hagen.

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1969: Greatest First Baseman

In 1969, the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted Lou Gehrig the greatest first baseman of all time.

1976: Publication of My Luke and I

In 1976, the autobiography "My Luke and I", written by Eleanor Gehrig and Joseph Durso, was published. The 1978 television film "A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story" was based on this book.

My Luke and I

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1978: Release of A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story

In 1978, the television film "A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story" starring Blythe Danner and Edward Herrmann as Eleanor and Gehrig, respectively, was released.

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1984: Eleanor Twitchell's Death

Eleanor Twitchell, Lou Gehrig's wife, died in 1984.

September 6, 1995: Record Surpassed

On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played.

1995: Record Surpassed by Cal Ripken Jr.

In 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played.

1999: MLB All-Century Team

In 1999, Lou Gehrig was the leading vote-getter on the MLB All-Century Team, chosen by fans.

1999: Gehrig receives most votes on All-Century Team

In 1999, Sixty years after his farewell to baseball, Lou Gehrig received the most votes of any baseball player on the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, chosen by fan balloting.

1999: Gehrig Ranked Sixth by Sporting News

In 1999, editors at Sporting News ranked Lou Gehrig sixth on their list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players".

2004: Lou Gehrig featured in All-Star Baseball 2004

In 2004, Lou Gehrig's digital likeness and the opening quote of the "baseball's Gettysburg Address" were featured in All-Star Baseball 2004.

2008: AFI Honors The Pride of the Yankees

In 2008, the AFI honored "The Pride of the Yankees" as the third-best sports movie.

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March 2021: MLB Declares Lou Gehrig Day

In March 2021, Major League Baseball declared June 2 to be Lou Gehrig Day, commemorating his contributions and legacy.

2022: Gehrig Named on New York Mount Rushmore of Sports

In 2022, as part of their SN Rushmore project, Sporting News named Lou Gehrig on their "New York Mount Rushmore of Sports", along with Babe Ruth, Walt Frazier, and Lawrence Taylor.