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Hank Aaron was a Hall of Fame slugger for the Braves who held the Major League Baseball career home run record for 33 years.Born Henry Louis Aaron on Feb. 5, 1934, Aaron grew up in poverty and as a child had to fashion homemade bats and baseballs to practice the sport.

Michael Cusack was an athlete with Down syndrome who won a gold medal in freestyle swimming at the first Special Olympics in 1968.While growing up in Chicago, Cusack began participating in a sports program for children with intellectual disabilities. He was the first student to join the program, impressing his coaches with his athletic abilities and inspiring others to join.

halted by a federal judge.

Clifford Robinson was a basketball player best known for his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, having helped lead the team to two NBA Finals appearances.Robinson played basketball for the University of Connecticut Huskies beginning in 1985, and he was a standout player on a team that was working its way toward powerhouse status.

Dale Hawerchuk was an NHL star who played for the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, and Philadelphia Flyers.Hawerchuk played hockey all his life, having received his first pair of ice skates when he was two years old.

Angela Buxton was a British tennis player who won doubles at the French Open and Wimbledon in 1956 as the doubles partner of Althea Gibson (1927 – 2003).When Buxton and Gibson won their doubles title in 1956, Gibson was the first Black tennis player to win a Grand Slam tennis tournament, having also won singles at the French championship. The doubles win was a major moment for Buxton, too, who faced anti-Semitic discrimination throughout her career.

Bob Ryland was a professional tennis player who was the first Black player to compete professionally.A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, Ryland went on to play tennis at Detroit’s Wayne University after the war on a tennis scholarship, becoming one of the first Black players to compete in NCAA championships.

shuttered daily life around the world and is claiming more lives every day.In the US, some figures estimate that up to 70% of people will eventually get the flu-like illness if the spread isn’t slowed. Celebrities falling victim to the virus are doing their part by bringing awareness to its symptoms and how to prevent it.The grim announcements first started with celebrity power couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson who were diagnosed during a trip to Australia.

Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya was a figure skater who left her native Russia to compete for Australia in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.Alexandrovskaya was a native of Moscow and began skating as a child. In 2015, her coach paired her with Australian skater Harley Windsor, who had been seeking a partner.

Tony Taylor was a Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Detroit Tigers.A native of Cuba, Taylor was 18 when he signed as an amateur free agent with the New York Giants in 1954. He didn’t make his MLB debut until 1958, when he signed with the Chicago Cubs and became their starting second baseman.

Kurt Thomas was the first American male gymnast to win gold at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.Thomas was a student at Indiana State University when he competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, though he didn’t medal there. He went home to win NCAA events in parallel bars in 1977 and 1979, leading his school’s team to the 1977 National Championship.

Wes Unseld was a legendary Hall of Fame center for the Washington Bullets who was one of only two players in NBA history to win rookie of the year and MVP in the same season.  

Roosevelt “Rosie” Taylor was a former Bears All-Pro safety who helped lead the Chicago Bears to the 1963 NFL championship title.  

OL Reign players Megan Rapinoe, right, and Allie Long, are photographed on July 28, 2019, in Tacoma, Washington, at Cheney Stadium. Photo: OL Reign

The coronavirus has spread to as many as 135 countries, with more than 135,400 confirmed cases and over 5,000 deaths as of Friday afternoon.

A feature film about the life of legendary athlete Greg Louganis — the greatest Olympics diver in history — is in development.