Henry Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1934 and grew up playing baseball whenever he got a chance, inspired by Black baseball players he followed in the negro leagues. At that time, baseball in the United States was segregated and the major and minor leagues did not allow Black baseball players.

Forty years later, on April 8, 1974, in Atlanta, Georgia, Henry Aaron would break Babe Ruth’s homerun record providing one of the most exciting moments in both baseball and Atlanta history.

Aaron overcame obstacles through personal determination and incredible acts of bravery at each step of his journey.

“Once the record was mine, I had to use it like a Louisville Slugger. I believed, and still do, that there was a reason why I was chosen to break the record. I feel it’s my task to carry on where Jackie Robinson left off, and I only know of one way to go about it. It’s the only way I’ve ever had to dealing with things like fastballs and bigotry—keep swinging at them.” Henry Aaron, 2009

Headeř Image: Henry Aaron hitting his 715th career home run at Atlanta Stadium (later named Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium) in Atlanta, Georgia on the night of April 8, 1974, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Floyd Jillson, photographer, 1974. Floyd Jillson Photographs, VIS 71, Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center