Public Figures & Cultural Luminaries

Sports & Athletics

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Hideki Irabu

伊良部 秀輝

Japan

1969 – 2011 (42 years old)

Flamethrowing Japanese pitcher whose 99 mph fastball dominated Japan's Pacific League before he signed with the New York Yankees, winning two World Series championships.

Los Angeles, United States

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Sports & Athletics

11

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Jacques Fatton

Jacques Fatton

France

1925 – 2011 (85 years old)

Prolific Swiss international striker nicknamed 'Jacky', who scored 274 league goals for Servette FC and famously scored twice against Brazil in the 1950 World Cup.

Geneva, Switzerland

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Sports & Athletics

9

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Jeret Peterson

Jeret 'Speedy' Peterson

United States

1981 – 2011 (29 years old)

Fearless American freestyle aerial skier nicknamed 'Speedy', who invented the breathtaking 'Hurricane' jump (three flips and five twists) to win Olympic silver at Vancouver 2010.

Boise, United States

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Sports & Athletics

10

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Mika Myllylä

Mika Kristian Myllylä

Finland

1969 – 2011 (41 years old)

One of Finland's greatest cross-country skiers, who won Olympic gold in the 30 km classical at Nagano 1998 and claimed four gold medals at World Championships.

Kokkola, Finland

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Sports & Athletics

9

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Ron Springs

Ronald Jerome Springs

United States

1956 – 2011 (54 years old)

Dynamic Dallas Cowboys running back who played eight NFL seasons and whose extraordinary friendship with teammate Everson Walls inspired millions when Walls donated a kidney to save him.

Dallas, United States

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Sports & Athletics

10

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Wouter Weylandt

Wouter Weylandt

Belgium

1984 – 2011 (26 years old)

Belgian professional road bicycle racer who won sprint stages at the Vuelta a España and Giro d'Italia, remembered for his competitive spirit and the retirement of bib number 108.

Ghent, Belgium

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Sports & Athletics

10

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Seve Ballesteros

Severiano Ballesteros Sota

Spain

1957 – 2011 (54 years old)

Charismatic Spanish golfing genius who won five Major championships (three Open Championships, two Masters) and single-handedly transformed European golf into a global superpower.

Pedreña, Spain

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Sports & Athletics

9

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Enzo Bearzot

Enzo Bearzot

Italy

1927 – 2010 (83 years old)

Italian football manager who guided the Azzurri to glory at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain, famous for his trademark pipe, tactical wisdom, and unwavering loyalty to Paolo Rossi.

Milan, Italy

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Sports & Athletics

9

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Pat Burns

Patrick John Joseph Burns

Canada

1952 – 2010 (58 years old)

Formidable Canadian NHL head coach and former police officer who won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils and is the only coach to win the Jack Adams Award with three different franchises.

Montreal, Canada

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Sports & Athletics

9

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Sparky Anderson

George Lee Anderson

United States

1934 – 2010 (76 years old)

Hall of Fame Major League Baseball manager who led Cincinnati's 'Big Red Machine' to consecutive World Series titles in 1975–1976 and became the first manager to win the World Series in both leagues.

Thousand Oaks, United States

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Sports & Athletics

16

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Andy Irons

Philip Andrew Irons

United States

1978 – 2010 (32 years old)

Legendary American professional surfer from Kauai who won three consecutive ASP World Championships (2002, 2003, 2004) and defined modern competitive big-wave surfing.

Hanalei, United States

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Sports & Athletics

10

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Laurent Fignon

Laurent Patrick Fignon

France

1960 – 2010 (50 years old)

French road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984, the Giro d'Italia in 1989, and was legendary for his fiery intellect, ponytail, and round spectacles.

Paris, France

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Sports & Athletics

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Antonius Johannes Geesink

Antonius Johannes Geesink

Netherlands

1934 – 2010 (76 years old)

Dutch judoka, 10th dan, 1964 Olympic open category champion whose historic victory in Tokyo broke Japan's monopoly and made judo a global sport.

Utrecht, Netherlands

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Sports & Athletics

8

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Bobby Thomson

Robert Brown Thomson

Great Britain

1923 – 2010 (86 years old)

Scottish-born Major League Baseball outfielder who hit the famous 'Shot Heard 'Round the World' in 1951, one of the most dramatic home runs in sports history.

Savannah, United States

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Sports & Athletics

12

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George Steinbrenner

George Michael Steinbrenner III

United States

1930 – 2010 (80 years old)

Iconic and demanding principal owner of the New York Yankees from 1973 to 2010, who restored the franchise to glory, winning seven World Series championships.

Trinity, United States

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Sports & Athletics

16

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Manute Bol

Manute Bol

🌐 South Sudan

1962 – 2010 (47 years old)

South Sudanese-born NBA basketball player celebrated as one of the greatest shot-blockers in history, who donated nearly all his athletic earnings to humanitarian relief in war-torn Sudan.

Turalei, South Sudan

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Sports & Athletics

10

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John Wooden

John Robert Wooden

United States

1910 – 2010 (99 years old)

Legendary UCLA basketball coach known as the 'Wizard of Westwood' who won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year span, including an unprecedented seven in a row.

Los Angeles, United States

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Sports & Athletics

10

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Juan Antonio Samaranch

Juan Antonio Samaranch Torelló

Spain

1920 – 2010 (89 years old)

Spanish sports official who served as the 7th President of the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001, modernizing the Olympic Games into a global financial powerhouse.

Barcelona, Spain

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