Today In History

Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947. Elton John, is an English singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriting partner since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date. In his five-decade career Elton John has sold more than 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums, 58 Billboard Top 40 singles, 27 Top 10, four No. 2 and nine No. 1. For 31 consecutive years 1970–2000 he had at least one song in the Billboard Hot 100. His tribute single, re-penned in dedication to the late Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind 1997" sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling single in the history of the UK and US singles charts. He has also composed music, produced records, and has occasionally acted in films. John owned Watford Football Club from 1976 to 1987, and 1997 to 2002. He is an honorary Life President of the club, and in 2014 had a stand named after him at the club's home stadium.

Harvey Haddix won 136 games during his 14 season career, but he is best remembered for a game he lost. On May 26, 1959, Haddix pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Milwaukee Braves, who featured a powerful lineup led by Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron. But for most of this game, the Braves’ batters struggled with the magical pitches of Harvey Haddix. Haddix pitched a perfect nine innings, retiring all 27 batters he faced. Unfortunately for Haddix, Braves’ pitcher Lew Burdette also pitched nine scoreless innings, and the game continued into extra innings. Haddix pitched a perfect 10th, 11th, and 12th, and had now retired 36 straight batters. But Burdette continued matching the zeroes and the game went to the 13th inning. After Burdette pitched a scoreless top of the 13th inning, the Braves sent Felix Mantilla to the plate to lead off the bottom of the inning. Mantilla hit a ground ball to Pirates’ 3B Don Hoak, who threw errantly to first base, allowing Mantilla to reach safely on the error and ending the perfect game of Harvey Haddix. Haddix would yield the game winning base hit to Joe Adcock later in the inning, the only hit he allowed in the game. After pitching 12 perfect innings, Haddix lost his perfect game, his no hitter, his shutout, and despite giving up only 1 hit in 12 2/3 innings, he was the game’s losing pitcher by the hard luck score of 1-0.