By Mariana Smithfield
FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Ivan Lendl (Czech pronunciation: [ˈɪvan ˈlɛndl̩]; born March 7, 1960) is a Czech-American former professional tennis player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.[3] Lendl was ranked world No. 1 in singles for a then-record 270 weeks and won 94 singles titles. He won eight major singles titles and was runner-up 11 times, making him the first man to contest 19 major finals. Lendl also contested a record eight consecutive US Open finals, and won five year-end championships. Lendl is the only man in professional tennis history to have a match winning percentage of over 90% in five different years (1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1989).[4] He also had a comfortable head-to-head winning record against his biggest rivals, which translates to a 22–13 record (4–3 in major matches) against Jimmy Connors[5] and a 21–15 record (7–3 in major matches) against John McEnroe.[6] Lendl’s dominance of his era was the most evident at the year-end championships, which feature the eight best-ranked singles players. He holds a win–loss record at the event of 39–10,[7] having contested the final nine consecutive times, a record.[7] Commonly referred to as the ‘Father Of Modern Tennis’ and ‘The Father Of The Inside-Out Forehand’,[8] Lendl pioneered a new style of tennis; his game was built around his forehand, hit hard and with a heavy topspin, and his success is cited as a primary influence in popularizing the now-common playing style of aggressive baseline power tennis.[9][10] After retirement, he became a tennis coach for several players; in particular, he helped Andy Murray win three major titles and reach the world No. 1 ranking.
TODAY’S ALMANAC
Question of the Day
Advice of the Day
Home Hint of the Day
Word of the Day
Puzzle of the Day
Born
- Henry Draper (astronomer) –
- Luther Burbank (horticulturist) –
- Joseph Maurice Ravel (composer) –
- Anna Magnani (actress) –
- James Broderick (actor) –
- Willard Scott (weatherman) –
- Janet Guthrie (first woman to race in the Indy 500) –
- Daniel J. Travanti (actor) –
- Peter Wolf (musician) –
- Franco Harris (football player) –
- Bryan Cranston (actor) –
- Ivan Lendl (tennis player) –
- Wanda Sykes (comedienne & actress) –
- Tiny Tymm (21-millionth Canadian) –
- Rachel Weisz (actress) –
- Jenna Fischer (actress) –
- Laura Prepon (actress) –
Died
- The Earl of Aberdeen (Canadian Governor General 1893 – 1898) –
- Ray Arcel (boxing trainer) –
- Stanley Kubrick (film director) –
- Paul Winfield (actor) –
- Debra Hill (producer) –
Events
- Queen’s University held its first classes, Kingston, Ontario–
- Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his telephone–
- Toronto Stock Exchange incorporated–
- Dr. John Kellogg served the world’s first cornflakes to his patients at the Battle Creek (MI) Sanitarium–
- First coin-operated locker patented–
- The world’s first jazz recording was released by the RCA Victor Company–
- President Woodrow Wilson authorized the Distinguished Service Medal to be given for outstanding service in the U.S. Army–
- U.S. troops captured the key Remagen Bridge across the Rhine (WW II)–
- Melvin C. Garlow became the first pilot to log more than one million miles in jet airplanes–
- The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” was released in Britain. It was the first selection from the rock opera “Tommy” to be publicly aired–
- Comet Kohoutek was discovered by Czech astronomer Lubos Kohoutek–
- Phil Mahre won alpine skiing’s World Cup championship. He was the third person to ever win three consecutive titles–
- Major U.S. recording artists combined their talents and released We Are the World. Proceeds from recording sales were to be donated to African famine relief–
- The Violent Femmes (an alternative rock band) played at Carnegie Hall–
- At the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Kathryn Bigelow won the Oscar for Best Director for Hurt Locker. It was the first time a woman won the award.–
- Barefoot water skier, Fernando Reina Iglesias, set a new record. Towed by a helicopter off the coast of Mexico, he reached a speed of 153 mph.–
Weather
- Brilliant nationwide aurora borealis–
- This day was a day Iowans won’t soon forget. A major ice storm coated much of the state with two to three inches of ice. Seventy-eight downed utility towers along one 17-mile stretch cost three electric companies $15 million. The total damage from the storm was over $50 million.–
COURTESY www.almanac.com
