DI'S

— Nov. 25, 1914: Born in Martinez, Calif., the eighth of nine children of Sicilian immigrants. Two brothers also became major leaguers: Dom with the Boston Red Sox and Vince with the Philadelphia Phillies.

May 1936: Major league debut with New York Yankees.

November 1939: Marries actress Dorothy Arnold. Their marriage produces a son, Joe Jr., but ends in divorce in 1944.

1939, 1941 and 1947: Selected as American League's Most Valuable Player.

1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951: Plays in the World Series. Yankees win all but 1942.

1939, 1940: Wins American League batting championship.

May 15 to July 17, 1941: 56-game hitting streak shatters record of 44 that had stood for more than 40 years.

February 1943: Enlists in the Army, spends rest of war serving in physical training program for Air Force cadets.

Dec. 11, 1951: Announces retirement as a player after 13 seasons. "I feel that I have reached the stage where I can no longer produce for my ball club, my manager, my teammates and my fans the sort of baseball their loyalty to me deserves." Lifetime batting average: .325.

Jan. 14, 1954: Marries Marilyn Monroe at San Francisco City Hall.

October 1954: Monroe decides to divorce him.

1955: Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility. (No player between 1937 and 1961 was elected in his first year of eligibility.)

Aug. 5, 1962: Monroe dies. DiMaggio sends roses to her crypt for years.

1969: Voted greatest living baseball player.

1968-69: Member of board of directors, Oakland A's.

1980-88: Member of board of directors, Baltimore Orioles.

Quote: "I want to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee." — from remarks on Joe DiMaggio Day at Yankee Stadium, Oct. 1, 1949.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page