Hank Aaron, Hall of Famer and former home run king, dies at 86

Baseball hall of famer Hank Aaron smiles as he speaks at a ceremony where a commemorative plaque was unveiled Thursday, June 7, 2007, in the parking lot of Miller Park in Milwaukee. The plaque marks the landing spot of Aaron’s 755th career home run. 

A jubilant Hank Aaron holds aloft the ball he hit for his 715th career home run Monday night, April 8, 1974, in Atlanta Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

CNN

Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron, the Baseball Hall of Famer who broke Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record and lived a life as an ambassador to the game, has died. He was 86.

Aaron’s former team, the Atlanta Braves, announced his death on Friday.

Keep scrolling for photo gallery of Hank Aaron through the years

The cause of death was not disclosed. On January 5, Aaron tweeted a picture of himself saying he was proud to have received the Covid-19 vaccine.

Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 following an illustrious MLB career highlighted by 755 career home runs. Aaron famously broke Ruth’s longstanding home run record on April 8, 1974 — hitting his 715th homer at home in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

Aaron’s incredible achievement came in the shadow of hate and death threats from people who did not want a Black man to claim such an important record.

As he was chasing Ruth’s record, Aaron was taunted daily at ballparks, received threats on his life and was sent thousands of racist hate mail. He said he didn’t read most of the mail but kept some as a reminder.

“There were times during the chase when I was so angry and tired and sick of it all that I wished I could get on a plane and not get off until I was someplace where they never heard of Babe Ruth,” he wrote in his “I Had a Hammer” autobiography.