Famous & 65

Look who's turning 65 this month

Find out which celebrities are turning 65 this month!

Image Source: Wikipedia

June 6 - Björn Borg, Swedish tennis player

Between 1974 and 1981, Borg had the distinction of winning 11 Grand Slam titles, although he never triumphed at the U.S. Open in spite of four appearances. His wins include five Wimbledon titles. The Swede so dominated tennis in his time that fellow competitor Ilie Năstase once said, “We’re playing tennis. He’s playing something else.”

Borg had a distinctive style, using jerky but consistent strokes with topspin and a two-handed backhand. His superior conditioning sometimes meant that he wore down competitors. In a 2008 poll of tennis analysts, writers and former players, ESPN.com asked who they would choose to build “the perfect player.” Borg was the only one called out in four categories, and he was chosen as the top pick in both footwork and mental toughness. 

In spite of that mental edge, or perhaps because of it, he was known for his calm demeanor on court, earning the nickname “the Ice Borg.” But he had enormous drive under that placid surface. Borg’s first wife, a Romanian tennis star, noted that her husband was “always very placid and calm, except if he lost a match — he wouldn’t talk for at least three days. He couldn’t stand losing.” Which made it all the more baffling when, in 1981, after losing at Wimbledon Borg said, “What shocked me was I wasn’t even upset.” He subsequently retired from the sport that year at the age of 26 after being ranked No. 1 in the world for 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980. Arthur Ashe later told Sports Illustrated, "I think Bjorn could have won the US Open. I think he could have won the Grand Slam, but by the time he left, the historical challenge didn't mean anything. He was bigger than the game. He was like Elvis or Liz Taylor or somebody."

Image Source: Wikipedia

June 9 - Patricia Cornwell, American author

Crime novelist Patricia Cornwell is most well known for her series featuring medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. The books feature evidence based on forensic science, inspiring a spate of TV shows such as the CSI series and Cold Case Files. The Scarpetta series itself is based on a group of actual murders that occurred in Richmond, Virginia. 

Cornwell has plenty of credibility for authoring the novels, including previous work as a crime beat reporter, a technical writer, a computer analyst at the office of the Medical Examiner of Virginia, and as a volunteer with the Richmond Police Department. The novels feature a complex set of intertwined plots and characters, including colleagues and staff, and confrontation with the killer. 

Cornwell has also penned several other crime novels, and a book that proposes that British painter Walter Sickert was the man behind the historical Jack the Ripper killings. Her books have sold more than 100 million copies. 

Image Source: Wikipedia

June 11 - Joe Montana, NFL quarterback

Joe Montana, aka “Joe Cool” and “the Comeback Kid,”  is the winner of four Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers football team. He still holds career records for most passes without an interception (122). Montana played with the 49ers for 14 seasons and then the Kansas City Chiefs for another two years after winning a national college football championship his senior year at Notre Dame. 

Growing up outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Montana excelled at football, basketball and baseball. He helped his high school team win the state AAA crown, becoming an all-state player. Montana was also the starting quarterback for his high school team his junior and senior years, after which Parade chose him for their All-American team. He wanted to play both basketball and football in college, but finally took a football scholarship at Notre Dame where boyhood idol Terry Hanratty had attended school.

Although Notre Dame’s policy banned freshmen from playing on the varsity team, Montana made a name for himself in a pair of fourth-quarter starts as a sophomore. With his team down 14-6 against North Carolina and then 30-10 vs. Air Force a week later, Montana calmly came on the field each time and passed his team to victory. His last game for Notre Dame was the famous “Chicken Soup Game.” At a frigid January 1 Cotton Bowl against Houston, Montana suffered hypothermia; his temperature dropped to 96 degrees. Extremely concerned, the staff kept him in the locker room after the start of the second half, gave him warmed IV fluids, covered his body in blankets and fed him hot chicken soup. He finally returned to the field with Houston ahead 34-12. The revived Montana led the Fighting Irish on three touchdown marches, the final one occurring as the clock expired, and Notre Dame won 35-34. 

The rest of his career is no less legendary. He earned spot #4 on the NFL Network's The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players, with other awards too numerous to name here. 

Image Source: Wikipedia

June 23 - Randy Jackson, record producer, American Idol judge

Bass guitarist Randy Jackson is also a singer, record producer, entrepreneur and TV personality. He may be best known for serving as a judge on American Idol and being the executive producer for America’s Best Dance Crew. He hosts a radio top 40 countdown called Randy Jackson’s Hit List.

Jackson has worked with a host of famous bands and celebrities including Journey, Mariah Carey, Keith Richards, Billy Joel and many, many more. In 2003, Jackson lost 113 pounds after gastric bypass surgery. He announced in 2008 that he has type 2 diabetes. 

Sources:

https://www.wikipedia.org

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