Events

1649 – The claimant King Charles II of England and Scotland is declared King of Great Britain, by the Parliament of Scotland. This move was not followed by the Parliament of England nor the Parliament of Ireland.

1685 – James II of England and VII of Scotland becomes King upon the death of his brother Charles II.

1778 – American Revolutionary War: In Paris the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the new republic.

1788 – Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.

1806 – Battle of San Domingo British naval victory against the French in the Caribbean.

1815 – New Jersey grants the first American railroad charter to John Stevens.

1817 – The Argentinian San Martín crosses the Andes with an army in order to liberate Chile from Spanish rule.

1819 – Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds Singapore.

1820 – The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society started a settlement in present-day Liberia.

1833 – Otto becomes the first modern King of Greece.

1840 – Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing New Zealand as a British colony.

1843 – The first minstrel show in the United States, The Virginia Minstrels, opens (Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City).

1862 – American Civil War: The U.S. Navy gives the Union its first victory of the war, capturing Fort Henry, Tennesseein the Battle of Fort Henry.

1899 – Spanish-American War: The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain, is ratified by the United States Senate.

1900 – The international arbitration court at The Hague is created when the Senate of the Netherlands ratifies an 1899 peace conference decree.

1922 – The Washington Naval Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., limiting the naval armaments of United States, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy.

1933 – The 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution, establishing the beginning and ending of the terms of the elected federal offices, goes into effect.

1934 – Far right leagues rally in front of the Palais Bourbon in an attempted coup against the French Third Republic, creating a political crisis in France.

1942 – World War II: The United Kingdom declares war on Thailand.

1951 – ''The Broker'', a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The accident kills 85 people and injures over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history.

1952 – Elizabeth II becomes the first queen regnant of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realm since Queen Victoria upon the death of her father George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a treehouse at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya.

1958 – Eight Manchester United F.C. players are killed in the Munich air disaster.

1959 – Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit.

1959 – At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished.

1976 – In testimony before a United States Senate subcommittee, Lockheed Corporation president Carl Kotchian admits that the company had paid out approximately $3 million in bribes to the office of Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.

1978 – The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor'easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of 4" an hour.

1981 – The National Resistance Army of Uganda launches an attack on a Ugandan Army installation in the central Mubende District to begin the Ugandan Bush War.

1987 – Justice Mary Gaudron is appointed to the High Court of Australia, the first woman to be appointed.

1989 – The Round Table Talks start in Poland, thus marking the beginning of overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe.

1996 – Willamette Valley Flood of 1996: Floods in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States, causes over US$500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest.

1998 – Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.

2000 – Second Chechen War: Russia captures Grozny, Chechnya, forcing the separatist Chechen Republic of Ichkeria government into exile.

Births

1347 – Dorothea of Montau, Catholic saint (d. 1394)

1452 – Joan, Princess of Portugal, Portuguese princess and saint (d. 1490)

1461 – Džore Držić, Croatian poet and playwright (d. 1501)

1465 – Scipione del Ferro, Italian mathematician (d. 1526)

1536 – Sassa Narimasa, Japanese samurai and Oda clan retainer (d. 1588)

1577 – Beatrice Cenci, Italian noblewoman (d. 1599)

1582 – Mario Bettinus, Italian philosopher, mathematician and astronomer (d. 1657)

1605 – Bernard of Corleone, Catholic saint (d. 1667)

1608 – Antonio Vieira, Portuguese writer (d. 1697)

1611 – Chongzhen Emperor, Emperor of China (d. 1644)

1612 – Antoine Arnauld, French theologian, philosopher and mathematician (d. 1694)

1639 – Daniel Georg Morhof, German writer and scholar (d. 1691)

1643 – Johann Kasimir Kolbe von Wartenberg, first Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1712)

1664 – Mustafa II, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1703)

1665 – Anne of Great Britain, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (d. 1714)

1695 – Nicolaus II Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (d. 1726)

1721 – Christian Friedrich Heinecken, German child prodigy (d. 1725)

1726 – Patrick Russell, Scottish surgeon and naturalist (d. 1805)

1732 – Charles Lee, British-born American Revolutionary War figure (d. 1782)

1736 – Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, German-Austrian sculptor (d. 1783)

1744 – Pierre-Joseph Desault, French anatomist and surgeon (d. 1795)

1748 – Adam Weishaupt, German philosopher (d. 1811)

1753 – Évariste de Parny, French poet (d. 1814)

1756 – Aaron Burr, American politician and 3rd Vice President of the United States (d. 1836)

1757 – Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Polish scholar and statesman. (d. 1841)

1769 – Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn, Austrian general (d. 1862)

1772 – Karl von Kügelgen, German landscape and history painter (d. 1832)

1772 – Sir George Murray, Scottish soldier and politician (d. 1830)

1778 – Ugo Foscolo, Italian writer and poet (d. 1827)

1781 – John Keane, 1st Baron Keane, British noble and officer (d. 1844)

1796 – John Stevens Henslow, English botanist and geologist (d. 1861)

1797 – Joseph von Radowitz, Prussian statesman and general (d. 1853)

1799 – Imre Frivaldszky, Hungarian botanist and entomologist (d. 1870)

1800 – Achille Devéria, French painter and lithographer (d. 1857)

1802 – Charles Wheatstone, English scientist and inventor (d. 1875)

1811 – Henry George Liddell, father of Alice Liddell (d. 1898)

1818 – William M. Evarts, American lawyer and statesman (d. 1901)

1818 – Jenaro Quesada y Matheus, Spanish nobleman and politician (d. 1889)

1818 – Henry Charles Litolff, British musician and composer (d. 1891)

1829 – Joseph Auguste Émile Vaudremer, French architect (d. 1914)

1830 – Daniel Oliver, British botanist (d. 1916)

1832 – John Brown Gordon, American politician (d. 1904)

1833 – James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart, American Civil War figure (d. 1864)

1833 – José María de Pereda, Spanish novelist (d. 1906)

1834 – Edwin Klebs, German-born Swiss pathologist (d. 1913)

1834 – Ema Puksec, Croatian singer (d. 1889)

1834 – Wilhelm von Scherff, German general and military writer (d. 1911)

1838 – Sir Henry Irving, British actor (d. 1905)

1838 – Yisrael Meir Kagan, Chofetz Chayim (d. 1933)

1839 – Eduard Hitzig, German neurologist and neuropsychiatrist (d. 1907)

1842 – Mary Rudge, English chess master (d. 1919)

1843 – Inoue Kowashi, Japanese statesman (d. 1895)

1843 – Frederic William Henry Myers, English poet and essayist (d. 1901)

1847 – Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, American architect (d. 1918)

1852 – C. Lloyd Morgan, British zoologist and psychologist (d. 1936)

1852 – Vasily Safonov, Russian pianist, teacher, conductor and composer (d. 1918)

1853 – Ignacij Klemenčič, Slovenian physicist (d. 1901)

1854 – Tommaso Alberto Vittorio of Savoy-Genoa, Italian prince (d. 1931)

1859 – Wilhelm Cohn, German chess master (d. 1913)

1861 – Nikolay Zelinsky, Russian chemist (d. 1953)

1864 – John Henry Mackay, Scottish individualist anarchist, thinker and writer (d. 1933)

1866 – Karl Sapper, German explorer and linguist (d. 1945)

1872 – Robert Maillart, Swiss bridge engineer (d. 1940)

1875 – Leonid Gobyato, Russian general (d. 1915)

1876 – Henry Blogg, English lifeboatman, George Cross and British Empire Medal recipient (d. 1954)

1878 – Walter B. Pitkin, American lecturer (d. 1953)

1879 – Othon Friesz, French artist (d. 1949)

1879 – Edwin Samuel Montagu, British statesman (d. 1924)

1879 – Magnús Guðmundsson, Icelandic politician (d. 1937)

1879 – Carl Ramsauer, German physicist (d. 1955)

1880 – Nishinoumi Kajirō II, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 25th Yokozuna (d. 1931)

1883 – Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich, Russian aircraft designer (d. 1938)

1884 – Marcel Cohen, French linguist (d. 1974)

1887 – Josef Frings, German Archbishop of Cologne (d. 1978)

1892 – William Parry Murphy, American physician, Nobel laureate (d. 1987)

1892 – Maximilian Fretter-Pico, German general (d. 1984)

1893 – Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, Pakistani diplomat (d. 1985)

1894 – Eric Partridge, New Zealand lexicographer (d. 1979)

1894 – Kirpal Singh, Indian religious figure (d. 1974)

1895 – Babe Ruth, American baseball player (d. 1948)

1897 – Louis Buchalter, American organized crime figure (d. 1944)

1898 – Alla Tarasova, Soviet actress (d. 1973)

1899 – Ramón Novarro, Mexican actor (d. 1968)

1901 – Ben Lyon, American actor (d. 1979)

1902 – George Brunies, American musician (d. 1974)

1903 – Claudio Arrau, Chilean-born pianist (d. 1991)

1905 – Władysław Gomułka, Polish leader (d. 1982)

1905 – Jan Werich, Czech actor, playwright and writer (d. 1980)

1908 – Amintore Fanfani, Italian politician (d. 1999)

1908 – Edward Lansdale, American United States Air Force, CIA and OSS officer (d. 1987)

1908 – Michael Maltese, American screenwriter (d. 1981)

1910 – Irmgard Keun, German author (d. 1982)

1910 – Carlos Marcello, Tunisian-born gangster (d. 1993)

1911 – Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States (d. 2004)

1912 – Eva Braun, German mistress and wife of Adolf Hitler (d. 1945)

1912 – John Edward Christopher Hill, English historian (d. 2003)

1913 – Mary Leakey, British anthropologist (d. 1996)

1914 – Thurl Ravenscroft, American voice actor (d. 2005)

1916 – John Crank, British mathematician (d. 2006)

1917 – Zsa Zsa Gábor, Hungarian-born actress

1918 – Lothar-Günther Buchheim, German author (d. 2007)

1919 – Takashi Yanase, Japanese manga artist

1922 – Bill Johnston, Australian cricketer (d. 2007)

1922 – Patrick Macnee, British actor

1922 – Denis Norden, British television personality

1922 – Haskell Wexler, American cinematographer

1923 – Gyula Lóránt, Hungarian football player and manager (d. 1981)

1924 – Billy Wright, English footballer (d. 1994)

1924 – Jin Yong, Chinese-language novelist

1925 – Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Indonesian author (d. 2006)

1926 – Walker Edmiston, American actor (d. 2007)

1927 – Gerard K. O'Neill, American physicist (d. 1992)

1928 – Allan Meltzer, American economist

1929 – Pierre Brice, French actor

1929 – Colin Murdoch, New Zealand pharmacist, inventor of the tranquilliser gun (d. 2008)

1929 – Oscar Sambrano Urdaneta, Venezuelan writer

1929 – Valentin Yanin, Russian historian

1930 – Jun Kondo, Japanese theoretical physicist

1931 – Rip Torn, American actor

1931 – Mamie Van Doren, American actress

1931 – Ricardo Vidal, Filipino Roman Catholic Cardinal

1932 – Camilo Cienfuegos, Cuban revolutionary (d. 1959)

1932 – François Truffaut, French film director (d. 1984)

1932 – Heinz-Klaus Metzger, German music critic and theorist (d. 2009)

1933 – Leslie Crowther, British comedian (d. 1996)

1934 – Bernard Erhard, American voice actor (d. 2000)

1936 – Kent Douglas, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2009)

1936 – J. Howard Marshall III, American businessman

1939 – Mike Farrell, American actor

1939 – Orlando Parga, Puerto Rican politician

1940 – Tom Brokaw, American news anchorman

1940 – Jimmy Tarbuck, British comedian

1940 – Petr Hájek, Czech mathematician

1941 – Gigi Perreau, American actress

1941 – Spencer Silver, American chemist

1942 – Sarah Brady, American gun-control activist

1942 – James Loewen, American sociologist and historian

1942 – Valentina Titova, Russian actress

1943 – Fabian Forte, American singer

1943 – Gayle Hunnicutt, American actress

1944 – Christine Boutin, French politician

1944 – Willie Tee, American singer and songwriter (d. 2007)

1944 – Michael Tucker, American actor

1945 – Bob Marley, Jamaican musician (d. 1981)

1946 – Jim Turner, American politician

1946 – Kate McGarrigle, Canadian singer and songwriter (d. 2010)

1946 – Richie Hayward, American musician (Little Feat) (d. 2010)

1947 – Bill Staines, American singer and songwriter

1949 – Jim Sheridan, Irish film director

1949 – Mike Batt, British composer

1950 – Natalie Cole, American singer

1951 – Marco Antônio, Brazilian footballer

1951 – Margo O'Donnell, Irish singer

1951 – Jacques Villeret, French film actor (d. 2005)

1951 – Kevin Whately, English actor

1952 – Ricardo Lavolpe, Argentine football coach

1952 – Viktor Giacobbo, Swiss writer, comedian, moderator and actor

1955 – Michael Pollan, American journalist

1955 – Bruno Stolorz, French rugby coach

1957 – Kathy Najimy, American actress and comedienne

1957 – Simon Phillips, Drummer (Toto)

1957 – Robert Townsend, American actor

1958 – Cecily Adams, American actress (d. 2004)

1958 – Barry Miller, American actor

1959 – Ken Nelson, English record producer

1960 – Megan Gallagher, American actress

1961 – Yuri Onufriyenko, Ukrainian-Russian cosmonaut

1962 – Stavros Lambrinidis, Greek politician

1962 – W. Axl Rose, American singer (Guns N' Roses)

1963 – Kevin Trudeau, American entrepreneur

1963 – Quentin Letts, British journalist

1964 – Gordon Downie, Canadian musician (The Tragically Hip)

1964 – Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russian film director and actor

1965 – Jan Svěrák, Czech film director

1966 – Rick Astley, British singer

1967 – Anita Cochran, American singer

1967 – Izumi Sakai, Japanese singer (Zard) (d. 2007)

1968 – Adolfo Valencia, Colombian footballer

1968 – Akira Yamaoka, Japanese composer

1969 – David Hayter, American voice actor

1969 – Masaharu Fukuyama, Japanese singer

1969 – Tim Sherwood, English footballer

1970 – Per Frandsen, Danish footballer

1971 – Dana Eskelson, American actress

1971 – Brad Hogg, Australian cricket player

1971 – Carlos Rogers, American basketball player

1971 – Brian Stepanek, American actor

1972 – Stefano Bettarini, Italian footballer

1972 – David Binn, American football player

1975 – Orkut Büyükkökten, Turkish software engineer

1975 – Brett Hawke, Australian swimmer

1975 – Tomoko Kawase, Japanese singer

1975 – Svend-Allan Sørensen, Danish artist

1975 – Chad Allen, American retired baseball player

1976 – Tanja Frieden, Swiss snowboarder

1976 – Kim Zmeskal, American gymnast

1976 – Kasper Hvidt, Danish handball goalkeeper

1976 – Princess Marie of Denmark

1977 – Jason Euell, English-born footballer

1977 – Josh Stewart, American actor

1979 – Dan Bălan, Moldovan singer (O-Zone)

1979 – Reentko, German musician and composer

1980 – Mamiko Noto, Japanese seiyu

1980 – Kim Poirier, Canadian actress

1980 – Luke Ravenstahl, American politician

1981 – Calum Best, American model

1981 – Ricky Barnes, American professional golfer

1981 – Jens Lekman, Swedish musician

1981 – Ty Warren, American football player

1981 – Alison Haislip, American actress and TV personality

1981 – Shim Eun Jin, South Korean singer (Baby V.O.X.)

1982 – Alice Eve, English actress

1982 – Elise Ray, American gymnast

1982 – Tank Lu, Taiwanese singer (Mandopop)

1982 – Jade Edmistone, Australian swimmer

1983 – Brodie Croyle, American football player

1983 – Dimas Delgado, Spanish footballer

1983 – S. Sreesanth, Indian cricketer

1983 – Jamie Whincup, Australian racing driver

1983 – Myron Wolf Child, Canadian politician (d. 2007)

1983 – Melrose Bickerstaff, American fashion model

1984 – Darren Bent, English footballer

1984 – Piret Järvis, Estonian singer

1984 – Antoine Wright, American basketball player

1985 – Kris Humphries, American basketball player

1985 – Yang Yu, Chinese swimmer

1985 – Joji Kato, Japanese speedskater

1986 – Alice Greczyn, American actress

1986 – Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwean cricketer

1986 – Jung Yunho, South Korean singer (TVXQ)

1988 – Bailey Hanks, American actress

1988 – Allison Holker, American dancer

1989 – Craig Cathcart, Irish footballer

1992 – Víctor Mañon, Mexican footballer

Deaths

891 – St. Photius I the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople

1215 – Hōjō Tokimasa, Head of the Hōjō clan and shikken of the Kamakura bakufu (b. 1138)

1378 – Jeanne de Bourbon, wife of Charles V of France (b. 1338)

1497 – Johannes Ockeghem, Flemish composer (b. c.1410)

1515 – Aldus Manutius, Italian printer

1585 – Edmund Plowden, English legal scholar (b. 1518)

1593 – Jacques Amyot, French writer (b. 1513)

1593 – Emperor Ogimachi of Japan (b. 1517)

1617 – Prospero Alpini, Italian scientist (b. 1553)

1685 – King Charles II of England (b. 1630)

1740 – Pope Clement XII (b. 1652)

1775 – William Dowdeswell, English politician (b. 1721)

1783 – Capability Brown, English landscape gardener (b. 1716)

1793 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian playwright (b. 1707)

1806 – Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, French general and father of author Alexandre Dumas, père (b. 1762)

1807 – John Reid, British army general and composer (b. 1721)

1816 – Maria Ludwika Rzewuska, Polish szlachcianka (b. 1744)

1833 – Pierre André Latreille, French entomologist (b. 1762)

1834 – Richard Lemon Lander, British explorer (b. 1804)

1855 – Josef Munzinger, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1791)

1899 – Leo von Caprivi, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1831)

1899 – Prince Alfred of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prince of Edinburgh (b. 1874)

1910 – Alfonso Maria Fusco. Beatified Italian Roman Catholic priest and founder (b. 1839)

1916 – Rubén Darío, Nicaraguan writer (b. 1867)

1918 – Gustav Klimt, Austrian painter (b. 1862)

1927 – Sam Maguire, Irish Republican and Gaelic footballer (b. 1879)

1929 – Maria Christina of Austria, Queen Regent of Spain (b. 1858)

1938 – Marianne von Werefkin, Russian-Swiss painter (b. 1860)

1950 – Georges Imbert, Alsatian chemist (b. 1884)

1951 – Gabby Street, former MLB player (b. 1882)

1952 – George VI of the United Kingdom (b. 1895)

1958 – David Pegg, English footballer (b. 1935)

1958 – Tommy Taylor, English footballer (b. 1932)

1958 – Geoff Bent, English footballer (b. 1932)

1958 – Roger Byrne, English footballer (b. 1929)

1958 – Eddie Colman, English footballer (b. 1936)

1958 – Mark Jones, English footballer (b. 1933)

1958 – Frank Swift, English footballer and journalist (b. 1913)

1958 – Walter Crickmer, English football club secretary and manager

1963 – Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi, Moroccan politician

1964 – Emilio Aguinaldo, Filipino general and President (b. 1869)

1966 – Narcisa de Leon, Filipino film mogul (b. 1877)

1967 – Martine Carol, French film actress (b. 1920)

1976 – Vince Guaraldi, American musician (b. 1928)

1976 – Ritwik Ghatak, Bengali Indian film maker and scriptwriter (b. 1925)

1981 – Hugo Montenegro, American film music composer (b. 1925)

1981 – Frederika of Hanover, Queen Consort of Greece (b. 1917)

1985 – James Hadley Chase, English writer (b. 1906)

1986 – Frederick Coutts, Salvation Army general (b. 1899)

1986 – Minoru Yamasaki, American architect (b. 1912)

1986 – Dandy Nichols, English actress (b. 1907)

1988 – Nuno Oliveira, Bass Player (b. 1925)

1989 – André Cayatte, French filmmaker (b. 1909)

1989 – Barbara W. Tuchman, American historian (b. 1912)

1989 – Chris Gueffroy, East German attempted defector (b. 1968)

1989 – Osbourne 'King Tubby' Ruddock, Jamaican Dub music performer (b. 1941)

1991 – Salvador Luria, Italian biologist, Nobel laureate (b. 1912)

1991 – Danny Thomas, American singer, comedian, and actor (b. 1914)

1993 – Arthur Ashe, American tennis player (b. 1943)

1994 – Joseph Cotten, American actor (b. 1905)

1994 – Jack Kirby, American comic book writer (b. 1917)

1995 – James Merrill, American poet (b. 1926)

1996 – Guy Madison, American actor (b. 1922)

1997 – Roger Laurent, Belgian racing driver (b. 1913)

1998 – Falco, Austrian singer (b. 1957)

1998 – Carl Wilson, American musician (The Beach Boys) (b. 1946)

1998 – Haroun Tazieff, French vulcanologist and geologist (b. 1914)

1998 – José Marroquín Leal (better known as Pipo), Mexican actor and performer (b. 1933)

2001 – Filemon Lagman, Filipino Communist revolutionary (b. 1953)

2001 – Fulgence Charpentier, Canadian journalist (b. 1897)

2002 – Max Perutz, Austrian molecular biologist, Nobel laureate (b. 1914)

2005 – Lazar Berman, Russian pianist (b. 1930)

2005 – Karl Haas, American radio presenter (b. 1913)

2007 – Lew Burdette, American baseball player (b. 1926)

2007 – Lee Hoffman, American author (b. 1932)

2007 – Len Hopkins, Canadian politician (b. 1930)

2007 – Frankie Laine, American singer (b. 1913)

2007 – Willye White, American athlete (b. 1939)

2008 – John McWethy, American journalist (b. 1947)

2008 – Tony Rolt, English racing driver (b. 1918)

2011 – Gary Moore, Irish musician (b. 1952)

*

Holidays and observances

Christian Feast Day:

*Amand

*Dorothea of Caesarea

*Paul Miki

*Titus

*Vedastus

*February 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (United Nations)

Ronald Reagan Day (California)

Sami National Day (Russia, Finland, Norway and Sweden)

Waitangi Day, celebrates the founding of New Zealand in 1840.

Scout Sunday for members of the Boy Scouts of America

External links

BBC: On This Day

On This Day in Canada

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Category:Days of the year Category:February

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Coordinates	52°0′54″N4°21′24″N
Width	200
Position	Shooting guard / Small forward
Height ft	6|height_in 6
Weight lbs	216
Number	23, 45, 9, 12
Birth date	February 17, 1963
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York
High school	Emsley A. Laney
League
Career start	1984
Career end	2003
Draftyear	1984
Draftround	1
Draftpick	3
Draftteam	Chicago Bulls
College	North Carolina (1981–1984)
Years1	–, – |team1 Chicago Bulls
Years2	– |team2 Washington Wizards
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	32,292 (30.1 ppg)
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	6,672 (6.2 rpg)
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	5,633 (5.3 apg)
Letter	j
Bbr	jordami01
Highlights	6× NBA Champion (–, –) 5× NBA Most Valuable Player (, –, , ) 14× NBA All-Star (–, –, –) 6× NBA Finals MVP (–, –) 10× NBA scoring champion (–, –) 3× NBA steals champion (, , ) NBA Defensive Player of the Year () 10× All-NBA First Team (–, –) All-NBA Second Team () 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (–, –) NBA Rookie of the Year () NBA All-Rookie First Team () 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (, , ) 2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (–) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team #23 Retired by Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat NCAA Champion (1982) 2× Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1983–1984) ACC Player of the Year (1984) Oscar Robertson Trophy (1984) Naismith College Player of the Year (1984) John R. Wooden Award (1984) Adolph Rupp Trophy (1984)
Hof player	michael-jordan }}

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player, active businessman, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

After a standout career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Tar Heels' National Championship team in 1982, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998) as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.

Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include five MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances, three All-Star Game MVP awards, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film ''Space Jam'' as himself. He is the majority owner and head of basketball operations for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, having won a bidding war to buy controlling interest in the team from founding owner Robert L. Johnson.

Early years

Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Deloris (née Peoples), who worked in banking, and James R. Jordan, Sr., an equipment supervisor. His family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, when he was a toddler. Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, where he anchored his athletic career by playing baseball, football, and basketball. He tried out for the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year, but at 5'11" (1.80 m), he was deemed too short to play at that level. His taller friend, Harvest Leroy Smith, was the only sophomore to make the team.

Motivated to prove his worth, Jordan became the star of Laney's junior varsity squad, and tallied several 40 point games. The following summer, he grew four inches (10 cm) and trained rigorously. Upon earning a spot on the varsity roster, Jordan averaged about 20 points per game over his final two seasons of high school play. As a senior, he was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team During his three seasons at North Carolina, he averaged 17.7 ppg on 54.0% shooting, and added 5.0 rebounds per game (rpg). He was selected by consensus to the NCAA All-American First Team in both his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984) seasons. After winning the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984, Jordan left North Carolina one year before his scheduled graduation to enter the 1984 NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick, after Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers). Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986.

Professional career

During his first season in the NBA, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting. He quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas, and appeared on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated'' with the heading "A Star is Born" just over a month into his professional career. Jordan was also voted in as an All-Star starter by the fans in his rookie season. Controversy arose before the All-Star game when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by Isiah Thomas, were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving. This led to a so called "freeze-out" on Jordan, where players refused to pass him the ball throughout the game. The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted Rookie of the Year. The Bulls finished the season 38–44, and lost in the first round of the playoffs in four games to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jordan's second season was cut short by a broken foot which caused him to miss 64 games. Despite Jordan's injury and a 30–52 record, the Bulls made the playoffs. Jordan recovered in time to participate in the playoffs and performed well upon his return. Against a 1985–86 Boston Celtics team that is often considered one of the greatest in NBA history, Jordan set the still-unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2. The Celtics, however, managed to sweep the series.

Jordan had recovered completely by the 1986–87 season, and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in NBA history. He became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score 3,000 points in a season, averaging a league high 37.1 points on 48.2% shooting. In addition, Jordan demonstrated his defensive prowess, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100 blocks in a season. Despite Jordan's success, Magic Johnson won the league's Most Valuable Player Award. The Bulls reached 40 wins, and advanced to the playoffs for the third consecutive year. However, they were again swept by the Celtics.

Mid-career: Pistons roadblock

Jordan led the league in scoring again in the 1987–88 season, averaging 35.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting and won his first league MVP award. He was also named the Defensive Player of the Year, as he had averaged 1.6 blocks and a league high 3.16 steals per game. The Bulls finished 50–32, and made it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in Jordan's career, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. However, the Bulls then lost in five games to the more experienced Detroit Pistons, who were led by Isiah Thomas and a group of physical players known as the "Bad Boys".

In the 1988–89 season, Jordan again led the league in scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the field, along with 8 rpg and 8 assists per game (apg). The Bulls finished with a 47–35 record, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks along the way. The Cavaliers series included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit a series-winning shot over Craig Ehlo in the closing moments of the deciding fifth game of the series. However, the Pistons again defeated the Bulls, this time in six games, by utilizing their "Jordan Rules" method of guarding Jordan, which consisted of double and triple teaming him every time he touched the ball.

The Bulls entered the 1989–90 season as a team on the rise, with their core group of Jordan and young improving players like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, and under the guidance of new coach Phil Jackson. Jordan averaged a league leading 33.6 ppg on 52.6% shooting, to go with 6.9 rpg and 6.3 apg in leading the Bulls to a 55–27 record. They again advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals beating the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers en route. However, despite pushing the series to seven games, the Bulls lost to the Pistons for the third consecutive season.

First three-peat

In the 1990–91 season, Jordan won his second MVP award after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season. The Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in 16 years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season. With Scottie Pippen developing into an All-Star, the Bulls had elevated their play. The Bulls defeated the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where their rival, the Detroit Pistons, awaited them. However, this time the Bulls beat the Pistons in a surprising sweep. In an unusual ending to the fourth and final game, Isiah Thomas led his team off the court before the final minute had concluded. Most of the Pistons went directly to their locker room instead of shaking hands with the Bulls.

The Bulls compiled an outstanding 15–2 record during the playoffs, and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, where they beat the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one. Perhaps the best known moment of the series came in Game 2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan avoided a potential Sam Perkins block by switching the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot in. In his first Finals appearance, Jordan posted per game averages of 31.2 points on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks. Jordan won his first NBA Finals MVP award, and he cried while holding the NBA Finals trophy.

Jordan and the Bulls continued their dominance in the 1991–92 season, establishing a 67–15 record, topping their franchise record from 1990 to 91. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with averages of 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on 52% shooting. After winning a physical 7-game series over the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals in 6 games, the Bulls met Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the Finals. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic-Bird rivalry, highlighted the similarities between "Air" Jordan and Clyde "The Glide" during the pre-Finals hype. In the first game, Jordan scored a Finals-record 35 points in the first half, including a record-setting six three-point field goals. After the sixth three-pointer, he jogged down the court shrugging as he looked courtside. Marv Albert, who broadcast the game, later stated that it was as if Jordan was saying, "I can't believe I'm doing this." The Bulls went on to win Game 1, and defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row and finished the series averaging 35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5 apg, while shooting 53% from the floor.

In 1992–93, despite a 32.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 5.5 apg campaign, Jordan's streak of consecutive MVP seasons ended as he lost the award to his friend Charles Barkley. Coincidentally, Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and his Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. The Bulls captured their third consecutive NBA championship on a game-winning shot by John Paxson and a last-second block by Horace Grant, but Jordan was once again Chicago's catalyst. He averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the six-game series, and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards. He scored more than 30 points in every game of the series, including 40 or more points in 4 consecutive games. With his third Finals triumph, Jordan capped off a seven-year run where he attained seven scoring titles and three championships, but there were signs that Jordan was tiring of his massive celebrity and all of the non-basketball hassles in his life.

Gambling controversy

During the Bulls' playoff run in 1993, controversy arose when Jordan was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey the night before a game against the New York Knicks. In that same year, he admitted to having to cover $57,000 in gambling losses, and author Richard Esquinas wrote a book claiming he had won $1.25 million from Jordan on the golf course. In 2005, Jordan talked to Ed Bradley of the CBS evening show ''60 Minutes'' about his gambling and admitted that he made some reckless decisions. Jordan stated, "Yeah, I've gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I've pushed the envelope. Is that compulsive? Yeah, it depends on how you look at it. If you're willing to jeopardize your livelihood and your family, then yeah." When Bradley asked him if his gambling ever got to the level where it jeopardized his livelihood or family, Jordan replied, "No."

First retirement and baseball career

On October 6, 1993, Jordan announced his retirement, citing a loss of desire to play the game. Jordan later stated that the murder of his father earlier in the year shaped his decision. James R. Jordan, Sr. was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina, by two teenagers, Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery. The assailants were traced from calls they made on James Jordan's cellular phone, caught, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. Jordan was close to his father; as a child he had imitated his father's proclivity to stick out his tongue while absorbed in work. He later adopted it as his own signature, displaying it each time he drove to the basket. In 1996 he founded a Chicago area Boys & Girls Club and dedicated it to his father.

In his 1998 autobiography ''For the Love of the Game'', Jordan wrote that he had been preparing for retirement as early as the summer of 1992. The added exhaustion due to the Dream Team run in the 1992 Olympics solidified Jordan's feelings about the game and his ever-growing celebrity status. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world.

Jordan then further surprised the sports world by signing a minor league baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox. He reported to spring training and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994. Jordan has stated this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who had always envisioned his son as a Major League Baseball player. The White Sox were another team owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball. In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 30 stolen bases, and 11 errors. He also appeared for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League, batting .252 against the top prospects in baseball.

"I'm back": Return to the NBA

In the 1993–94 season, the Bulls, without Jordan, achieved a 55–27 record, and lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. But the 1994–95 version of the Bulls was a shell of the championship squad of just two years earlier. Struggling at mid-season to ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago was 31–31 at one point in mid-March. The team received a lift, however, when Jordan decided to return to the NBA for the Bulls.

On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a pithy press release: "I'm back." The next day, Jordan donned jersey number 45 (his number with the Barons), as his familiar 23 had been retired in his honor following his first retirement. He took to the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points. The game had the highest Nielsen rating of a regular season NBA game since 1975.

Although he had not played in an NBA game in a year and a half, Jordan played well upon his return, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. He then scored 55 points in his fifth game back against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1995 (his first appearance at Madison Square Garden since retiring). Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 13-4 to make the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic. At the end of the first game of the series, though, Orlando's Nick Anderson would strip Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the Magic; he would later comment that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan", after which Jordan returned to wearing his old number (23). Jordan averaged 31 points per game in that series, but Orlando prevailed in six games.

Second three-peat

Freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, Jordan trained aggressively for the 1995–96 season. Strengthened by the addition of rebound specialist Dennis Rodman, the Bulls dominated the league, starting the season 41–3, and eventually finishing with the best regular season record in NBA history: 72–10. Jordan led the league in scoring with 30.4 ppg, and won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards. In the playoffs, the Bulls lost only three games in four series, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA Finals to win the championship. Jordan was named Finals MVP for a record fourth time, surpassing Magic Johnson's three Finals MVP awards. He also achieved only the second sweep of the MVP Awards in the All-Star Game, regular season and NBA Finals, Willis Reed having achieved the first, during the 1969–70 season. Because this was Jordan's first championship since his father's death, and it was won on Father's Day, Jordan reacted very emotionally upon winning the title, including a memorable scene of him sobbing on the locker room floor with the game ball.

In the 1996–97 season, the Bulls started out 69–11, but narrowly missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season by losing their final two games to finish 69–13. However, this year Jordan was beaten for the NBA MVP Award by Karl Malone. The team again advanced to the Finals, where they faced Malone and the Utah Jazz. The series against the Jazz featured two of the more memorable clutch moments of Jordan's career. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied 2–2, Jordan played despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus. In what is known as the "flu game", Jordan scored 38 points including the game-deciding three-pointer with less than a minute remaining. The Bulls won 90–88 and went on to win the series in six games. For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Jordan received the Finals MVP award. During the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, Jordan posted the first triple double in All-Star Game history in a victorious effort; however, he did not receive the MVP award.

Jordan and the Bulls compiled a 62–20 record in the 1997–98 season. Jordan led the league with 28.7 points per game, securing his fifth regular-season MVP award, plus honors for All-NBA First Team, First Defensive Team and the All-Star Game MVP. The Bulls captured the Eastern Conference Championship for a third straight season, including surviving a grueling seven-game series with Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals; it was the first time Jordan had played in a Game 7 since the 1992 series with the Knicks. After prevailing, they moved on for a rematch with the Jazz in the Finals.

The Bulls returned to Utah for Game 6 on June 14, 1998 leading the series 3–2. Jordan executed a series of plays, considered to be one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history. With the Bulls trailing 86–83 with 40 seconds remaining, coach Jackson called a timeout. When play resumed, Jordan received the inbound pass, drove to the basket, and hit a layup over several Jazz defenders. The Jazz brought the ball upcourt and passed the ball to forward Karl Malone, who was set up in the low post and was being guarded by Rodman. Malone jostled with Rodman and caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind him and swatted the ball out of his hands for a steal. Jordan then slowly dribbled upcourt and paused at the top of the key, eyeing his defender, Jazz guard Bryon Russell. With fewer than 10 seconds remaining, Jordan started to dribble right, then crossed over to his left, possibly pushing off Russell, although the officials did not call a foul. Jordan then made what would become the climactic shot of his career. After a desperation three-point shot by John Stockton missed, Jordan and the Bulls claimed their sixth NBA championship, and secured a second three-peat. Once again, Jordan was voted the Finals MVP, having led all scorers by averaging 33.5 points per game, including 45 in the deciding Game 6. Jordan's six Finals MVPs is a record; Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, and Tim Duncan are tied for second place with three apiece. The 1998 Finals holds the highest television rating of any Finals series in history, and Game 6 holds the highest television rating of any game in NBA history.

Second retirement

With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen (who stated his desire to be traded during the season) and Dennis Rodman (who would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent) looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999.

On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player, but as part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive. He controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations, and had the final say in all personnel matters. Opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed. He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland), but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA Draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown, who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons.

Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" that he would never play another NBA game, in the summer of 2001 Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback, this time with his new team. Inspired by the NHL comeback of his friend Mario Lemieux the previous winter, Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago. In addition, Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return.

Washington Wizards comeback

On September 25, 2001 Jordan announced his return to professional play with the Wizards, indicating his intention to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In an injury-plagued 2001–02 season, he led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.42 spg). However, torn cartilage in his right knee ended Jordan's season after only 60 games, the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the 1994–95 season.

Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2003, Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star game history. That year, Jordan was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games, starting in 67 of them. He averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He also shot 45% from the field, and 82% from the free throw line. Even though he turned 40 during the season, he scored 20 or more points 42 times, 30 or more points nine times, and 40 or more points three times. On February 21, 2003, Jordan became the first 40-year-old to tally 43 points in an NBA game. During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the MCI Center were sold out, and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20,172 fans a game at home and 19,311 on the road. However, neither of Jordan's final two seasons resulted in a playoff appearance for the Wizards, and Jordan was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him. At several points he openly criticized his teammates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity, notably that of the number one draft pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, Kwame Brown.

With the recognition that 2002–03 would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA. In his final game at his old home court, the United Center in Chicago, Jordan received a four-minute standing ovation. The Miami Heat retired the number 23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though Jordan had never played for the team. At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson, but refused both; in the end, however, he accepted the spot of Vince Carter, who decided to give it up under great public pressure.

Jordan's final NBA game was on April 16, 2003 in Philadelphia. After scoring only 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter and with his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers, 75–56. Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike!". After much encouragement from coach Doug Collins, Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game for Larry Hughes with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' Eric Snow, and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie John Salmons, who in turn was intentionally fouled by Bobby Simmons one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. Jordan received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials and a crowd of 21,257 fans.

Olympic career

Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams. As a college player he participated, and won the gold, in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Jordan led the team in scoring averaging 17.1 ppg for the tournament.

In the 1992 Summer Olympics he was a member of the star-studded squad that included Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and David Robinson and was dubbed the "Dream Team". Playing limited minutes due to the frequent blowouts, Jordan averaged 12.7 ppg, finishing fourth on the team in scoring. Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and fellow Dream Team member Chris Mullin are the only American men's basketball players to win Olympic gold as amateurs (all in 1984) and professionals.

In addition, Jordan and fellow Dream Team member (and Bulls teammate) Scottie Pippen are the only players to have won both NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year (1992).

After retiring as a player

After his third retirement, Jordan assumed that he would be able to return to his front office position of Director of Basketball Operations with the Wizards. However, his previous tenure in the Wizards' front office had produced the aforementioned mixed results and may have also influenced the trade of Richard "Rip" Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse (although Jordan was not technically Director of Basketball Operations in 2002). On May 7, 2003, Wizards owner Abe Pollin fired Jordan as Washington's President of Basketball Operations. Jordan later stated that he felt betrayed, and that if he knew he would be fired upon retiring he never would have come back to play for the Wizards.

Jordan kept busy over the next few years by staying in shape, playing golf in celebrity charity tournaments, spending time with his family in Chicago, promoting his Jordan Brand clothing line, and riding motorcycles. Since 2004, Jordan has owned Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team that competes with two Suzukis in the premier Superbike class sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). Jordan and his then-wife Juanita pledged $5 million to Chicago's Hales Franciscan High School in 2006, and the Jordan Brand has made donations to Habitat for Humanity and a Louisiana branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. On June 15, 2006, Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming the team's second-largest shareholder behind majority owner Robert L. Johnson. As part of the deal, Jordan was named "Managing Member of Basketball Operations," with full control over the basketball side of the operation. Despite Jordan's previous success as an endorser, he has made an effort not to be included in Charlotte's marketing campaigns.

In February 2010, it was reported that Jordan was seeking majority ownership of the Bobcats. As February wore on, it emerged that the leading contenders for the team were Jordan and former Houston Rockets president George Postolos. On February 27, the Bobcats announced that Johnson had reached an agreement with Jordan and his group, MJ Basketball Holdings, to buy the team pending NBA approval. On March 17, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved Jordan's purchase, making him the first former NBA player ever to become the majority owner of a league franchise.

Player profile

Jordan was a shooting guard who was also capable of playing small forward (the position he would primarily play during his second return to professional basketball with the Washington Wizards). Jordan was known throughout his career for being a strong clutch performer. He decided numerous games with last-second plays (e.g., The Shot) and performed at a high level even under adverse circumstances (e.g., Flu Game). His competitiveness was visible in his prolific trash-talk and well-known work ethic.

Jordan had a versatile offensive game. He was capable of aggressively driving to the basket, as well as drawing fouls from his opponents at a high rate; his 8,772 free throw attempts are the ninth highest total of all time. As his career progressed, Jordan also developed the ability to post up his opponents and score with his trademark fadeaway jump shot, using his leaping ability to "fade away" from block attempts. According to Hubie Brown, this move alone made him nearly unstoppable. Despite media criticism as a "selfish" player early in his career, Jordan's 5.3 assists per game also indicate his willingness to defer to his teammates. In later years, the NBA shortened its three-point line to 22 feet (from 23 feet, 9 inches), which coupled with Jordan's extended shooting range to make him a long-range threat as well—his 3-point stroke developed from a low 9 / 52 rate (.173) in his rookie year into a stellar 111 / 260 (.427) shooter in the 1995–96 season. For a guard, Jordan was also a good rebounder (6.2 per game).

In 1988, Jordan was honored with the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first NBA player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in a career (since equaled by Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Kevin Garnett; Olajuwon is the only player other than Jordan to win both during the same season). In addition he set both seasonal and career records for blocked shots by a guard, and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. His 2,514 steals are the second highest total of all-time behind John Stockton, while his steals per game average is third all-time. Jerry West often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan's defensive contributions than his offensive ones.

Legacy

Jordan's basketball talent was clear from his rookie season. In his first game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, Jordan received a prolonged standing ovation, a rarity for an opposing player. After Jordan scored a playoff record 63 points against the Boston Celtics in 1986, Celtics star Larry Bird described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan."

Jordan led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons (NBA record) and tied Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven consecutive scoring titles. He was also a fixture on the NBA All-Defensive First Team, making the roster nine times (NBA record shared with Gary Payton). Jordan also holds the top career regular season and playoff scoring averages of 30.1 and 33.4 points per game, respectively. By 1998, the season of his Finals-winning shot against the Jazz, he was well known throughout the league as a clutch performer. In the regular season, Jordan was the Bulls' primary threat in the final seconds of a close game and in the playoffs, Jordan would always demand the ball at crunch time. Jordan's total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the highest in NBA history. He retired with 32,292 points in regular season play, placing him third on the NBA's all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.

With five regular-season MVPs (tied for second place with Bill Russell; only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won more, six), six Finals MVPs (NBA record), and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan is the most decorated player ever to play in the NBA. Jordan finished among the top three in regular-season MVP voting a record 10 times, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.

Many of Jordan's contemporaries label Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time. An ESPN survey of journalists, athletes and other sports figures ranked Jordan the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century, above icons such as Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali. Jordan placed second to Babe Ruth in the Associated Press's list of 20th century athletes. In addition, the Associated Press voted him as the basketball player of the 20th century. Jordan has also appeared on the front cover of ''Sports Illustrated'' a record 49 times. In the September 1996 issue of ''Sport'', which was the publication's 50th anniversary issue, Jordan was named the greatest athlete of the past 50 years.

Jordan's athletic leaping ability, highlighted in his back-to-back slam dunk contest championships in 1987 and 1988, is credited by many with having influenced a generation of young players. Several current NBA All-Stars have stated that they considered Jordan their role model while growing up, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. In addition, commentators have dubbed a number of next-generation players "the next Michael Jordan" upon their entry to the NBA, including Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Vince Carter, and Dwyane Wade. Although Jordan was a well-rounded player, his "Air Jordan" image is also often credited with inadvertently decreasing the jump shooting skills, defense, and fundamentals of young players, a fact which Jordan himself has lamented. Although Jordan has done much to increase the status of the game, some of his impact on the game's popularity in America appears to be fleeting. Television ratings in particular increased only during his time in the league and have subsequently lowered each time he left the game.

In August 2009, the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, opened a Michael Jordan exhibit containing items from his college and NBA careers, as well as from the 1992 "Dream Team". The exhibit also has a batting glove to signify Jordan's short career in baseball. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in September 2009, with former Bulls teammates Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and Toni Kukoc in attendance.

Personal life

Jordan is the fourth of five children. He has two older brothers, Larry Jordan and James R. Jordan, Jr., one older sister, Deloris, and a younger sister, Roslyn. Jordan's brother James retired in 2006 as the Command Sergeant Major of the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army.

He married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989, and they have two sons, Jeffrey Michael and Marcus James, and a daughter, Jasmine. Jordan and Vanoy filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but reconciled shortly thereafter. They again filed for divorce and were granted a final decree of dissolution of marriage on December 29, 2006, commenting that the decision was made "mutually and amicably". It is reported that Juanita received a $168 million settlement, making it the largest celebrity divorce settlement in history at the time on public record.

On July 21, 2006, a Cook County, Illinois judge determined that Jordan did not owe his alleged former lover Karla Knafel $5 million. Jordan had allegedly paid Knafel $250,000 to keep their relationship a secret. Knafel claimed Jordan promised her $5 million for remaining silent and agreeing not to file a paternity suit after Knafel learned she was pregnant in 1991. A DNA test showed Jordan was not the father of the child.

As of 2007, Jordan lived in Highland Park, Illinois, and both of his sons attended Loyola Academy, a private Roman Catholic high school located in Wilmette, Illinois. Jeffrey graduated as a member of the 2007 graduating class and played his first collegiate basketball game on November 11, 2007, for the University of Illinois. After two seasons, Jeffrey left the Illinois basketball team in 2009. He later rejoined the team for a third season, then received a release to transfer to the University of Central Florida, where Marcus was attending. Marcus transferred to Whitney Young High School after his sophomore year and graduated in 2009. He began attending UCF in the fall of 2009.

Media figure and business interests

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald's, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Wheaties, Hanes, and MCI. Jordan has had a long relationship with Gatorade, appearing in over 20 commercials for the company since 1991, including the "Like Mike" commercials in which a song was sung by children wishing to be like Jordan.

Nike created a signature shoe for him, called the ''Air Jordan''. One of Jordan's more popular commercials for the shoe involved Spike Lee playing the part of Mars Blackmon. In the commercials Lee, as Blackmon, attempted to find the source of Jordan's abilities and became convinced that "it's gotta be the shoes". The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spate of "shoe-jackings" where people were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. Subsequently Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own division named the "Jordan Brand". The company features an impressive list of athletes and celebrities as endorsers. The brand has also sponsored college sports programs such as those of North Carolina, Cincinnati, Cal, St. John's, Georgetown, and North Carolina A&T;.

Jordan also has been associated with the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. A Nike commercial shown during the 1993 Super Bowl XXVII featured Jordan and Bugs Bunny playing basketball against a group of Martian characters. The Super Bowl commercial inspired the 1996 live action/animated movie ''Space Jam'', which starred Jordan and Bugs in a fictional story set during his first retirement. They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI.

Jordan's yearly income from the endorsements is estimated to be over forty million dollars. In addition, when Jordan's power at the ticket gates was at its highest point the Bulls regularly sold out every game they played in, whether home or away. Due to this, Jordan set records in player salary by signing annual contracts worth in excess of $30 million US$ per season. An academic study found that Jordan’s first NBA comeback resulted in an increase in the market capitalization of his client firms of more than $1 billion.

Most of Jordan's endorsement deals, including the first deal with Nike, were engineered by his agent, David Falk. Jordan has said of Falk that "he's the best at what he does", and that "marketing-wise, he's great. He's the one who came up with the concept of 'Air Jordan.'"

In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 20th most powerful celebrity in the world with $55 million earned between June 2009 and June 2010. According to the Forbes article, Brand Jordan generates $1 billion in sales for Nike.

Honors and awards

Jordan won numerous awards and set many records during his career. The following are some of his achievements:

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009

2 Olympic Gold Medals – 1984, 1992

6-time NBA Champion

6-time NBA Finals MVP

5-time NBA MVP

10 NBA Scoring Titles

3-time steals leader

3-time minutes leader

14 NBA All-Star Selections

3-time NBA All-Star Game MVP

11 All-NBA Selections

9 All-Defensive First Team Selections

2-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion – 1987, 1988

NBA Rookie of the Year – NBA Defensive Player of the Year –

NCAA National Championship – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: 1981–82

ACC Freshman of the Year – 1981–82

2-time Consensus NCAA All-American First Team – 1982–83, 1983–84

ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year – 1983–84

USBWA College Player of the Year – 1983–84

Naismith College Player of the Year – 1983–84

John R. Wooden Award – 1983–84

Adolph Rupp Trophy – 1983–84

''Sports Illustrated'' Sportsman of the Year – 1991

Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996

Ranked No.1 by SLAM Magazine's Top 50 Players of All-Time

Ranked No.1 by ESPN Sportscentury's Top 100 Athletes of the 20th century

Elected to North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

See also

Michael Jordan Steakhouse

Michael Jordan's Restaurant

''Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City''

''Michael Jordan in Flight''

''NBA 2K11''

References

Further reading

External links

Michael Jordan biography at NBA Encyclopedia

Michael Jordan player profile at NBA.com

Michael Jordan Motorsports

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Coordinates	52°0′54″N4°21′24″N
Name	David Blaine
Birth name	David Blaine White
Birth date	April 04, 1973
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Illusionist & Endurance arntist
Years active	1997–present
Website	David Blaine }}

David Blaine (born David Blaine White; April 4, 1973) is an American illusionist and endurance artist. He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance, and has made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic. He has set and broken several world records. Theatre owner James Nederlander as well as ''The New York Times'' have referred to Blaine as a modern day Houdini.

Early life

Blaine was born David Blaine White in Brooklyn, New York and is of Puerto Rican descent on his father's side, and Russian Jewish on his mother's. His mother, Patrice Maureen White (1946–1995), was a school teacher living in New York, and his father William Perez was a Vietnam veteran. When he was four years old, he saw a magician performing magic on the subway. This sparked an interest in Blaine. He was raised by his single mother and attended many schools in Brooklyn. When he was ten years old, his mother married John Bukalo and they moved to Little Falls, New Jersey, where he attended Passaic Valley Regional High School. He has a half-brother named Michael James Bukalo. When he was 17 years old, Blaine moved to Manhattan, New York.

Personal life

Blaine and his fiancee Alizee Guinochet have one daughter born on January 27, 2011. At the time that Guinochet went into labor, there was a massive blizzard where they lived in New York. Due to the intense weather, no cars or taxis were on the road, so Blaine had to hail a snowplow, which transported the couple to the hospital.

Stunts and specials

''Street Magic'' and ''Magic Man''

On May 19, 1997, Blaine's first television special, ''David Blaine: Street Magic'' aired on the ABC network. According to the New York ''Daily News'', “Blaine can lay claim to his own brand of wizardry. The magic he offers in tonight’s show operates on an uncommonly personal level.” When asked about his performance style, David explained, “I'd like to bring magic back to the place it used to be 100 years ago.”' ''Time'' magazine commented, "his deceptively low-key, ultracool manner leaves spectators more amazed than if he'd razzle-dazzled." The concept of focusing on spectator reactions (for example, in his rendition of the Balducci levitation) changed the way that magic has been shown on TV. ''The New York Times'' wrote, “He's taken a craft that's been around for hundreds of years and done something unique and fresh with it." Penn Jillette, of ''Penn & Teller'', stated, "the biggest break through done in our lifetime was David Blaine's 'Street Magic,' where his idea was to do really simple tricks but to concentrate... to turn the camera around on the people watching instead of the people doing. So to make the audience watch the audience, which that first special 'Street Magic,' is the best TV magic special ever done and really, really does break new ground."

In ''Magic Man'', Blaine is shown traveling across the country, entertaining unsuspecting pedestrians in New York City, Atlantic City, Dallas, San Francisco, Compton, and the Mojave Desert recorded by a small crew with handheld cameras. Jon Racherbaumer commented, "Make no mistake about it, the focus of this show, boys and girls, is not Blaine. It is really about theatrical proxemics; about the show-within-a-show and the spontaneous, visceral reactions of people being astonished." ''USA Today'' calls David “The hottest name in magic right now”.

''Buried Alive''

On April 5, 1999, Blaine was entombed in an underground plastic box underneath a 3-ton water-filled tank for seven days across from Trump Place on 68th St. and Riverside Drive. According to CNN, "Blaine's only communication to the outside world was by a hand buzzer, which could have alerted an around-the-clock emergency crew standing by." BBC News reported that the cramped plastic coffin offered six inches (152 mm) of headroom and two inches on each side. During the endurance stunt Blaine ate nothing and drank only two to three tablespoons of water a day. An estimated 75,000 people visited the site, including Marie Blood, Harry Houdini's niece, who said, "My uncle did some amazing things, but he could not have done this." On the final day of the stunt, April 12, hundreds of news teams were stationed at the site for the coffin-opening. A team of construction workers removed a portion of the of gravel surrounding the six-foot-deep coffin before a crane lifted the water tank. Blaine emerged and told the crowd "I saw something very prophetic ... a vision of every race, every religion, every age group banding together, and that made all this worthwhile." BBC News stated, "The 26-year-old magician has outdone his hero, Harry Houdini, who had planned a similar feat but died in 1926 before he could perform it." During the preparation of the stunt, Jonathan Demme told ''Time Out New York,'' “He’s the most exciting thing in America ... And I’m not just talking entertainment.”

''Frozen in Time''

On November 27, 2000, Blaine began a stunt called "Frozen in Time", which was covered on a TV special. Blaine stood encased in a massive block of ice located in Times Square, New York City. He was lightly dressed and seen to be shivering even before the blocks of ice were sealed around him. A tube supplied him with air and water while his urine was removed with another tube. He was encased in the box of ice for 63 hours, 42 minutes and 15 seconds before being removed with chain saws. The ice was transparent and resting on an elevated platform to show that he was actually inside the ice the entire time. CNN confirmed that "thousands of people braved the pouring rain Wednesday night to catch a glimpse of Blaine as workers cut away at the ice." He was removed from the ice in an obviously dazed and disoriented state, wrapped in blankets and taken to the hospital immediately because doctors feared he might be going into shock. ''The New York Times'' reported, "The magician who emerged from the increasingly unstable ice box seemed a shadow of the confident, robust, shirtless fellow who entered two days before." Blaine said in the documentary follow-up to this feat that it took a month before he was able to walk again and that he had no plans to ever again attempt a stunt of this difficulty.

''Vertigo''

On May 22, 2002, a crane lifted Blaine onto a 100-foot (30 m) high and 22-inch (0.56 m) wide pillar in Bryant Park, New York City. Although he was not harnessed to the pillar, there were two retractable handles on either side of him to grasp in the event of harsh weather. The ''Evening Standard'''s James Langton wrote, "He was battered by high winds and unusually cold May weather during his first night and would have been killed or seriously injured if he had fallen." He remained on the pillar for exactly 35 hours. ''The New Yorker''’s Adam Gopnik wrote, “David Blaine, standing up there, is actually as good a magical metaphor for the moment as Houdini, fighting his way out of the straitjacket of immigrant identity toward prosperity, was for his." With his legs weak from standing atop the pillar for so long, he ended the feat by jumping down onto a landing platform made out of a 12-foot (3.7 m) high pile of cardboard boxes and suffered a mild concussion.

''Mysterious Stranger''

On October 29, 2002, Random House published David Blaine's ''Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic''. Part autobiography, part history of magic, and part armchair treasure hunt, the book also includes instructions on how to perform card tricks and illusions. Editing director, Bruce Tracy, explains “David Blaine is the most exciting and creative magician since Houdini, and now, readers have the opportunity to enjoy Blaine's unique book about magic, and they can participate by testing their own ability to discover and interpret clues.”

The treasure hunt, Blaine's $100,000 Challenge, was devised by game designer Cliff Johnson, creator of ''The Fool's Errand'', and solved by Sherri Skanes on March 20, 2004, 16 months after the book's publication.

''Above the Below''

On September 5, 2003, Blaine began his 44-day endurance stunt sealed inside a transparent Plexiglas case suspended 9 metres (30 ft) in the air next to Potters Fields Park on the south bank of the River Thames, the area between City Hall and Tower Bridge in London. The case, measuring by by , had a webcam installed so that viewers could observe his progress. During the 44-day period, Blaine went without any food or nutrients and survived on just 4.5 litres of water per day.

The endurance stunt became the subject of much media attention. ''The Guardian'' wrote, "Blaine has created one of the most eloquent and telling visual images of our time." ''The Times'' reported that "1,614 articles in the British press have made reference to the exploit." Then U.S. President George W. Bush referred to Blaine’s stunt in a speech at the Whitehall Palace in London, saying “The last noted American to visit London stayed in a glass box dangling over the Thames. A few might have been happy to provide similar arrangements for me.”

A number of spectators were mischievous or hostile towards the endurance artist. ''The Times'' reported that eggs, lemons, sausages, bacon, water bottles, beer cans, paint-filled balloons and golf balls had all been thrown at the box. The ''Evening Standard'' reported that one man was arrested for attempting to spike the water supply to Blaine's box with monkey urine. According to BBC News, a hamburger was flown up to the box by a remote-controlled helicopter as a taunt.

On September 25, BBC News reported that Blaine announced via webcam that he was feeling the taste of pear drops on his tongue. Dr. Adam Carey, who performed a medical examination of Blaine before he entered the box, said that the taste was produced by ketones produced by the body burning fatty acids, which are themselves produced from fat reserves.

Blaine emerged on schedule on October 19, murmuring "I love you all!" and was quickly hospitalized. The New England Journal of Medicine published a paper that documented his 44 day fast and stated that his re-feeding was perhaps the most dangerous part of the stunt. The study reported, “He lost 24.5 kg (25 percent of his original body weight), and his body mass index dropped from 29.0 to 21.6. His appearance and body-mass index after his fast would not by themselves have alerted us to the risks of refeeding. Despite cautious management, he had hypophosphatemia and fluid retention, important elements of the refeeding syndrome.” The event was filmed by director, and close friend of Blaine, Harmony Korine.

''Drowned Alive''

On May 17, 2006, Blaine was submerged in an diameter, water-filled sphere (isotonic saline, 0.9% salt) in front of the Lincoln Center in New York City for a planned seven days and seven nights, using tubes for air and nutrition. During the stunt, doctors witnessed skin breakdown at the hands and feet, and liver failure. The New York Times' Kenneth Silverman wrote "his feat of endurance brought a diverse crowd of thousands of New Yorkers together, renewing for a while the city's waning spirit of democratic community."

He concluded this event by attempting to hold his breath underwater to break the then-current world record of 8 minutes, 58 seconds held by Tom Sietas for static apnea—holding one's breath without the aid of breathing 100% oxygen beforehand, although Blaine's attempt would not have qualified as static apnea under AIDA International rules. Due to his producers' request to make the show more exciting, Blaine attempted to free himself from handcuffs and chains put on him upon coming out after the week in the sphere. He seemed to have trouble escaping from the last of the handcuffs. Around the 7 minute mark, he showed some signs of distress. He was pulled up and out of the water by his support divers after 7 minutes and 12 seconds underwater—one minute and fifty seconds short of his goal. Although he did not take home the record for breath holding, he was called “an everyday hero for an everyday age,” by ''The Boston Globe'', and ''The Washington Post'' stated, “Blaine represented an opportunity to see something unbelievable.”

Blaine did claim to succeed in setting a record for being fully submerged in water for 17 minutes and 4 seconds, and has since broken the record for holding one's breath using oxygen beforehand (as permitted by the Guinness book of records).

Blaine underwent multiple short hospital visits after the stunt ended and has entered an agreement with doctors from Yale University to monitor him in order to study the human physiological reaction to prolonged submersion. In an interview on ''The Howard Stern Show'' on Sirius satellite radio, Blaine spoke of the week-long fasting he did before the "drowning alive" stunt, to avoid having to be concerned with defecation.

''Revolution''

On November 19, 2006, Blaine announced his next stunt: he would be shackled to a rotating gyroscope. His goal was to escape from his shackles after the gyroscope had been spinning for 16 hours. The gyroscope was constantly spinning at a rate of eight revolutions per minute while hanging above an empty lot in Manhattan near Times Square.

The stunt began on November 21, 2006, with Blaine declaring, "This one's exciting for me. This one's a fun one." 52 hours later, without food or water, a dehydrated and weakened Blaine landed on a wooden platform below after jumping from the hanging gyroscope.

As a result of his success, Blaine led 100 children selected by The Salvation Army on a shopping spree at Target, after each child received a $500 gift certificate from the retailer. Blaine said the stunt was particularly important since The Salvation Army had provided him with clothing while he was growing up. "This challenge is close to my heart," Blaine said.

''Guinness World Records''

After failing to surpass the then-current record of ''unassisted'' static apnea in his previous attempt ''Drowned Alive'', Blaine appeared on the April 30, 2008 episode of ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', announcing that he would attempt to break the Guinness World Record for ''oxygen assisted'' static apnea set by Peter Colat of Switzerland on February 10, 2008.

Before entering his eighteen-hundred gallon water tank, Blaine spent 23 minutes inhaling pure oxygen; up to 30 minutes of "oxygen hyperventilation" is allowed under guidelines. His heart rate remained above one hundred beats per minute during much of the attempt, rising to one hundred and twenty-four bpm in the fifteenth minute. This faster heart rate increases oxygen consumption leading to painful carbon dioxide buildup. In the final minute, his heart rate became erratic and Blaine became worried he might blackout. In order to assist the medics in case he would lose consciousness, he unhooked his feet from the sphere's bottom and floated closer to the surface ; however, he kept his head submerged for a half minute longer than the previous record. Ultimately, Blaine held his breath for 17 minutes 4½ seconds, surpassing Colat's previous mark of 16 minutes 32 seconds. This was Blaine's first Guinness record and it stood for almost four and a half months, until surpassed by Tom Sietas on September 19, 2008.

During the following interview, Blaine stated: "I really thought I was not going to make it," claiming that he did so by staying in a meditative state which was helped by the studio lights reflecting off the sphere. According to Blaine, besides the pressure of performing on television, the heart-rate monitor happened to be close enough to his ear so that he heard its beeping, and he had to keep his feet locked in holds at the bottom of the sphere — instead of just floating freely, as he did in the pool on Grand Cayman months earlier. Back then he said he was so relaxed he "wasn’t even there" during most of the breath-hold. But when he emerged from the sphere today, he told Oprah, "I was pretty much here the whole time."

''Dive of Death''

thumb|150px|Donald Trump with David Blaine announcing Blaine's next event in the atrium of the Trump Tower. On September 18, 2008, Donald Trump and Blaine held a press conference at the Trump Tower in New York City to announce his latest feat, “The Upside Down Man.” Blaine was to hang upside down without a safety net for 60 hours above Central Park’s Wollman Rink, with a predicted end for 10:45 p.m. on September 24. Reportedly, Blaine risked blindness and other maladies in the stunt including having to repeatedly defecate in his own pants. Trump has helped finance this and other Blaine events. Blaine hung over the Wollman Rink and interacted with fans by lowering himself upside down. At the press conference, Blaine stated he had already gone without food for over a week and would continue to do so throughout the act. In order to drink fluid and restore circulation, he would pull himself up, all the while contending with muscle spasms and lack of sleep. Blaine began the stunt on Monday September 22, but was widely criticized when, only hours into the endurance challenge, he was seen by fans to be standing on a waiting crane platform, and not upside down, as expected. He reportedly would come down once an hour to receive a medical check, stretch and relieve himself.

When the "Dive of Death" took place, Blaine came down from the platform on a cable, and lightly touched the stage. He was then pulled back up into the air, and, in the words of the ''Daily News'' (New York), "hung in the air like a sack of potatoes with a goofy grin on his face, occasionally kicking his legs as though he were running." The plan had been for Blaine to be pulled up into the air by helium balloons and disappear into the atmosphere. Blaine attributed the problem to changes in weather conditions that occurred after the stunt was delayed due to an address by President Bush.

May 2012 show

On the 17th June 2011, David announced on a live video chat that he would be doing a show in May 2012. During this video chat he also demonstrated a few of his new tricks, showed a video of him swimming with sharks and announced his new card deck called the white lions. He stated that the show will be 100% street magic and full of completely new material.

Charity and private appearances

''Charity''

Every year, David Blaine has traveled all across the country and the world to perform magic for children’s hospital wards, burn units and juvenile wards, including Spofford, Bridges, Horizon, and Crossroads. Blaine has spent time performing magic for Paul Newman and the children diagnosed with serious illnesses at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

''Magic for Haiti''

On Friday January 15, 2010 at 9 A.M. David Blaine started performing "Magic For Haiti" in Times Square until Monday January 18, 2010 at 9 A.M, performing for the course of 72 hours and raising nearly one hundred thousand dollars.

''Private Appearances''

David Blaine has traveled internationally performing magic privately for President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, President George W. Bush, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Henry Kissinger, Bill Gates and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He has also performed magic for the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, the President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych, and the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. Additionally, David Blaine has performed for Lakshmi Mittal.

Blaine has performed for many other public and private entities, including Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Woody Allen, Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Muhammad Ali. Blaine has also performed magic alongside Michael Jackson and has performed during the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

See also

List of famous Puerto Ricans

Jewish immigration to Puerto Rico

Notes

References

''Mysterious Stranger'', Blaine's autobiography published by Vilard Books and Channel 4 books. ISBN 0-7522-1989-8.

BBC News on the Above the Below stunt:

Korbonits M., Blaine D., Elia M., Powell-Tuck J., "Refeeding David Blaine: studies after a 44-day fast", ''New England Journal of Medicine'' 2005 Nov 24; 353(21):2306–7. .

External links

David Blaine's official website

David Blaine Gyroscope Image Gallery

Below The Above official website

David Blaine: How I held my breath for 17 min talk given at TED

Category:1973 births Category:American autobiographers Category:American buskers Category:American Jews Category:American magicians Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:American people of Russian descent Category:American performance artists Category:Living people Category:Magician of the year Award winner Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Passaic County, New Jersey Category:Professional magicians Category:Television magic shows

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