Origins & Early Life

Gene Sarazen (; born Eugenio Saraceni, February 27, 1902 – May 13, 1999) was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s, and the winner of seven major championships. He was the first of six players (along with Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy) to win each of the four majors at least once, known as the Career Grand Slam: U.S. Open (1922, 1932), PGA Championship (1922, 1923, 1933), Open Championship (1932), and Masters (1935). Eugenio Saraceni was born on February 27, 1902, in Harrison, New York.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was an Italian American as his parents were poor Sicilian immigrants. He began caddying at age ten at local golf clubs, took up golf himself, and gradually developed his skills; Sarazen was essentially self-taught. Somewhat novel at the time, he used the interlocking grip to hold the club. He earned his spot in his first U.S. Open in 1920 at age 18.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Sarazen took a series of club professional jobs in the New York area from his mid-teens. In 1921, he became a professional at Titusville (Pa.) Country Club, and he contracted to be the professional at...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abe Saperstein — Contemporary (Born in 1902) (1902): Founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, revolutionized black basketball.
• Alfred Kastler — Contemporary (Born in 1902) (1902): Pioneering physicist known for developing the technique of optical pumping.
• Allen Lane — Contemporary (Born in 1902) (1902): Pioneering British publisher who founded Penguin Books, bringing literature to the masses.
• Akio Morita — Contemporary (Died in 1999) (1999): Visionary Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony.
• Ali Sayad Shirazi — Contemporary (Died in 1999) (1999): Key Iranian military commander during the Iran-Iraq War, assassinated in 1999.
• Anthony Newley — Contemporary (Died in 1999) (1999): Versatile English performer, celebrated for his songwriting and stage presence.
• Alan Guth — Shared historical date (02-27 · Born) (1947): Pioneering cosmologist known for developing the theory of cosmic inflation.
• Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr. — Shared historical date (02-27 · Born) (1888): Pioneering American historian known for social and urban history.
• Aleksey Khomyakov — Shared historical date (05-13 · Born) (1804): Founding theoretician of the Slavophile movement in Russian philosophy.
• Alexander Nevsky — Shared historical date (05-13 · Born) (1220): A pivotal Grand Prince of Novgorod and defender of Russian Orthodoxy.
• 1902 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1902
• February 27 (02-27) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 27
• 1999 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1999
• May 13 (05-13) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on May 13