On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron became Major League Baseball’s  all-time home run leader surpassing the career total of the legendary Babe Ruth. Playing for the Atlanta Braves against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Aaron hit his 715th career home run in the bottom of the fourth inning off pitcher Al Downing.

The record-breaking moment occurred before a crowd of 53,775 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, the largest attendance in the venue's history. Aaron entered the game tied with Ruth at 714 home runs, a mark he had reached on Opening Day in Cincinnati. During the historic fourth-inning at-bat, Aaron took a ball on the first pitch and then drove a fastball over the left-center field fence. 

Aaron finished his career in 1976 with a total of 755 home runs, a record that stood until 2007 when Barry Bonds broke it while playing for the San Francisco Giants. Aaron remains the MLB career leader in runs batted in (2,297) and total bases (6,856). He earned 25 All-Star selections and won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1957, the same year he led the Milwaukee Braves to a World Series title over the New York Yankees.

Following his retirement as a player, Aaron transitioned into a front-office role with the Atlanta Braves. He served as the Vice President of Player Development, making him one of the first Black executives in the league’s history. During his tenure, he focused on expanding opportunities for minority candidates in coaching and executive positions.

Aaron was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, receiving 97.8% of the vote in his first year of eligibility. He died on January 22, 2021, at the age of 86.