Mats Wilander is a Swedish former tennis player who won seven Grand Slam singles titles from 1982 through 1988. He won three of the four Grand Slam singles events in 1988 and finished that year ranked No. 1 in the world. He’s one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
Note: This is 8-bit tennis character #1 of 8 in celebration of Wimbledon.
Hillary Rodham Clinton is the 67th U.S. Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a U.S. Senator for New York from 2001-2009. As the wife of President Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the United States from 1993-2001. In the 2008 election, Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Note: Remember Hillary Clinton’s Rainbow Coalition of Pantsuits?
Moses Malone is a former ABA/NBA player who played from 1974-1995, with the Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and several other teams. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star and won an NBA championship in 1983. He played the center/power forward position and is one of the greatest NBA players of all time.
Note: This is 8-bit character #13 of the 13 greatest NBA players of all time.
George H. W. Bush was the 41st President of the United States. During his presidency, the U.S. started the Persian Gulf War (codenamed Operation Desert Storm) in 1991 response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Bush was born on this day in 1924. His eldest son served as the 43rd President of the United States.
Note: This is 8-bit U.S. president #13 of 43.
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting race records in the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2⁄5) and the Belmont Stakes (2:24) that still stand today. He’s the greatest racehorse of all time, in part due to his freakishly huge 22-pound heart.
Note: The 144th Belmont Stakes was run on Saturday, June 9. But few cared because favorite I’ll Have Another—who could have become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978—was retired on Friday after an injury.
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect and interior designer who believed in designing harmonious structures of organic architecture. This philosophy was best exemplified by his design for Fallingwater (1935) in Pennsylvania, which has been called “the best all-time work of American architecture.” Wright was born on this day in 1867.
Of Wright’s over 400 works, only one structure is located in Oregon. It’s the Gordon House at the Oregon Garden in Silverton. I plan to visit the Fallingwater property when I’m back in Pennsylvania later this month.
Chief Seattle was a Duwamish chief. A prominent figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with Seattle founder Doc Maynard. The city of Seattle was named after him. A widely publicized speech arguing in favor of ecological responsibility and respect of Native Americans’ land rights has been attributed to him. He died on this day in 1866.
Shaquille O’Neal is a retired NBA player. He spent most of his career with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, winning championships in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2006. Standing 7′ 1″ tall and weighing 325 pounds, Shaq was one of the heaviest NBA players ever. He played the center position and is one of the greatest NBA players of all time.
Note: This is 8-bit character #12 of the 13 greatest NBA players of all time.
Kobe Bryant is an NBA player with the Los Angeles Lakers, since 1996. He plays the shooting guard position and is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. He led the Lakers to NBA championship runs in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010.
Note: This is 8-bit character #11 of the 13 greatest NBA players of all time.
Tiger Woods is an American professional golfer and member of the PGA Tour. Through the 2000s, Woods was the dominant force in golf, spending almost the entirety of August 1999 through October 2010 as world number one. He is the highest-paid professional athlete in the world and one of the greatest golfers of all time.
Note: Yesterday, Tiger won his 73rd PGA Tour event at the Memorial Tournament, which ties him with Jack Nicklaus for second-most PGA Tour victories.
Martina Navratilova is a former tennis player who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 41 Grand Slam doubles titles during her career. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Navratilova became a U.S. citizen in 1981. She holds the Open Era record for most singles titles (167) and doubles titles (177). Navratilova is one of the greatest women’s tennis players of all time, if not the greatest.
Note: This is 8-bit tennis character #5 of 5 for French Open week.
Chris Evert is an American former tennis player who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles during her career in the 1970s and 1980s. Her career win-loss record in singles matches of 1,309-146 (89.96%) is the best of any professional player, man or woman, in the Open Era. She is one of the greatest women’s tennis players of all time.
Note: This is 8-bit tennis character #4 of 5 for French Open week.
Evonne Goolagong is a former tennis player who won seven Grand Slam singles titles and seven Grand Slam doubles titles during her career in the 1970s and early 1980s. As a child of an Aboriginal Australian family, she faced widespread discrimination in rural Australia during her youth. She’s one of the greatest women’s tennis players of all time.
Note: This is 8-bit tennis character #3 of 5 for French Open week.
Billie Jean King is an American former tennis player who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 27 Grand Slam doubles titles during her career. She has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society. King won “The Battle of the Sexes” in 1973, in which she defeated Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon men’s singles champion, for $100,000. She’s one of the greatest women’s tennis players of all time.
Note: This is 8-bit tennis character #2 of 5 for French Open week.
Margaret Court is an Australian former tennis player who won 24 Grand Slam singles titles, including 11 Australian Open titles, during her career in the 1960s and 1970s. She’s one of the greatest women’s tennis players of all time. Court is also a Pentecostal minister famous for abrasive, bigoted statements against gay marriage and homosexuality, which she recently called an “abomination” in an interview.
Note: This is 8-bit tennis character #1 of 5 for French Open week.
Rachel Carson was an American marine biologist whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement. Her book Silent Spring (1962) documented detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment, particularly on birds. This led to a nationwide ban on DDT, and inspired a grassroots environmental movement that resulted in the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She was born on May 27, 1907.
Queen Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901. She also used the title of Empress of India. Her nine children (and 26 of her 34 grandchildren who survived childhood) married into royal and noble families across the continent, earning her the nickname “the grandmother of Europe.” She was born on this day in 1819.
Indira Gandhi was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms (1966-77) and a fourth term (1980-84). Gandhi was the second female head of government in the world. She was the first woman to become prime minister in India. She was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984 in retaliation for ordering Operation Blue Star.
Note: “I am here today, I may not be here tomorrow. I shall continue to serve till my last breath, and when I die every drop of my blood will strengthen India and keep a united India alive.” – Indira Gandhi’s last speech
Tim Duncan is an NBA player with the San Antonio Spurs, since 1997. He plays the power forward/center position and is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. He led the Spurs to NBA championship runs in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007.
Note: In the ongoing 2012 NBA playoffs, the Spurs have advanced to the Western Conference finals. Duncan and his team are on an 18-game winning streak and have won 29 of their last 31 games. This is 8-bit character #10 of the 13 greatest NBA players of all time.
Michelle Obama – No. 441
Michelle Obama is the wife of President Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Raised in Chicago, she is the mother of two daughters, and is the sister of Craig Robinson, men’s basketball coach at Oregon State University. She is an advocate for poverty awareness, nutrition and healthy eating.
First Lady Michelle Obama will provide the commencement address at Oregon State University in Corvallis on Sunday, June 17, 2012.