Gehrig, Lou (Henry Louis) (1903–1941)

US baseball player. Nicknamed ‘the Iron Horse’ for his incomparable stamina and strength, he was signed by the New York Yankees in 1923. Voted the American League's most valuable player in 1927, 1931, 1934, and 1936, he achieved a remarkable lifetime 493 home runs, a .340 lifetime batting average, and a record 2,130 consecutive games played which stood for 56 years, until it was finally broken in 1995.

Born in New York, USA, Gehrig attended Columbia University. He stayed with the Yankees for 17 years as their first baseman and most consistent hitter. Diagnosed with a degenerative muscle disease (now known as ‘Lou Gehrig's disease’), he retired from baseball 1939. A film biography, Pride of the Yankees, appeared 1942. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame 1939.