George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth, one of the most popular baseball players of all time, died in New York on 16 August 1948, aged 53.

Born in Baltimore, ‘Babe’ Ruth is fondly remembered for his amazing record as a batsman, and for scoring the most home runs in seasons 1919, 1920, 1921 and 1927 – thus earning him the nickname of the ‘Home Run King’.

To mark the day of his passing, here are two newspaper stories – published on 17 August 1948 – that report on ‘Babe’ Ruth’s death.

Gloucester Citizen – Tuesday 17 August 1948

Image © Northcliffe Media Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000325/19480817/034/0005

Derby Daily Telegraph – Tuesday 17 August 1948

Image © Northcliffe Media Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000521/19480817/023/0005