| . | Basketball
Football
Stanley Cup World Series
US Grand Prix Bruce McLaren |
.. | New Heavyweight Champ
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In his country of Sweden, he was honored as a national hero and
became a legendary historic figure. In America he opened a bright new era for the sport
and restored the public confidence in pro-boxing. Unitas Named MVP Third year quarterback of the Baltimore Colts, Jonny Unitas was voted MVP after leading the Colts to the 1959 NFL Championship. Lombardi Hired Vince Lombardi became head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers in 1959. He quickly shaped a team that had won one game in 1958 into one of professional football's most powerful teams of all time. |
In 1959, the European Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Ingemar
Johansson was invited from Sweden to challenge the reigning World Heavyweight Champion
Floyd Patterson at New York's Yankee Stadium. That steamy summer night, Johansson made
history when against the odds he knocked his opponent off the throne in the third round.
In less than nine minutes, the young Swede conquered the World Heavyweight Championship
title. His thunderous right was already called the ”Hammer of Thor” by the
press, and later became known to the world as "The Hammer".