Happy Birthday Arnold Palmer

Arnold Daniel Palmer was born September 10, 1929 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Below are a few of his birthday highlights from on and off the course.

Fact: Palmer has had 66% (8 of 14) of his career aces, whose dates are verifiable, occur in September, with five of those being struck between September 3 through 7. Palmer also carded his best ever, a 60, at Latrobe Country Club 3 days after his birthday on September 13, 1969.

1966

Palmer, 37, becomes agitated by meddling tasks given to him by Winnie in order to distract him from Secret Service men surreptitiously prowling the Latrobe countryside. Unbeknownst to Palmer, they were there to assure the safety of one of the most powerful and popular men in the world who flew to Latrobe for a surprise birthday visit. And for the first time  in his life, Palmer’s plane is flown without him or his knowledge -- pilot Darrell Brown flies it to Gettysburg to pick up President Dwight Eisenhower for a surprise visit. “I was oblivious to it all,” Palmer says, “until I answered the door and found General Eisenhower standing there with an overnight bag. ‘Say, you wouldn’t have room to put up an old man for the night, would you?’ One of the nicest weekends of my life followed. It was the thrill of a lifetime.”

1972

Tournament volunteers at Firestone Country Club arrange for a birthday cake and surprise party for Palmer, 43, as he served as a commentator for NBC Sports during the World Series of Golf.

1989

The 255-bed Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando opens to great fanfare. The first baby is born within hours after the ribbon cutting. Within 15 years, more than 100,000 children will be born in the Palmer hospital.

1995

Palmer concludes the last round of the GTE Northwest Classic at Inglewood C.C. in Inglewood, California, with a stellar 66. It is on his 66th birthday and is noted for being the first time he’s ever shot his age.

1999

On his 70th birthday, the local airport in Palmer's home-town of Latrobe, PA, renames the airport the "Arnold Palmer Regional Airport" in honor of Palmer.

2005

Palmer attends the wedding of his granddaughter Katie Saunders to Parker Spears

2007

A statue honoring Arnold Palmer is unveiled at the Arnold Palmer Airport in Latrobe, PA.