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Births on November 23

John Coleman (Australian footballer)
1928Nov, 23

John Coleman (Australian footballer)

John Coleman, Australian rules footballer and coach (d. 1973)
John Douglas Coleman (23 November 1928 – 5 April 1973) was an Australian rules footballer who played for and coached the Essendon Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Coleman is widely regarded as one of the greatest-ever Australian rules footballers. In a relatively short playing career, Coleman has the second-highest goal average in the history of the VFL/AFL, kicking 537 goals in 98 matches. He was also known for his high-flying spectacular marks, in some cases jumping cleanly over opponents. After a knee injury ended his playing career at age 25, he returned to coach Essendon to premiership success. Coleman died in 1973, at the age of 44, of sudden coronary atheroma.

In 1981, the VFL named the Coleman Medal in his honour, awarding it to the League's leading goalkicker at the end of the home-and-away rounds. In 1996 he was one of 12 inaugural Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees bestowed "Legend" status. He is the only player amongst them to have played fewer than 100 games at senior level.

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Events on 1928

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    St. Francis Dam

    In California, the St. Francis Dam fails; the resulting floods kills 431 people.
  • 12Apr

    Junkers W 33

    The Bremen, a German Junkers W 33 type aircraft, takes off for the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west.
  • 4Jun

    Zhang Zuolin

    The President of the Republic of China, Zhang Zuolin, is assassinated by Japanese agents.
  • 18Jun

    Amelia Earhart

    Aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean (she is a passenger; Wilmer Stultz is the pilot and Lou Gordon the mechanic).
  • 2Oct

    Josemaría Escrivá

    The "Prelature of the Holy Cross and the Work of God", commonly known as Opus Dei, is founded by Josemaría Escrivá.