On this day

February 24, 1953

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from February 24, 1953

Notable Births

Anatoli Kozhemyakin

1953Anatoli Kozhemyakin, Soviet footballer (died 1974)[†]

Anatoli Yevgenyevich Kozhemyakin was a Soviet football player. He died in a freak accident: he was stuck in an elevator, but was able to open the elevator doors; as he tried to climb out, the elevator started moving again and crushed him to death.

Notable Deaths

Robert M. La Follette Jr.

1953Robert La Follette Jr., American politician, senator of Wisconsin (born 1895)[†]

Robert Marion La Follette Jr. was an American politician who served as United States senator from Wisconsin from 1925 to 1947. A member of the La Follette family, he was often referred to by the nickname "Young Bob" to distinguish him from his father, Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette, who had served as a U.S. senator and governor of Wisconsin. Robert Jr., along with his brother Philip La Follette, carried on their father's legacy of progressive politics and founded the Wisconsin Progressive Party. Robert Jr. was the last major Progressive Party politician in the U.S. Senate, ending in 1946 when the party disbanded. La Follette was defeated in the 1946 Republican Senate primary by Joseph McCarthy.

Gerd von Rundstedt

1953Gerd von Rundstedt, German field marshal (born 1875)[†]

Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt was a German Generalfeldmarschall in the Heer (Army) of Nazi Germany and Oberbefehlshaber West during World War II. At the end of the war, aged 69, with over 52 years of service, he was the Army's most senior officer.

Historical Context for February 24, 1953

In 1953, the world population was approximately 2,634,106,235 people[†]