On This Day
1893: The Corinthian Canal was inaugurated.
1912: Konstantinos Tsiklitiras won gold, in the standing broad jump, in the 1912 Olympiad.
2004: The Greek National Football Team advanced to the Euro 2004 semi final game after beating France 1-0.
Births: George Michael (1963), Greek-British singer
Konstantinos “Kostas” Tsiklitiras (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος “Κώστας” Τσικλητήρας; 30 October 1888 – 10 February 1913) was a Greek athlete and Olympic champion.
Born in Pylos, he moved to Athens to study commerce. Tsiklitiras soon took up sports. He practiced soccer (for Panathinaikos) and water polo, but is best remembered for winning four Olympic medals in standing long jump and standing high jump.
He was a popular Greek athlete who rose to fame by winning a gold medal in the standing long jump at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He won one gold medal, two silver medals and one bronze medal in his Olympic career. Apart from winning a gold medal and bronze medal (in standing high jump) in the Stockholm Olympic Games, he also participated in the standing long jump and standing high jump at the 1908 London Olympics and won silver medal in both the events. Konstantinos was a member of the Panhellenic Gymnastic Society where he practiced as a track and field athlete. He became Greek champion 19 times. His career ended abruptly when he volunteered for fighting in the Balkan Wars. Even though he could avoid conscription in the war, yet he insisted on participating in it for his country. His career came to a halt in 1913 when he volunteered to fight in the Balkan Wars and fought at the Battle of Bizani. During the war, he contracted meningitis and died at the age of twenty four.
His original family home in Pylos has now been converted to a museum and is adorned by his lofty marble statue