On this day in history, April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's home run record

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Baseball superstar Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth's career home run record, on this day in history, April 8, 1974. 

Known as "Hammerin' Hank" for his impressive home run abilities, Aaron hit his record-breaking home run off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame website. 

The ball went into the "left field bullpen at Atlanta-Fulton Count Stadium, giving Aaron 715 career home runs," said the site. 

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Up to that point, Babe Ruth's home run record had stood for nearly 20 years, since his retirement from the game in 1935. 

Aaron would go on to hit 40 more home runs before he retired in 1976, marking a career total of 755.

Born Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron on Feb. 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama, he would make his major league debut on April 13, 1954, playing right field for the Milwaukee Braves, says his page on the MLB website. 

Milwaukee Brewers' Hank Aaron watches the flight of a hit off Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee. The Boston Red Sox hosted the Milwaukee Brewers in a regular season MLB baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on Sep. 14, 1975.  (Frank O'Brien/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

That first season, Aaron hit 13 home runs. 

He more than doubled that in 1955, with 27, and had a breakout year in 1957, hitting 44 home runs that season alone. 

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