July 4, 1939: A 36-year-old Lou Gehrig gives an inspiring speech regarding his recent diagnosis of ALS. On Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at a sold-out Yankee Stadium, he becomes the first MLB player to have his jersey retired.

In the legendary speech, Gehrig calls himself "the luckiest man on the face of the Earth," despite his impending death at the hands of a disease that would come to bear his name.

While the exact contents of the speech are unknown, snippets have been recorded and preserved through the years and is still known as one of the greatest ever in sports history.

Gehrig lost his battle against ALS less than two years after the speech in 1941.

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