July 7 Birthdays

1933
Murray Halberg, New Zealand, middle-distance runner. Halberg represented his native New Zealand in the mile at the 1954 (Vancouver) Commonwealth Games and in the 1,500m at the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympic Games. In 1958 he became the first New Zealand athlete to break 4:00 in the mile, and won the gold medal in the (Cardiff) Commonwealth Games three mile. Halberg was the gold medalist in the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games 5,000m and also finished fifth in the 10,000m at the Games. He successfully defended his Commonwealth Games three-mile title in 1962 (Perth), and ended his athletic career with a seventh-place finish in the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games 10,000m. Halberg's years in athletics are chronicled in his biography, A Clean Pair of Heels.