George Steinbrenner was born in Rocky River, Ohio, on July 4, 1930. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1952 after graduating from Williams College. He served as an aide to the commanding general at Lockbourne Air Force Base in Ohio. He was responsible for setting up athletic programs and sporting events.
After the Air Force, Steinbrenner worked in college football as an assistant coach at Northwestern and Purdue. He later joined the family business, American Shipbuilding Company, and made a fortune. He bought the New York Yankees in 1973.
Steinbrenner's time with the Yankees has been marked by controversy and unprecedented success. The Yankees remain the most successful baseball team in America; they have won seven World Series since Steinbrenner came aboard. But Steinbrenner was suspended for bad behavior from 1990 to 1992. Yankees captain and shortstop Derek Jeter called Steinbrenner "arguably the most recognized owner in all of sports" in a New York Times report.
Steinbrenner died on July 13, 2010, at age 80.
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