James William "Junior" Gilliam (October 17, 1928 – October 8, 1978) was an American second baseman, third baseman, and coach in Negro league and Major League Baseball. He began his baseball career in the Negro leagues in 1946 and became an All-Star second baseman with the Baltimore Elite Giants. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951 and joined the major leagues in 1953. He was named the 1953 National League (NL) Rookie of the Year and was a key member of ten National League championship teams from 1953 to 1978 that spanned their time in Brooklyn and later Los Angeles. As the leadoff hitter for most of the 1950s, he scored over 100 runs in each of his first four seasons and led the National League in triples in 1953 and walks in 1959.
Dodgers second baseman Jim Gilliam wins NL Rookie of Year
James William "Junior" Gilliam (October 17, 1928 – October 8, 1978) was an American second baseman, third baseman, and coach in Negro league and Major League Baseball.
Historical Significance
James William "Junior" Gilliam (October 17, 1928 – October 8, 1978) was an American second baseman, third baseman, and coach in Negro league and Major League Baseball.
Events Before
Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 5th string quartet and premieres it in Leningrad in 1953
The 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 by Dmitri Shostakovich are a set of 24 musical pieces for solo piano, one in each of the major and minor keys of the chromatic scale.
"Today Show" premieres with Dave Garroway & Jack Lescoulie on NBC-TV
Today (also called The Today Show) is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952.
Jawaharlal Nehru's Indian National Congress wins India's first general election
The Indian National Congress (INC), also known as the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a big tent political party in India.
First TV detector van begins operating in the UK to identify users of unlicensed television sets
First TV detector van begins operating in the UK to identify users of unlicensed television sets
Queen Elizabeth II succeeds King George VI to the British throne and is proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom and the o
Queen Elizabeth II succeeds King George VI to the British throne and is proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
Events After
KSLA TV channel 12 in Shreveport, Louisiana (CBS) begins broadcasting
KSLA (channel 12) is a television station in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Ark-La-Tex region.
Georgetown-IBM experiment, the first public demonstration of a machine translation system, is held at IBM headquarters i
Georgetown-IBM experiment, the first public demonstration of a machine translation system, is held at IBM headquarters in New York City
"The Nutcracker" ballet choreographed by George Balanchine with Maria Tallchief as the Sugar Plum Fairy opens in New Yor
"The Nutcracker" ballet choreographed by George Balanchine with Maria Tallchief as the Sugar Plum Fairy opens in New York, establishes its popularity in the US
First mass inoculation against polio with the Jonas Salk vaccine takes place at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh,
First mass inoculation against polio with the Jonas Salk vaccine takes place at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
US explodes Castle Bravo, a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb at Bikini Atoll, which accidentally becomes the most powerful nucle
US explodes Castle Bravo, a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb at Bikini Atoll, which accidentally becomes the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by the US
More from the 1950s
Sputnik 1 Launch
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, igniting the Space Age and the US-Soviet Space Race.
"The Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later moves to CBS)
"The Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later moves to CBS)
Emil Jannings dies
Emil Jannings, Swiss-born German actor, known for german actor, died on 1950-01-02. Emil Jannings was a Swiss-born German actor who was popular in Hollywood films in the 1920s.
The European Economic Community comes into effect, better known as the European Common Market
The European Economic Community comes into effect, better known as the European Common Market
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on December 23, 1953?
- James William "Junior" Gilliam (October 17, 1928 – October 8, 1978) was an American second baseman, third baseman, and coach in Negro league and Major League Baseball. He began his baseball career in the Negro leagues in 1946 and became an All-Star second baseman with the Baltimore Elite Giants. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951 and joined the major leagues in 1953.
- Why is Dodgers second baseman Jim Gilliam wins NL Rookie of Year significant?
- James William "Junior" Gilliam (October 17, 1928 – October 8, 1978) was an American second baseman, third baseman, and coach in Negro league and Major League Baseball.