‘The Golden Bear’ is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time, winning 18 career major championships in his career over a span of 25 years.

Nicklaus focused mainly on the major championships and played a selective schedule of PGA Tour events, but still finished with 73 victories, third on the all-time list.

Nicklaus turned professional at age 21 in 1961. His first big win came in a major – the 1962 U.S. Open – when he beat Palmer by three shots in a playoff, setting the stage for a great rivalry between golf’s superstars.

Then on this day in 1966, during The Open Championship at Muirfield, Nicklaus won the first of his three Claret Jugs.

He thus completed the first of his three career grand slams and at the age of 26, was the youngest to do so at the time.

1968: Paolo Di Canio (below), Italian manager and former footballer with over 500 league appearances (48).

1969: Venkatapathy Raju, former India left-arm spinner who took 93 Test wickets (47).

1972: Derek Mills, former American sprinter and 1996 Olympic gold medalist in men’s 4x400m relay (44).

1985: Ashley Young, English footballer who plays as a winger for Manchester United and the national team (31).