1945 81 years ago Notable Births May 15

Jerry Quarry, American boxer (died 1999)

On May 15, in the year 1945, Jerry Quarry, American boxer (died 1999). This event is recorded as a Notable Births event in the history of May 15, a notable event in this corner of history.

1 notable person is associated with this event, including Jerry Quarry. Learn more below.

Jerry Quarry, nicknamed "Irish" or "the Bellflower Bomber" or the "Great White Hope", was an American professional boxer and multiple heavyweight boxing title contender. During the peak of his career from 1968 to 1971, Quarry was a popular figure in boxing, featured on the cover of The Ring and other boxing magazines, as well as on hit TV shows. His most famous bouts were against Muhammad Ali. He is regarded as being one of the best heavyweight boxers never to win a title. He beat former world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson and top contenders Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, Brian London, Thad Spencer, Buster Mathis, Randy Neumann, Jack Bodell, Mac Foster and Eduardo Corletti. The damage he accumulated from lack of attention to defense against larger men at the top level, no head guard sparring, and attempted comebacks in 1977, 1983, and 1992 resulted in Quarry developing an unusually severe case of dementia pugilistica.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on May 15, 1945 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Notable Births event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 1 Wikipedia article.
  • 1 notable person is recorded as involved in or associated with this event.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 16 February 2026.

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This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Jerry Quarry

American boxer (1945–1999)

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