1962 64 years ago Notable Births August 1

Jacob Matlala, South African boxer (died 2013)

On August 1, in the year 1962, Jacob Matlala, South African boxer (died 2013). This event is recorded as a Notable Births event in the history of August 1, one of 498 recorded events on this date across all of history.

1 notable person is associated with this event, including Jacob Matlala. Learn more below.

Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala was a South African professional boxer and four-time world champion who competed from 1980 to 2002. Standing about 4 ft 10 in (147 cm), he is the shortest boxer in history to win a world title. He was a world champion in two weight classes: having held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) flyweight title from 1993 to 1995 and the WBO light-flyweight from 1995 to 1997. He scored high-profile wins against international opponents during the 1990s. He was a hugely popular national figure in South Africa — admired for his fighting spirit and charitable work — and was publicly counted among Nelson Mandela’s favourite sportspeople. In 2004, Matlala was voted #72 in the "100 Greatest South Africans" poll organized by SABC.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on August 1, 1962 (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 7 July 2026.

On This Date in History 498

Type Year Date Event
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Notable Deaths 2021 Aug 1 Abdalqadir as-Sufi, Scottish Islamic scholar and writer (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2021 Aug 1 Jerry Ziesmer, American assistant director, production manager and occasional actor (born 1939)
Notable Deaths 2020 Aug 1 Wilford Brimley, American actor and singer (born 1934)
Notable Deaths 2020 Aug 1 Rickey Dixon, American professional football player (born 1966)
Notable Deaths 2020 Aug 1 Rodney H. Pardey, American poker player (born 1945)
Historical Events 2017 Aug 1 A suicide attack on a mosque in Herat, Afghanistan kills 20 people.
Notable Deaths 2016 Aug 1 Queen Anne of Romania (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2015 Aug 1 Stephan Beckenbauer, German footballer and manager (born 1968)
Notable Deaths 2015 Aug 1 Cilla Black, English singer and actress (born 1943)
Notable Deaths 2015 Aug 1 Bernard d'Espagnat, French physicist, philosopher, and author (born 1921)
Notable Deaths 2015 Aug 1 Bob Frankford, English-Canadian physician and politician (born 1939)
Notable Deaths 2015 Aug 1 Hong Yuanshuo, Chinese footballer and manager (born 1948)
Notable Deaths 2014 Aug 1 Valyantsin Byalkevich, Belarusian footballer and manager (born 1973)
Notable Deaths 2014 Aug 1 Jan Roar Leikvoll, Norwegian author (born 1974)
Notable Deaths 2014 Aug 1 Charles T. Payne, American soldier (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2014 Aug 1 Mike Smith, English radio and television host (born 1955)
Notable Deaths 2013 Aug 1 John Amis, English journalist and critic (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2013 Aug 1 Gail Kobe, American actress and producer (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2013 Aug 1 Babe Martin, American baseball player (born 1920)
Notable Deaths 2013 Aug 1 Toby Saks, American cellist and educator (born 1942)
Notable Deaths 2013 Aug 1 Wilford White, American football player (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2012 Aug 1 Aldo Maldera, Italian footballer and agent (born 1953)
Notable Deaths 2012 Aug 1 Douglas Townsend, American composer and musicologist (born 1921)
Notable Deaths 2012 Aug 1 Barry Trapnell, English cricketer and academic (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2010 Aug 1 Lolita Lebrón, Puerto Rican-American activist (born 1919)
Notable Deaths 2010 Aug 1 Eric Tindill, New Zealand rugby player and cricketer (born 1910)
Notable Deaths 2009 Aug 1 Corazon Aquino, Filipino politician, 11th President of the Philippines (born 1933)
Selected Events 2009 Aug 1 A shooting at a branch of the Israeli LGBT organization the Aguda in Tel Aviv resulted in two deaths.
Historical Events 2008 Aug 1 The Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway begins operation as the fastest commuter rail system in the world.
Historical Events 2008 Aug 1 Eleven mountaineers from international expeditions died on K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth, in the worst…
Notable Deaths 2008 Aug 1 Gertan Klauber, Czech-English actor (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2008 Aug 1 Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Indian lawyer and politician (born 1916)
Historical Events 2007 Aug 1 The I-35W Mississippi River bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapses during the…
Notable Deaths 2007 Aug 1 Tommy Makem, Irish singer-songwriter and banjo player (born 1932)
Selected Events 2007 Aug 1 Bridge 9340, carrying Interstate 35W across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, United States, suffered a…
Notable Deaths 2006 Aug 1 Bob Thaves, American illustrator (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2006 Aug 1 Iris Marion Young, American political scientist and activist (born 1949)
Notable Deaths 2005 Aug 1 Al Aronowitz, American journalist (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2005 Aug 1 Wim Boost, Dutch cartoonist and educator (born 1918)
Notable Deaths 2005 Aug 1 Constant Nieuwenhuys, Dutch painter and sculptor (born 1920)
Notable Deaths 2005 Aug 1 Fahd of Saudi Arabia (born 1923)
Historical Events 2004 Aug 1 A supermarket fire kills 424 people and injures 360 others in Asunción, Paraguay.
Notable Deaths 2004 Aug 1 Philip Abelson, American physicist and author (born 1913)
Selected Events 2004 Aug 1 Nearly 400 people died in a supermarket fire in Asunción, Paraguay, when exits were locked to prevent people from…
Notable Births 2003 Aug 1 Joseph Sua'ali'i, Australian-Samoan rugby league player
Notable Deaths 2003 Aug 1 Guy Thys, Belgian footballer, coach, and manager (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2003 Aug 1 Marie Trintignant, French actress and screenwriter (born 1962)
Notable Births 2002 Aug 1 Alejandro Francés, Spanish footballer

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

People Involved

Jacob Matlala

South African boxer

birth

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