Sadaharu Oh hits his 756th career home run, passing Hank Aaron's total

On 3 September 1977, Sadaharu Oh of the Yomiuri Giants hit his 756th career home run at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo, against the Yakult Swallows. The blow took him past the 755 homers that Hank Aaron had hit in Major League Baseball, a total then regarded as the game's career benchmark.

Oh had played his whole career for the Giants, the dominant team of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, and was known for his unusual one-legged "flamingo" batting stance. The Giants won many titles during his years with the club. Because the two men played in different leagues, comparisons were debated, but the milestone was celebrated across Japan.

The government marked the achievement by creating the People's Honor Award, a new national prize, and Oh was its first recipient. He kept hitting for three more seasons and retired after 1980 with 868 career home runs, still the professional record in Japan. His long-standing status as a hitting authority explains why his advice is still sought by younger stars such as Shohei Ohtani.