25 November: Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio, the New York Yankees Baseball player, was born on this date in 1914. 10 things you might not know about him:

1. His parents were Sicilian immigrants Giuseppe and Rosalia DiMaggio. Joe was the eighth of nine children and was named Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, "Giuseppe" after his father and "Paolo" after Giuseppe's favourite saint, Paul of Tarsus.

2. The DiMaggio family had been fishermen for generations, and Guiseppe hoped his sons would become fishermen, too. Joe, however, hated having to clean the boat because the smell of fish made him feel sick. Giuseppe called him "lazy" and "good-for-nothing".

3. Two of his brothers, Vince and Dominic, became baseball players, too. In fact, it was Vince who gave Joe his big break by persuading the manager of his team, the San Francisco Seals, to let DiMaggio fill in at shortstop. He made his professional debut on October 1, 1932.

4. DiMaggio is known for his 56-game hitting streak, which he achieved in 1941, a record that still stands to this day in Major League Baseball.

5. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces on February 17, 1943, rising to the rank of sergeant. He requested a combat posting but was turned down. His superiors treated him better than most because of his fame, and he spent the war teaching physical education and playing exhibition baseball games to entertain the troops.

6. His career almost ended when he tore ligaments of his right knee while stepping out of a jitney, a type of taxi. Luckily, he recovered.

7. Marilyn Monroe wasn’t his only wife. His first wife was called Dorothy Arnold, and he met her on the set of Manhattan Merry-Go-Round, in which he had a minor role, and she was an extra. They married in 1939 and had one son. They divorced in 1944.

8. He met Marilyn in 1954 and though he was devoted to her, he was jealous and controlling and Marilyn divorced him after just nine months. DiMaggio turned his life around; underwent therapy and stopped drinking alcohol. By 1962, he had decided to ask Marilyn to re-marry him. Sadly, she died before that could happen.

9. He was nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D."

10. He died in 1999 at the age of 84, after surgery for lung cancer. His lawyer reported that his last words were "I'll finally get to see Marilyn," although this has been disputed by his family.

Character birthday

Hole in the Head. Aka Ogden Pozzi, a member of a gangster family in New York. Ogden Pozzi suffered brain damage after a severe gunshot wound to the head. Miraculously, he survived but has a noticeable hole in his head, low intelligence and dexterity. He is strong and biddable, however, and hence a useful bodyguard for R Vendetta.