Jack Dempsey

Early Life and Family

- June 24, 1895 - William Harrison Dempsey was born in Manassa, Colorado, to Hyrum and Mary Celia Smoot Dempsey. He was the youngest of eleven children in a poor Mormon family.

- At age 16, Dempsey left home and traveled the western United States, often riding the rails and staying in hobo camps. To make money, he began fighting in saloons and mining towns, often under the name Kid Blackie.

- Dempsey was married four times: to Maxine Gates 1916-1919, Estelle Taylor 1925-1930, Hannah Williams 1933-1943, and Deanna Piatelli 1958-1983. He had two daughters, Joan and Barbara, with Williams and adopted a daughter with Piatelli.

Boxing Career

- 1914 - Dempsey began his professional boxing career.

- July 4, 1919 - Dempsey won the world heavyweight title by knocking out Jess Willard in three rounds in Toledo, Ohio.

- Dempsey's aggressive, hard-hitting style earned him the nickname The Manassa Mauler. He held the heavyweight title for seven years, defending it five times.

- September 23, 1926 - Dempsey lost the title to Gene Tunney in a 10-round decision in Philadelphia.

- September 22, 1927 - Dempsey fought Tunney again in a rematch that became known as The Long Count Fight.

Dempsey knocked Tunney down in the seventh round, but a delay in Dempsey's moving to a neutral corner resulted in a long count that gave Tunney time to recover. Tunney went on to win the fight in a controversial decision.

- After the second Tunney fight, Dempsey retired from boxing.

Later Life and Legacy

- 1935 - Dempsey opened Jack Dempsey's Restaurant in New York City. The restaurant, later known as Jack Dempsey's Broadway Restaurant, became a popular gathering place for celebrities and sports figures.

- May 31, 1983 - Dempsey died of heart failure at age 87 in New York City.

- Dempsey is remembered as one of the most exciting and popular boxers of all time, known for his ferocious fighting style and knockout power.

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