In Saturday's @news_gazette ILLINI LEGENDS, LISTS & LORE - Fifty years ago Saturday – Dec. 6, 1975 – the Fighting Illini gymnastics team won the University of Illinois’ first Big Ten women’s title. @WDWS1400 @IlliniHQ

• 42 years ago this week - Dec. 7, 1983 - @IlliniFootball stars Don Thorpe, Jim Juriga and Craig Swoope were selected as second-team selections on the UPI All-America squad. https://t.co/iwVnv2yGUO

• Happy 26th Birthday on Sunday to @IlliniFootball assistant defensive backs coach Houston Griffith. @CoachGriffith3 , the son of @HowardGriffith , set Notre Dame football's all-time record for career games played with 62. @MountCarmelHS

• Turning 32 on Sunday is @IlliniMBB letter winner Mike LaTulip. @LaTulip_Mike is a basketball analyst for @TheFieldOf68 and @IlliniOn247 .

• Happy 35th Birthday on Sunday (Dec. 7) to @IlliniMBB standout @Jon_Ekey . He's now an account executive at @justplaybball . @ChrismanBears

• Happy 75th Birthday on Sunday to former @IlliniMGolf star Joe Burden. For nearly 50 years, he's been an agent at Northwestern Mutual in Skokie. @Tatelines

• Turning 29 on Saturday is @IlliniMTennis alum Asher Hirsch. @Ashtag23 is now an asset manager at Pine Tree LLC in Chicago. @CCDS_Sports

• 39 yrs ago - Dec. 6, 1986 - 9th-ranked @IlliniMBB beat 12th-ranked Pitt by converting free throws in the final minute. In Illinois' 99-97 win, Doug Altenberger scored 26 pts, Ken Norman added 24, and Tony Wysinger distributed a record 16 assists. https://t.co/KPFYnvvLGm

• Celebrating his 47th birthday on Saturday (Dec. 6) to @IlliniBaseball alum Chris Basak. He's a Partner at American Beverage LLC and owns PreGame Sports in Monticello. @MCHSDistrict111

• Happy 75th Birthday on Friday to former @IlliniMTennis coach Bruce Shuman. Hired at the age of 22 by athletics director Cecil Coleman, he now lives in Playa Del Rey, Calif.

• 47 years ago this week - Dec. 5, 1978 - @IlliniMBB defeated host Mizzou in Columbia, 69-57. Neil Bresnahan's 17 points and 16 rebounds helped hand the Tigers their first loss of the season. https://t.co/KPFYnvvLGm

• Happy 71st Birthday on Friday (Dec. 5) to @IlliniFootball alum Frank "Fuzzy" Johnson. In four seasons at Illinois, he caught 61 passes for 978 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Indiana Football Coaches Association. Hall of Fame last May. @wscougarsfb

• Happy 72nd Birthday on Friday to former @IlliniFootball head coach Ron Turner. @FBCoachRT led Illinois to the 2001 Big Ten title and a berth in the Sugar Bowl. @DVCVikingsFB @PacificTigers

• On Dec. 5, 1989, @IlliniMBB shocked host Florida, 74-69, as Marcus Liberty (21 points) and Kendall Gill (19) led the way. @Givemeliberty30 @KendallG13 https://t.co/ht8W5ZXnx4

• Happy 64th Birthday on Friday (Dec. 5) to @IlliniFootball grad Dwight Beverly. He is with Team Cliccaz and host of the DBev Comedy Splash in Los Angeles. @Morningsidefbal

• Turning 55 on Thursday (Dec. 4) is @IlliniBaseball alum Keith Toriani. He is now a real estate agent at HomeSmart Realty in Phoenix, Ariz. @leydenpride212 @HomeSmartIntl

• On Dec. 4, 1867, Lyle Grange was born. He was the father of Harold "Red" Grange. The elder Grange was Wheaton, Illinois' police chief. https://t.co/fuqXlDxr75

• Happy 72nd Birthday on Thursday to longtime @IlliniAthletics equipment manager Andy Dixon. Long before he spent nearly three decades with the UI football team, Dixon was a standout running back at Wyoming. @wyo_football @maroonathletics

• Happy 47th Birthday to @IlliniMBB super shooter Cory Bradford. He was part of the 2000–01 and 2001–02 back-to-back Big Ten championship teams coached by Bill Self. @MSCSK12

• 21 years ago today - Dec. 4, 2004 - fifth-ranked @IlliniMBB improved its record to 6-0 with a 72-60 victory over Arkansas. Roger Powell Jr.'s double-double - 19 pts and 11 rebs - led Illinois. https://t.co/lMJ3sr73pa