Today in 1910, the birthday of Károly Takács, a multi-time Olympic champion who won his medals without the use of his dominant hand.
Takács was born in Hungary, and he joined that country’s Military Physical Education Institute once he’d finished school.
He took up a wide world of sports, but his favorite was always pistol shooting.
He made the national shooting team in the 1930s, though he missed out on the 1936 Olympics because Hungary’s rules at that time excluded non-commissioned officers like Sergeant Takács from competing.
The rules changed shortly afterward, so he figured he’d get his Olympic moment in 1940.
But in 1938, a defective grenade went off in his hand.
His shooting hand.
The injury might have been the end of his shooting career, but Károly Takács had other plans.
After spending a month in the hospital, he quietly returned to the shooting range to teach himself how to shoot left-handed.
There were no Olympic Games in 1940 or 1944 because of World War II, but he kept practicing and refining his technique.
In 1948 the Games were back and Takács finally got to compete.
The now-left-handed shooter didn’t just hold his own with the rest of the field, he broke the world record on his way to a gold medal.
Four years later he won a second Olympic title.
According to the Olympic website, the runner up for Takács’ first title had asked what he was at the Games to do, and Takacs said, “I’m here to learn.”
During the medal ceremony, the silver medalist finished the conversation, saying, “You have learned enough.”
Today in 1936, inventor Carl Brown obtained a patent for a device meant to wake up drowsy drivers.
If the device’s sensors noted that the driver’s head fell forward, as if they had nodded off, it would activate a loud electric bell to get their eyes open and back on the road.
How did consumers not take to that one?
Karoly Takacs, the Para athlete who achieved Olympic glory (World Shooting Para Sport)
Staying awake at the wheel (Weird Universe)
