Person in history
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopian runner
Life at a glance
- Born
- 1973 · April 18
- Age this year
- 53No death recorded in our data
- Known as
- marathon runner, long-distance runner, athletics competitor, runner, and athlete. Citizenship: Ethiopia
- Born
- 53rd anniversary of their birth this year
Their story
Who they were
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian former long-distance track, road running athlete, and businessman. He won two Olympic gold medals and four World Championship titles over the 10,000 metres and won the Berlin Marathon on four consecutive occasions between 2006 and 2009. He also earned four world titles indoors and was the 2001 World Half Marathon Champion. He is considered to be one of the greatest long-distance runners of all time.
Path and career
Awards / honours: Track & Field News Athlete of the Year, Bislett medal, Track & Field News Athlete of the Year, and Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.
Why this date
Haile Gebrselassie appears on our April 18 calendar for 1973 as a birth entry.
The world when they were born
Other entries we record for 1973.
- May 11Aeroflot Flight 6551
- March 14Vietnam War
- November 17Watergate scandal
- April 17George Lucas
- July 31Delta Air Lines
Born the same day
Contemporaries — born the same year
- 1973Julie PowellApril 20
- 1973Derrick BrooksApril 18
Sources
Cite this page
“Haile Gebrselassie”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/people/haile-gebrselassie, accessed October 27, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about Haile Gebrselassie
When was Haile Gebrselassie born?
April 18 1973.
How old would Haile Gebrselassie be today?
53 this year, based on the birth year we hold. We have no death record for them in our data, which is not proof either way.
Who else was born on April 18?
Alia Shawkat, Miguel Cabrera, Divock Origi and others — the list is on this page and on the date page.
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