Joe DiMaggio | Famous People of California

By Sarah Lane
Mar 21, 2003, 4:33pm

Vital Statistics

Born: November 25, 1914 | Martinez, CA
Died: March 8, 1999  | Hollywood, CA

Joe DiMaggio was the eighth child of nine to be born to his parents, Giuseppe and Rosalie DiMaggio. They were a Sicilian couple who immigrated to the United States at the turn of the century.

Joe had an interesting childhood that consisted of him dropping out of high school in 1930 and taking on many odd jobs, while he spent every chance he got playing baseball. He bottled orange juice, labored at the docks, worked at a cannery, delivered groceries, and loaded trucks.

DiMaggio’s Baseball Career

In 1933, on a recommendation from his older brother Vince, DiMaggio played his first full season of baseball with the San Francisco Seals, a minor league team from the Pacific Coast League. He had a 61-game hitting streak during his first year. The following year, in 1934, the Seals owner sold DiMaggio to the New York Yankees for $25,000 and five players. What followed was a slew of broken records beginning with his rookie year and ending with his retirement.

In November 1939, DiMaggio married actress Dorothy Arnold, who was 21 at the time. Two years later, their son, Joe Jr., was born in Newark, New Jersey. Two years later, in 1943, as his ulcer was getting increasingly worse, Dorothy filed for divorce, stating that DiMaggio was never home.

During this time, DiMaggio had a 56 consecutive-game hitting streak with the Yankees… an incredible feat. In December 1951, DiMaggio announced his retirement at age 37, claiming he had lost his edge.

Joe DiMaggio’s Life After Baseball

In January 1954, DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe are married at San Francisco City Hall, only to get divorced nine months later. DiMaggio was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. At Baseball’s Centennial Celebration in 1969, he was named the game’s greatest living player and Babe Ruth was voted the greatest player of all time.

In 1998, Joe DiMaggio made his last appearance at Yankee Stadium where his former teammate Phil Rizzuto presented him with replacements for the eight World Series rings that were stolen from his hotel room in 1960. In 1999, only five months after being diagnosed with lung cancer, Joe DiMaggio died at age 84. His accomplishments will be remembered by baseball fans nationwide.

Additional Learning Links

Baseball Hall of Fame Website
You’ll find all you need to know, including stats and facts about the game’s most influential players. Do a search for Joe DiMaggio and you’ll have access to his online biography.
Source:     Baseball Hall of Fame Website

American Experience P.B.S.
Explore Joe DiMaggio’s life through interview transcripts, newspaper articles, an online poll, a timeline, book excerpts, an interactive map of his 56 game hitting streak, special events, and a special teacher’s guide to using the website and film in the classroom.
Source:     The Hero’s Life American Experience P.B.S.