This Day in History: 1949-03-18

Alex Higgins was born in Belfast. Nicknamed “Hurricane Higgins” and “The People’s Champion”, Higgins won the Snooker World Championship twice, in 1972 and 1982. He was one of the most successful players in the late 70s and early 80s. Higgins won his last professional tournament when he beat a young Stephen Hendry in the final of the 1989 Irish Masters. He died in 2010. The trophy for the Northern Ireland Open is named after Higgins.