Born George Herman Ruth on Feb. 6, 1895, died on Aug. 16, 1948. The greatest baseball player of all time, whose towering flamboyance set a standard for the Roaring Twenties in the U.S. Ruth was raised in a Catholic orphanage (the St. Mary's Industrial School, run by the Xaverian Brothers) in Baltimore, Maryland. At 19, he left school to play for Baltimore's minor league team, but, by the end of that season, he had moved up to the Boston Red Sox, as a pitcher. He pitched for four seasons, in fact, set World Series records for pitching. But he was soon playing the outfield when he was not on the mound. Reason: his remarkable ability to hit home runs in big bunches. Before Ruth, hitters won home run crowns for as few as a dozen home runs a season. When Ruth started playing the outfield full time, a move made by the New York Yankees, who bought him from the Sox in 1920 for the then-astronomical sum of $125,000, he was hitting 40 and 50 home runs a season. In 1927, he hit 60, a record that still stands and may never be broken. In 1931, when someone challenged his $80,000 salary, which was more than twice the salary of Herbert Hoover, the president of the United States, Ruth said, "Well, I had a better year than President Hoover." For his time, Ruth was a physical giant -- 6-2, 215 pounds -- and a media ikon. Knowing that he did what he did better than anyone else in the world, he carried himself with an air of confidence that did not put people off, but made them love him. He hardly knew anyone's name, called everyone "Kid, " ate when he was hungry (often a couple dozen hot dogs for lunch, washed down by a half-barrel of beer), and slept when he was sleepy (and with almost any woman he wanted). What makes Ruth a FECHA saint? He created his own kind of electricity, he set standards of excellence, he had the courage to do things his way, no matter what more timid souls thought or said.

MODEL: his everybody-go-to-hell self-confidence. Want something of Ruth's kind of life? Develop your skills, be the best, then say, "Here I come, world."

Life of the party. If you were born on February 6, you have a great need to be popular, to be praised and admired by those whom you care about. You eat it up. Ruled by the number 6 and the planet Venus, you are magnetic in attracting both sympathy and admiration.

Yearning to be loved. In the eyes of other gregarious types, you seem lucky to attract such attention, but you work hard at it. Truth be told, you are really quite insecure about your worth and seek support and ego massage from others.

Why are you so gosh darn popular? Good looks, charm and an outgoing manner certainly contribute. But it's your ability to strike a common chord with others that really works. It's a common trait in February 6 people. Maybe it's your lack of pretense or accessibility that allows acquaintances and strangers to identify with you and feel positive toward you.

The other side of the coin. Of course with popularity comes periods of unpopularity. These are depressing times for you, shattering your self esteem and stalling your ambitions. Less advanced February 6 people will try anything, give up friends, change views, even alter physical appearance to reverse these bad times. More self-aware people born on this day can change with the times but value and nurture their uniqueness.

Here's some advice : Try to overcome your need for recognition by focusing more on your inner worth, the real you. Divorce yourself from the opinions of others and ask, "Who am I? Who do I want to be?"

Also born on this day:
Babe Ruth (baseball legend) Ronald Reagan (US president, California governor, actor) Bob Marley (reggae singer/songwriter) Christopher Marlow (Elizabethan playwright, poet) Aaron Burr (Killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel) Natalie Cole (singer, daughter of Nat King Cole) Mary Leakey (British archaeologist) Eva Braun (Hitler's mistress) Tom Brokaw (TV journalist) Robert Townsend (actor, director) Rip Torn (film actor)