Etc.

Athletic star turn: a trip down New York's 'Canyon of Heroes'

Beginning in 1886, New York City has saluted explorers, royalty, war heroes, astronauts, heads of state, and Pope John Paul II with ticker-tape parades. Many athletes also have made their way up the "Canyon of Heroes," mostly as teams – as the New York Giants of the National Football League did on their Broadway journey last week as the newly crowned Super Bowl champions. Groups of Olympic athletes have been honored as well, but so have various individual sports stars for their achievements. Those who've soloed, according to Wikipedia.com, with the year and reason each was feted:

•1926: Bobby Jones - British Open golf champion
•1926: Gertrude Ederle - first woman to swim the English Channel
•1926: Amelia Gade Corson - first mother and second woman to swim the English Channel
•1930: Bobby Jones - British Open golf champion
•1936: Jesse Owens - four-time gold medalist at Berlin Olympics
•1949: Connie Mack - on his 50th anniversary as manager of baseball's Philadelphia Athletics
•1953: Ben Hogan - British Open golf champion
•1957: Althea Gibson - Wimbledon tennis champion
•1960: Carol Heiss - Olympic figure skating gold medalist
•1990: Sammy Sosa - Dominican-born baseball slugger