Alex Higgins

Alexander Gordon Higgins (18 March 1949 – 24 July 2010) was a Northern Irish professional snooker player and a two-time world snooker champion. Nicknamed "the Hurricane" for his rapid play, and sometimes known as the "People's Champion" for his popularity and charisma, he is remembered as one of the sport's most iconic figures and is often credited as being a key figure in snooker's success as a mainstream televised sport in the 1980s. After turning professional in 1970, he won the World Snooker Championship in 1972, defeating John Spencer 37‍–‍31 in the final to become the first qualifier to win the world title—a feat since achieved by three other players: Terry Griffiths in 1979, Shaun Murphy in 2005, and Zhao Xintong in 2025. Aged 22, he was then the sport's youngest world champion, a record he held until 21-year-old Stephen Hendry won the title in 1990. Higgins was world championship runner-up to Ray Reardon in 1976 and Cliff Thorburn in 1980. In the semi-finals of the 1982 event, he recovered from 13‍–‍15 behind to defeat Jimmy White 16‍–‍15; his 69 clearance in the penultimate frame is regarded as one of the finest breaks in the sport's history. He defeated Reardon 18‍–‍15 in the final, winning his second world title ten years after his first. Higgins won the Masters title in 1978 and 1981 and the UK Championship in 1983, recovering from 0‍–‍7 behind to defeat Steve Davis 16‍–‍15 in the final. As of 2023, he is one of only eleven players who have completed a career Triple Crown. In 1984, he won the World Doubles Championship with White, and he competed alongside Dennis Taylor and Eugene Hughes on the all-Ireland team that won three consecutive World Cups from 1985 to 1987. His last professional title was the 1989 Irish Masters,...