Mike Tyson Through the Ages: from 1966 Brooklyn Birth to Historic Modern Bouts
Q1: Exactly when and where was Mike Tyson born?
Mike Tyson was born on June 30, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York. He spent his early childhood between the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Brownsville.
Q2: Who were Mike Tyson's parents?
His mother was Lorna Smith Tyson, who raised him until her death in 1982. His biological father was listed as Purcell Tyson, though a street cab driver named Jimmy Kirkpatrick was Tyson's early father figure before abandoning the family.
Q3: How old was Mike Tyson when he won his first world championship?
Tyson was 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old when he knocked out Trevor Berbick on November 22, 1986, making him the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history.
Q4: How did Cus D'Amato first discover Mike Tyson?
Bobby Stewart, a counselor and boxing instructor at the Tryon School for Boys, discovered Tyson's athletic gifts while the youth was incarcerated. Stewart recognized the boy's rare raw talent and introduced him directly to Cus D'Amato in Catskill, New York, in 1979.
