On This Very Day: A Seventy-Seven-Year-Old Memory This photograph dates back exactly seventy-seven years to May 2, 1946, marking the birthday of the late His Majesty King Faisal II of Iraq, who was 12 years old at the time. The occasion was the Secondary Schools Championship held at the Al-Kashafa Stadium in Baghdad. I secured First Place in the 800-meter race, setting a new record. The awards were presented by His Majesty King Faisal II and the Regent, Prince Abd al-Ilah bin Ali. In the background, the press can be seen documenting the event amidst a gathering crowd celebrating the achievement. My most prominent competitors in that race were the late Mohammed Sabaa and Jafar Mohammed Saleh.