Pele - the living legend - Pele's original name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento.... Pele was born on October 23, 1940 at Tres Coracoes in Brazil.... Perhaps, Pele might be the most celebrated athlete in the world in his time...... He joined the Santos football club in 1956 and helped lead that team to a world club championship in 1962..... He was a key member of the Brazilian national teams that won the World Cup Championships in 1958, 1962 and 1970....... In 1969, during his 909th match, he scored his thousandth goal..... He combined the kicking power and accuracy with a remarkable ability to anticipate other players' move...... In 1975, Pele joined the New York Cosmos of North American Soccer League (NASL)...... He retired after leading this team to the league championship in 1977..... He was the 1978 recipient of the International Peaca Award..... And in 1980, he was named the Athlete of the Century.