How old was Barry Bonds when he hit his 500th career home run?

Barry Bonds was 36 years old when he hit his 500th career home run.

Bonds reached the milestone for the San Francisco Giants in April 2001 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The home run came off pitcher Terry Adams and made Bonds the 17th player in Major League Baseball history to join the 500-home-run club at the time.

The achievement was part of an extraordinary season. In 2001, his age-36 campaign, Bonds hit 73 home runs, setting MLB’s single-season record. He also won the National League Most Valuable Player Award, one of seven MVP awards he earned during his career.

Some accounts list slightly different dates for the milestone because the game was played on the evening of April 17 on the West Coast and reported in some publications on April 18. That date difference does not change the answer: Bonds had already turned 36 on July 24, 2000, and would not turn 37 until July 24, 2001. He finished his career with 762 home runs, the major-league record.