TODAY'S EVENTS IN SPORTS HISTORY 2024

MAR 20

• 1891 53rd Grand National: Irish jockey, trainer Harry Beasley wins aboard 4/1 Come Away
• 1892 54th Grand National: Capt. Roddy Owen wins aboard 20/1 chance Father O'Flynn
• 1911 National Squash Tennis Association forms (NYC)

• 1914 1st international figure-skating tournament held in US, New Haven
• 1920 Australasian Championships Men's Tennis, Adelaide: Pat O'Hara Wood beats fellow Australian Ronald Thomas 6-3, 4-6, 6-8, 6-1, 6-3

Sherwin Badger US Champion

1920 US Men's Figure Skating championship won by Sherwin Badger


Figure SkaterSherwin Badger
Didrikson Zaharias's Hitless Inning
1934 American all-round female super athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias pitches a hitless inning for Philadelphia A's in their exhibition pre-season baseball game against Brooklyn Dodgers


All-Round Athlete and GolferBabe Didrikson Zaharias

• 1937 England beats Scotland, 6-3 at Murrayfield, Edinburgh to clinch the Home Nations Rugby Championship and Triple Crown
• 1948 102nd Grand National: 50/1 chance Sheila's Cottage first mare to win the GN for 46 years; ridden by Irish jockey Arthur Thompson

Peggy Kirk Wins LPGA
1949 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Amateur Peggy Kirk wins her only major title by 2 strokes from Patty Berg and Dorothy Kirby


GolferPatty Berg

• 1954 16th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: La Salle beats Bradley, 92-76; Explorers' small forward Tom Gola is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 1962 Sjoukje Dijkstra becomes world champion figure skater
• 1965 27th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Michigan, 91-80; Bruins' back-to-back National titles; Gail Goodrich 42 points
• 1965 Wales misses out on a 4th Grand Slam after losing to France, 22-13 at Stade Colombes, Paris despite winning the Five Nations Rugby Championship
• 1971 Boston Bruins win 13th straight NHL game

Baseball Hall of Fame
1973 Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame, 11 weeks after his death in a plane crash


Baseball PlayerRoberto Clemente

• 1977 PGA Tournament Players Championship, Sawgrass CC: Mark Hayes wins in windy conditions, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Mike McCullough
• 1978 Flyers' Rick MacLeash scores on 6th penalty shot against Islanders
• 1982 France beats Ireland, 22-9 at the Parc des Princes, Paris but the Irish take the Five Nations Rugby Championship with a 3-1 record and also their 5th Triple Crown

Sports History
1983 In a clash of tennis legends, Martina Navratilova outclasses Chris Evert Lloyd 6-2, 6-0 to win her first of 5 straight WTA Tour Championships at Madison Square Garden, NYC


Tennis PlayerMartina Navratilova

Tennis LegendChris Evert
World Record
1987 Yvonne van Gennip skates ladies' world record 5 km (7:20.36)


Speed SkaterYvonne van Gennip
Boxing Title Fight
1988 Defending champion Mike Tyson beats Tony Tubbs by TKO in round 2 at the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo for the undisputed world heavyweight boxing title


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMike Tyson
Sports History
1989 Baseball announces Reds manager Pete Rose is under investigation


MLB Player and ManagerPete Rose
Sports History
1990 LA Lakers retires Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's #33


NBA LegendKareem Abdul-Jabbar
World Record
1993 Dan Jansen skates world record 500m (36.02 sec)


Speed SkaterDan Jansen

• 1993 France beats Wales, 26-10 at Parc des Princes, Paris for it's 10th outright Five Nations Rugby Championship
• 2010 France edges England, 12-10 at Stade de France, Saint Denis to complete a Grand Slam and win the Six Nations Rugby Championship; France's 17th title

Sports History
2020 After 20 years with the New England Patriots, six-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady officially agrees to move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a 2-year $50m guaranteed deal


NFL QuarterbackTom Brady

 

MAR 21

• 1871 33rd Grand National: Irish 1868 winner The Lamb claims second GN at 11/2; ridden by Tommy Pickernell
• 1872 34th Grand National: John Page wins his second GN aboard 20/1 shot Casse Tete
• 1902 64th Grand National: David Read aboard 20/1 chance Shannon Lass wins by 3 lengths from Matthew

• 1909 Moran & MacFarland (US) wins Europe's 1st 6 day bicycle race (Berlin)

Maribel Vinson US Champion

1931 US Ladies' Figure Skating championship won by Maribel Vinson


Figure SkaterMaribel Vinson
Louis vs Simon
1941 In a hard fought 15th title defense Joe Louis KOs Abe Simon in the 13th round at Olympia Stadium, Detroit to retain NYSAC heavyweight boxing crown


Boxer and World Heavyweight ChampionJoe Louis

• 1946 Kenny Washington signs with Rams, 1st black NFLer since 1933
• 1947 Test Cricket debut of Bert Sutcliffe, NZ v England at Christchurch

Berg Wins 4th Title
1948 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Patty Berg wins her 4th Titleholders title by 1 stroke ahead of Babe Zaharias and Peggy Kirk


GolferPatty Berg

• 1953 England beats Scotland, 26-8 at Twickenham, London to clinch their 14th Five Nations Rugby Championship
• 1953 NBA record 106 fouls & 12 players foul out (Boston-Syracuse)
• 1955 Brooklyn Bulletin ask Dodger fans not to call their team "Bums"
• 1959 113th Grand National: Michael Scudamore wins aboard 8/1 second favourite Oxo; only 4 of 32 starters finish the race

Sports History
1959 21st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: California beats West Virginia, 71-70; WV future Hall of Fame point guard Jerry West is named MOP


NBA GuardJerry West
Sports History
1961 Art Modell purchases Cleveland Browns for then record sum ($3,925,000)


BusinessmanArt Modell

• 1962 Philadelphia Phillies retire pitcher Robin Roberts' # 36
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• 1964 118th Grand National: Willie Robinson aboard American-owned 12-year-old Team Spirit wins at odds of 18/1
• 1964 26th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Duke, 98-83; Bruins first title in first title game; undefeated season (30-0)
• 1964 Wales draws 11-11 with France in Cardiff, whilst Scotland beats England, 15-6 at Murrayfield to leave the Five Nations Rugby Championship shared by Wales and Scotland on 6 competition points
• 1970 32nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Jacksonville, 80-69; Bruins' 4th straight title under coach John Wooden
• 1970 Vinko Bogataj crashes during a ski-jumping championship in Germany; his image becomes that of the "agony of defeat guy" in the opening credits of ABC's Wide World of Sports.

Cricket History
1971 Indian cricket great Sunil Gavaskar scores first of his 34 Test Cricket centuries; 116 in drawn 3rd Test at Georgetown, Guyana


CricketerSunil Gavaskar
Sports History
1973 Montreal Canadiens' left wing Frank Mahovlich becomes 5th NHL player to score 500 goals


NHL LegendFrank Mahovlich

• 1978 Padres fire Al Dark (2nd manager ever fired during spring training)
• 1981 France beats England 16-12 at Twickenham, London for it's 7th outright Five Nations Rugby Championship and 3rd Grand Slam title
• 1982 Jerry Pate celebrates golf win by jumping into the water hazard
• 1982 PGA Tournament Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Jerry Pate shoots a final round 67 to win by 2 strokes over runners-up Scott Simpson and Brad Bryant

Cricket History
1984 Australian Allan Border scores 100* vs West Indies in a cricket test at Trinidad after scoring a 98* in his 1st innings


Test CricketerAllan Border

• 1984 NFL owners passed the infamous anti-celebrating rule

Hall of Fame
1985 Arthur Ashe is nominated for the International Tennis Hall of Fame


Tennis PlayerArthur Ashe
Sports History
1985 Canadian Rick Hansen sets off on his 'Man in Motion' world tour in his wheelchair raising money for spinal research, from Oakridge Mall, Vancouver (successfully completes May 1987) [1]


Track and Field Athlete and ParalympianRick Hansen

• 1986 Pittsburgh Associates buy Pittsburgh Pirates for $218 million
• 1987 France beats Ireland, 19-13 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin the clinch the outright Five Nations Rugby Championship for the 8th time and 4th Grand Slam title
• 1987 PSV sells soccer player Ruud Gullit to AC Milan (Ÿ17 million)
• 1991 Quebec Nordiques goaltender Ron Tugnutt sets NHL modern-day record for most saves in a regular season non-loss game (70 of 73 shots in 3-3 tie with the Boston Bruins
• 1992 Pakistan scores 6-264 to overhaul NZ in exciting World Cup cricket semi

NHL Record
1994 Wayne Gretzky ties Gordie Howe's NHL record of 801 goals


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky

• 1997 Ice Dance Championship in Lausanne, Switzerland won by Oksana Grishuk & Evgeny Platov (Rus)
• 2009 Ireland completes a Grand Slam with a 17-15 win over Wales at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff to win the Six Nations Rugby Championship
• 2012 Sergio Agüero & Samir Nasri score to give Manchester City 2-1 win over Chelsea at City of Manchester Stadium; EPL record 20th consecutive home win; streak ends with 3-3 draw v Sunderland 31/3
• 2013 Martin Gould defeats Ali Carter to win the snooker 2013 Championship League

Olympic Gold
2014 Canadian freestyle skier (moguls) and two-time Olympic gold medalist Alexandre Bilodeau retires at 26


Freestyle SkierAlexandre Bilodeau

• 2015 Ireland retains Six Nations Rugby Championship with 40-10 win over Scotland at Murrayfield; England needs 26 point win over France for title but can only beat Les Bleus, 55-35 at Twickenham

Sports History
2019 Japanese baseball right fielder Ichiro Suzuki finishes his career with a record 4,367 base hits (NPB & MLB) as Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland A's, 5-4 in Tokyo, Japan


Baseball StarIchiro Suzuki

 

MAR 22

• 1894 Stanley Cup, Victoria Rink, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Hockey Club defeats Ottawa HC, 3-1 to win 3-team challenge tournament
• 1896 Charilaos Vasilakos of Greece wins 1st modern marathon in 3:18 at the Panhellenic Games
• 1907 69th Grand National: Alf Newey wins aboard 8/1 chance Eremon

• 1929 88th Grand National: Robert W. H. Everett wins aboard 100/1 outsider Gregalach
• 1952 Wales wins Five Nations Rugby Championship, Grand Slam & Triple Crown with a 9-5 win over France at St. Helen's Ground, Swansea

Sports History

1958 20th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Seattle, 84-72; Seattle's future Hall of Fame small forward Elgin Baylor is named tournament MOP


NBA ForwardElgin Baylor

• 1964 LPGA Western Open Women's Golf, Scenic Hills CC: Carol Mann her 1st of 2 major titles by 2 shots from Ruth Jessen and Judy Kimball

Boxing Title Fight
1967 Muhammad Ali KOs Zora Folley in 7 for heavyweight boxing title


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMuhammad Ali

• 1969 31st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Purdue 92-72; Bruins' 3-peat; center Lew Alcindor tournament Most Outstanding Player for 3rd consecutive year

Sports History
1969 Ethiopian double Olympic marathon gold medalist Abebe Bikila (36) is paralyzed in auto accident near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; regained upper-body mobility, but never walked again


Marathon RunnerAbebe Bikila
Sports History
1972 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar named NBA MVP


NBA LegendKareem Abdul-Jabbar

• 1972 Nick Mileti purchases Cleveland Indians for $9 million
• 1972 Yankees trade Danny Cater to the Red Sox for Sparky Lyle
• 1979 NHL votes to accept 4 WHA teams (Oilers, Jets, Nordiques & Whalers)

NHL Record
1984 Islander Bryan Trottier ties NHL record scores 5 seconds into game


NHL StarBryan Trottier

• 1986 HBO launches boxing's heavyweight-title-unification-tournament
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• 1986 Ice Pairs World Championship at Geneva won by Ekaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov (USSR)

Boxing Title Fight
1986 Jamaican boxer Trevor Berbick upsets Pinklon Thomas by unanimous decision in Las Vegas to win WBC heavyweight title


BoxerTrevor Berbick

• 1988 WA beat Queensland by 5 wkts to win the Sheffield Shield Final
• 1989 Clint Malarchuk of the Buffalo Sabres suffers a near-fatal injury when another player accidentally slits his throat.

Sports History
1989 Pete Rozelle announces retirement as NFL commissioner after 29 years


NFL CommissionerPete Rozelle

• 1990 The ML umpires announce that they will boycott exhibition games
• 1992 England beat South Africa in rain-ruined cricket World Cup semi final
• 1997 Ladies' Figure Skating Championship in Lausanne won by Tara Lipinski (USA)
• 2008 French Swimmer Alain Bernard sets world record of 47.50 for 100m freestyle long course after winning the European LC Championships 2008
• 2009 Cricket Women's World Cup: England defeats New Zealand by 4 wickets

Sports History
2011 Lawrence Taylor pleads guilty for misdemeanors of sexual misconduct and is sentenced to six years probation


Hall of Fame American Football PlayerLawrence Taylor

 

MAR 23

• 1877 39th Grand National: Fred Hobson aboard 15/1 shot Austerlitz wins by 4 lengths from Congress
• 1878 English FA Cup Final, Kennington Oval, London: Wanderers beat Royal Engineers, 3–1; Wanderers' back-to-back and 5th title overall
• 1888 50th Grand National: George Mawson aboard 40/1 outsider Playfair easily wins by 10 lengths from Frigate

• 1923 82nd Grand National: Capt. Tuppy Bennett wins aboard 13-year-old 100/6 shot Sergeant Murphy; first US bred horse to win race

Vinson Again US Champion

1930 US Ladies Figure Skating championship won by Maribel Vinson


Figure SkaterMaribel Vinson

• 1934 93rd Grand National: Gerry Wilson wins aboard 8/1 Golden Miller in race record 9:20.04; becomes only horse to win both UK's premier steeplechases with Cheltenham Gold Cup victory 1934

Commissioner Frees Cardinals
1938 MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis frees 74 St Louis Cardinals minor league players from their contracts


1st MLB CommissionerKenesaw Mountain Landis

• 1946 8th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Oklahoma State beats North Carolina, 43-40; Cowboys' back-to-back titles and center Bob Kurland MOP for 2nd straight year
• 1948 10th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Baylor, 58-42; Wildcats' first victory in first title game
• 1952 NY Rangers blow 6-2 lead, lose 7-6 to Chicago Black Hawks; Bill Mosienko scores fastest hat trick in NHL history, 21 seconds

Sports History
1957 19th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Kansas, 54-53 (3 OT); Wilt Chamberlain of Kansas 4th player to be named tournament MOP despite not playing for the championship team


NBA LegendWilt Chamberlain

• 1962 Nawab of Pataudi captains India cricket v WI age 21 years 77 days
• 1962 William DeWitt buys Cincinnati Reds for $4,625,000
• 1963 25th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Loyola-Chicago beats Cincinnati, 60-58 (OT); Ramblers' first title in first title game
• 1968 30th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats North Carolina, 78-55; Bruins back-to-back titles; Lew Alcindor tournament Most Outstanding Player for the 2nd of 3 consecutive years
• 1968 France retains the Five Nations Rugby Championship with an 14-9 win over Wales at the National Stadium, Cardiff; first Grand Slam victory for France
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• 1972 Geoge Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh" concert film, directed by Saul Swimmer released in the US
• 1972 NY Yankees agree to continue playing ball in the Bronx

Boxing Title Fight
1979 Larry Holmes TKOs Osvaldo Ocasio in 7 for heavyweight boxing title


WBC Heavyweight ChampionLarry Holmes
Sports History
1980 18-year old American tennis star Tracy Austin wins her only WTA Tour Championship; upsets Martina Navratilova in the final 6–2, 2–6, 6–2 in NYC


Tennis PlayerTracy Austin

Tennis PlayerMartina Navratilova
Cricket History
1980 Australian cricketer Allan Border becomes the first and only batsman to reach 150 in each innings of a test, in the 3rd test vs Pakistan in Lahore


Test CricketerAllan Border
PGA Players Championship
1980 PGA Tournament Players Championship, Sawgrass Country Club (Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida): Lee Trevino wins by 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Ben Crenshaw


GolferBen Crenshaw

GolferLee Trevino
PGA Players Championship
1981 PGA Tournament Players Championship, Sawgrass CC: Raymond Floyd beats Barry Jaeckel and Curtis Strange on the first hole of a sudden death playoff in a rain affected Monday finish


Golfer and Four-Time Major Championship WinnerRay Floyd

GolferCurtis Strange
NHL Record
1982 NHL New York Islanders Mike Bossy's 20th career hat trick, in his 5th career 4-goal game, an 8-1 win over visiting Washington Capitols


Ice Hockey GreatMike Bossy

• 1984 Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Ottawa won by Katarina Witt (GDR)

Sports History
1984 Men's Figure Skating Championship in Ottawa won by Scott Hamilton (USA)


Figure SkaterScott Hamilton
Sports History
1984 World Ice Dancing Championship won by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean (Great Britain) in Ottawa, Canada


Ice DancerChristopher Dean

Ice DancerJayne Torvill
Sports History
1986 First of 2 WTA Tour Championships of the year; change of tennis schedule; Martina Navratilova wins 4th straight and 7th overall title 6–2, 6–0, 3–6, 6–1 against Hana Mandlíková in NYC


Tennis PlayerMartina Navratilova

Tennis Player and Four-Time Major ChampionHana Mandlikova

• 1991 1st World League of American Football games, London beats Frankfurt 24-11, Sacramento beats Raleigh-Dur 9-3 & Mont beats Birmingham 20-5
• 1991 Sergei Bubka pole vaults world record indoor (6.12m)
• 1992 Florida Marlins begin selling tickets
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• 1993 NY Knicks & Phoenix Suns get into a major brawl
• 1994 Graeme Obree bicycles world record 10 km (11:28)

Cricket History
1994 Last day of Test cricket for Kapil Dev


CricketerKapil Dev
NHL Record
1994 Wayne Gretzky sets NHL record with 802 goals scored


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky
NHL Record
2000 Joe Sakic records his 400th career goal and becomes the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche all-time leading point scorer


NHL LegendJoe Sakic
Cricket World Cup
2003 Cricket World Cup, Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, RSA: Ricky Ponting scores 140 no as defending champions Australia beat India by 125 runs; Sachin Tendulkar, Player of Series


CricketerSachin Tendulkar

• 2003 ICC Men's Cricket ODI World Cup, Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa: Australia retain trophy with 125 run win over India; Player of the Match: Ricky Ponting (AUS) 140 no (121)
• 2022 After 114 consecutive weeks as world #1 female tennis player, 25-year-old Australian Ash Barty makes shock retirement announcement; cites contentment with all she achieved in the sport

Sports History
2023 Harry Kane overtakes Wayne Rooney's record to become England's all-time greatest goalscorer in 2-1 victory over Italy with his 54th goal [1]


FootballerHarry Kane

English FootballerWayne Rooney
Sports History
2023 Lewis Koumas makes his debut for the Wales U19 national team against Scotland U19


FootballerLewis Koumas

 

MAR 24

• 1876 38th Grand National: Joe Cannon aboard 25/1 chance Regal wins by a neck from Congress
• 1877 English FA Cup Final, Kennington Oval, London: Wanderers beat Oxford University, 2–1 (a.e.t.); Wanderers' 4th title
• 1882 44th Grand National: Lord Manners aboard 10/1 shot Seaman wins in heavy snow and freezing conditions

• 1893 55th Grand National: Bill Dollery aboard 9/2 favourite Cloister wins by a massive 40 lengths from Aesop; owner Charles Duff fields 2 more winners 1912-13
• 1899 61st Grand National: George Williamson aboard 1897 winner Manifesto wins by 4 lengths from Ford Of Fyne
• 1911 73rd Grand National: legendary jockey Jack Anthony wins his first of 3 GN's aboard 20/1 Glenside in torrential rain
• 1913 Dutch soccer forward Huug de Groot scores twice as Netherlands score first ever victory over England; 2-1 at HBS, The Hague
• 1922 81st Grand National: Lewis Rees aboard 100/9 chance Music Hall wins; only 5 out of 32 starters finish
• 1933 92nd Grand National: Dudley Williams aboard 25/1 chance Kellsboro' Jack wins by 3 lengths and a neck from Really True
• 1936 Detroit Red Wings beat Montreal Maroons, 1-0 in 16:30 of 6th period of OT; record Stanley Cup playoff game lasts 9 periods (176 minutes)
• 1939 98th Grand National: Irish jockey Tim Hyde wins, riding 100/8 shot Workman

Glenn Miller's 1st Film

1941 Glenn Miller begins work on his 1st movie "Sun Valley Serenade", starring Sonja Henie and John Payne, for 20th Century Fox


Big Band Leader and Jazz ComposerGlenn Miller

Figure Skater and ActressSonja Henie

• 1941 LIU beats Ohio U 56-42 for NIT basketball championship
• 1950 US Mens Figure Skating Championship won by Dick Button
• 1956 110th Grand National: race best remembered for Devon Loch's inexplicable fall on final straight, just 40 yards from a certain victory; Dave Dick wins aboard E.S.B.
• 1956 18th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: San Francisco beats Iowa, 83-71; Dons' back-to-back National titles
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• 1956 Wales beats France, 5-3 at the National Stadium, Cardiff to clinch their 13th Five Nations Rugby Championship
• 1961 NY Senate approves $55M for a baseball stadium at Flushing Meadows
• 1962 24th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cincinnati beats Ohio State, 71-59; Bearcats win back-to-back National titles

Boxing Title Fight
1962 Emile Griffith beats Benny " Kid" Paret by TKO in 12th round in welterweight boxing title fight at MSG, NYC; Paret dies 10 days later; first use of television slow motion replay


BoxerEmile Griffith

• 1973 San Francisco 49er president Lou Spadia proposes the NFL expands to 30 teams
• 1974 36th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina State beats Marquette, 76-64; Wolfpack first title; first tournament officially designated as a Division I championship

Boxing Title Fight
1975 Muhammad Ali TKOs Chuck Wepner in 15 for heavyweight boxing title


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMuhammad Ali
Sports History
1979 10 rebounds & 10 assists, as the Spartans cruise to a 101-67 by Penn Mich State's Earvin "Magic" Johnson registers triple-double 29 pts


NBA LegendMagic Johnson
Cricket History
1979 1st appearance as Australian cricket captain for Kim Hughes


CricketerKim Hughes

• 1980 42nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Louisville beats UCLA, 59-54; Cardinals' first title in first title game
• 1981 Bombay beat Delhi by innings & 46 to win Ranji Cricket Trophy
• 1984 IOC agrees to 6-team exhibition baseball tournament in Olympics
• 1985 Norman Gifford makes cricket ODI debuts at age 44 (v Aust, Sharjah)

Sports History
1985 Third straight WTA Tour Championship for tennis legend Martina Navratilova; beats Helena Suková 6–3, 7–5, 6–4 at Madison Square Garden, NYC


Tennis PlayerMartina Navratilova
Sports History
1986 Men's International Professional Tennis Council announces Jimmy Connors' 10 week suspension and $20,000 fine for storming off the court after defaulting against Ivan Lendl at Boca Raton, Florida in February


Tennis LegendJimmy Connors

Tennis Player and Eight-Time Major ChampionIvan Lendl

• 1987 WA win the Sheffield Shield by drawing cricket final vs Victoria
• 1988 San Diego Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts announces his retirement after 15 seasons
• 1990 Tom Hunter swims world record 50m freestyle (21.81 sec)

Sports History
1991 Ayrton Senna wins the Brazilian Grand Prix for the 1st time, at Interlagos, São Paulo


Formula 1 DriverAyrton Senna

• 1991 Barcelona Dragons beat NY/NJ Knights 19-7 in their 1st WLAF game
• 1991 NY Yankees beat NY Mets, 9-3
• 2002 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Unheralded New Zealander Craig Perks chips-in twice on the final 3 holes for his only PGA Tour career win, 2 strokes ahead of Stephen Ames
• 2013 Scotland defeats Sweden to win the 2013 World Women's Curling Championship
• 2016 Former English international footballer Adam Johnson sentenced to 6 years in prison for sexual activity with a schoolgirl
• 2018 Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft is caught on camera rubbing match ball with an object during 3rd Cricket Test in Cape Town, resulting in an infamous ball tampering scandal
• 2019 2-time American League MVP Mike Trout signs the biggest contract in North American sports history, a $426.5 million, 12-year extension with the Los Angeles Angels
• 2019 New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announces retirement as 3-time Super Bowl winner, TE postseason record, most receptions (81), receiving yards (1,163) and receiving TDs (12)

Olympics Postponed
2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzō Abe announces postponement of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games until summer of 2021 because of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic


Prime Minister of JapanShinzō Abe

 

MAR 25

• 1876 Glasgow 1st soccer match Scotland defeat Wales (4-0)
• 1881 43rd Grand National: Irish jockey Tommy Beasley wins his second consecutive GN aboard 11/2 co-favourite Woodbrook
• 1887 49th Grand National: Bill Daniels aboard 20/1 chance Gamecock wins by 3 lengths from Savoyard

• 1889 1st Test Cricket match played at Newlands, Cape Town v England
• 1898 60th Grand National: John Gourley wins aboard 25/1 shot Drogheda
• 1904 66th Grand National: Arthur Birch wins aboard 25/1 New Zealand bred Moifaa; horse survives shipwreck off Ireland a year earlier
• 1907 Stanley Cup, Winnipeg Auditorium, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Montreal Wanderers lose to Kenora Thistles, 6-5 but win on 2 game aggregate, 12-8
• 1916 Jess Willard fights Frank Moran to no decision in 10 for heavyweight boxing title in NYC
• 1924 Stanley Cup Final, Ottawa Auditorium, Ottawa, ON: Montreal Canadiens (NHL) beat Calgary Tigers (WCHL), 3-0 for a 2-0 series sweep
• 1927 86th Grand National: 8/1 favourite Sprig wins; ridden by jockey Ted Leader, trained by his father Tom Leader

1st Augusta National Invitation
1934 1st Augusta National Invitation Tournament (Masters) Golf: Horton Smith wins with 20-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole, 1 stroke ahead of Craig Wood


GolferCraig Wood
Babe Ruth's Quaker Ads
1937 It is revealed Quaker Oats pays Babe Ruth $25,000 per year for ads


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth

• 1937 Lionel Conacher misses on 1st Stanley Cup penalty shot
• 1938 97th Grand National: 17-year-old jockey Bruce Hobbs wins aboard 40/1 Battleship; first US bred and owned winner; only horse to win GN and American Grand National (1934)
• 1947 9th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Holy Cross beats Oklahoma, 58-47; Crusaders' first victory in first title game
• 1947 Last day of Test cricket for Walter Hammond (v NZ, Christchurch)
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• 1950 104th Grand National: Jimmy Power wins aboard 10/1 Irish co-favourite Freebooter; estimated 500,00 in attendance including Royal Family
• 1950 Wales outclasses France, 21-0 at the National Stadium, Cardiff to clinch the Five Nations Rugby Championship, Grand Slam and Triple Crown
• 1957 NBA modifies the free-throw rule

Sports History
1958 Sugar Ray Robinson is 1st boxing champ to win 5 times


Champion BoxerSugar Ray Robinson

• 1959 Bill White traded to St Louis for pitchers Sam Jones & Don Choate
• 1960 Ford Frick voids Indians-Red Sox deal as Sam White retires
• 1961 115th Grand National: Bobby Beasley wins aboard Nicolaus Silver, 5 lengths ahead of defending champion Merryman II; first grey winner for 90 years

Sports History
1961 23rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cincinnati beats Ohio State, 70-65 (OT); Buckeyes' future Hall of Fame forward Jerry Lucas is MOP for 2nd straight year


NBA ForwardJerry Lucas

• 1961 3rd place game is one of the wildest contests in NCAA Tournament history as St Joseph's defeats Utah, 127-120 in quadruple overtime

Sports History
1967 29th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Dayton, 79-64; Bruins center Lew Alcindor (later named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) tournament MOP


NBA LegendKareem Abdul-Jabbar

• 1971 NFL football team Boston Patriots become New England Patriots as they relocate to Foxboro. Massachusetts

Sports History
1972 34th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Florida, 81-76; 6th straight title for Bruins; future Hall of Fame center Bill Walton tournament MOP


NBA Center and Television SportscasterBill Walton
Sports History
1972 Chicago Black Hawks Bobby Hull becomes the 2nd NHLer to score 600 goals, with a goal in Boston assisted by his brother Dennis


NHL LegendBobby Hull

• 1972 UCLA wins its 6th consecutive national basketball title
• 1973 AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament, Immaculata beats Queens College, 59-52, Immaculata 1st undefeated team in New York

Sports History
1979 Czech tennis star Martina Navratilova retains her WTA Tour Championship with a 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 win over American teenager Tracey Austin in NYC


Tennis PlayerMartina Navratilova
PGA Players Championship
1979 PGA Tournament Players Championship, Sawgrass CC: Lanny Wadkins wins in windy conditions, 5 strokes ahead of runner-up Tom Watson


GolferTom Watson
Sports History
1982 Wayne Gretzky becomes 1st NHL to score 200 points in a season


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky
Sports History
1986 Canadian Kurt Browning becomes the 1st figure skater to land a quadruple jump


Figure SkaterKurt Browning
Sports History
1986 Men's Figure Skating Championship in Geneva won by Brian Boitano (USA)


Figure SkaterBrian Boitano
Sports History
1988 Robin Givens demands full access to husband Mike Tyson's money


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMike Tyson

Model and ActressRobin Givens
Sports History
1991 Allan Border takes 5-68 v WI at Bourda (!), Georgetown


Test CricketerAllan Border
Cricket World Cup
1992 Cricket World Cup, Melbourne (MCG): Imran Khan scores 72 in his final ODI as Pakistan beats England by 22 runs for their first title; Martin Crowe (NZ), Player of Series


CricketerMartin Crowe

Cricketer and Prime Minister of PakistanImran Khan

• 1992 ICC Men's Cricket ODI World Cup, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia: Pakistan beats England by 22 runs for their first trophy; Player of the Match: Wasim Akram (PAK) 33 (18) & 3/49
• 1995 Boxer Mike Tyson released from jail after serving 3 years
• 1996 Ice Dance Championship at Edmonton won by Gritshuk & Platov (RUS)
• 1996 Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Michelle Kwan (USA)

Sports History
1996 Men's Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Todd Eldredge (USA)


Figure SkaterTodd Eldredge

• 1997 Indians trade Lofton & Embree to Braves for Grissom & Justice

Golf Major
2001 Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Sweden's Annika Sörenstam shoots a final round 69 to win the first of her 3 titles at this event, 3 strokes ahead of 5 runners-up


GolferAnnika Sörenstam
Sports History
2013 Golfer Tiger Woods returns to his world number one ranking


GolferTiger Woods

• 2018 Australian cricket captain Steve Smith handed one-match ban after admitting Australian team tampered with the ball in 3rd test against South Africa in South Africa
• 2022 Sydney forward Lance "Buddy" Franklin kicks 4 goals to become only 6th player in VFL/AFL history to kick 1,000 career goals; Swans overrun Geelong, 107-77 at the SCG

 

MAR 26

• 1874 36th Grand National: Mr. J. M. Richardson wins his second consecutive GN aboard French 5/1 favourite Reugny
• 1886 48th Grand National: Tommy Skelton wins aboard 25/1 chance Old Joe
• 1889 English cricketer Johnny Briggs takes 15-26 (7-17 & 8-11) at Newlands as South Africa are all out for 47 with Bernard Tancred not out on 26, then follow-on and are again all out for 43

• 1897 59th Grand National: Terry Kavanagh aboard 6/1 favourite Manifesto wins by 20 lengths from Filbert
• 1909 71st Grand National: Georges Parfrement wins aboard French 100/9 hope Lutteur III
• 1915 77th Grand National: legendary jockey Jack Anthony wins his second of 3 GN's aboard 100/8 bet Ally Sloper
• 1915 Stanley Cup Final, Denman Arena, Vancouver, BC: Barney Stanley scores 5 goals as Vancouver Millionaires beat Ottawa Senators, 12-3 for a 3-0 sweep of first non-challenge series; Vancouver first PCHA champions
• 1917 Stanley Cup Final, Seattle Ice Arena, Seattle, WA: Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA) beat Montreal Canadiens (NHL), 9-1 for a 3-1 series victory; first US team to win SC
• 1920 79th Grand National: legendary jockey Jack Anthony wins his record 3rd GN aboard 6/1 Troytown
• 1926 85th Grand National: Billy Watkinson victorious aboard 25/1 bet Jack Horner; first Australian jockey to win the race

DiMaggio's New Bat

1937 Joe DiMaggio takes Ty Cobb's advice and replaces his 40 oz bat with a 36 oz one


Baseball PlayerJoe DiMaggio

MLB LegendTy Cobb
NIT Basketball Championship
1945 De Paul wins NIT basketball championship, George Mikan scores 34


NBA CenterGeorge Mikan

• 1945 Venray soccer team forms
• 1949 103rd Grand National: Leo McMorrow aboard 66/1 outsider Russian Hero wins by a comfortable 8 lengths ahead of Roimond
• 1949 11th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Oklahoma State, 46-36; Wildcats' back-to-back titles; center Alex Groza MOP
• 1952 14th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kansas beats St. Johns, 80-63; first tournament to have a true "Final Four" format
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• 1955 109th Grand National: Pat Taaffe wins aboard Quare Times at 100/9; third consecutive GN victory for trainer Vincent O'Brien
• 1955 France misses out on a maiden Grand Slam after losing, 16-11 to Wales at Stade Colombes; share Five Nations Rugby Championship with Wales with 3-1 record
• 1959 Test debut for Pakistani cricketer Mushtaq Mohammad v West Indies, aged 15 years
• 1960 114th Grand National: Gerry Scott wins aboard 13/2 favourite Merryman II; first clear favourite to win in 33 years
• 1960 Orioles-Reds series planned for Havana is moved to Miami
• 1960 USC captures NCAA swimming title
• 1966 120th Grand National: Tim Norman aboard 50/1 outsider Anglo wins by 20 lengths, giving Freddie 2nd place for a second straight year
• 1966 Wales beats France, 9-8 at the National Stadium, Cardiff to clinch their 15th Five Nations Rugby Championship
• 1972 LA Lakers break NBA wins record by winning 69 of 82 games (69-13), record will stand for 24 years

Sports History
1973 35th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Memphis 81-76; Bruins' 7th straight title; future Hall of Fame center Bill Walton tournament MOP for 2nd consecutive year


NBA Center and Television SportscasterBill Walton
Boxing Title Fight
1974 George Foreman TKOs Ken Norton in 2nd round for the WBA, WBC and The Ring heavyweight boxing titles in Caracas, Venezuela


Boxing ChampionGeorge Foreman

Heavyweight BoxerKen Norton

• 1975 Washington Capitals play record NHL 37th road game without a win & NHL record of 17 straight loses

Sports History
1979 41st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Michigan State beats Indiana State, 75-64; marks start of rivalry between future Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Larry Bird; highest-rated game in history of televised college basketball


NBA LegendMagic Johnson

NBA LegendLarry Bird

• 1979 MLB San Diego Padres & San Francisco Giants announce plans to play exhibition series in Tokyo but Giant players reject it
• 1991 Orlando Thunder beats San Antonio Riders in their 1st WLAF game 35-34
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• 1991 Victoria beat NSW by 7 wickets to win Sheffield Shield Final

Sports History
1992 Mike Tyson sentenced to 10 years in rape of Desiree Washington


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMike Tyson

• 1992 NHL NY Rangers clinch 1st NHL regular season championship in 50 years

World Record
1994 American Bonnie Blair skates world record 500 m ladies (38.99 sec) in Calgary, Alberta


Speed SkaterBonnie Blair

• 1995 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Nanci Bowen wins her only major title, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Susie Redman; her sole LPGA Tour victory

PGA Players Championship
1995 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Lee Janzen wins by a stroke ahead of runner-up Bernhard Langer of Germany


Golfer and Two-Time Masters ChampionBernhard Langer
Cricket History
1996 Last day of 1st-class cricket for Allan Border (Qld v Vic)


Test CricketerAllan Border

• 1997 NHL announces Anaheim Mighty Ducks & Vancouver Canucks to open 1998 season in Japan

Golf Major
2000 Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Karrie Webb of Australia wins the first of her 2 titles in this event, 10 strokes ahead of defending champion Dottie Pepper


GolferKarrie Webb
PGA Players Championship
2001 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Tiger Woods wins the first of his 2 PC's, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Vijay Singh of Fiji


GolferTiger Woods

GolferVijay Singh

• 2006 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Canadian Stephen Ames shoots a final round 67 to complete biggest win of his career by 6 strokes from Retief Goosen of South Africa

Laureus Awards
2014 Laureus World Sports Awards, Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Sportsman: Sebastian Vettel; Sportswoman: Genzebe Dibaba; Team: Germany Men's National Football team


Formula 1 DriverSebastian Vettel

• 2021 Scotland beats France 27-23 at Saint-Denis to confirm Wales' 28th Six-Nations Rugby Championship title; Welsh also claim Triple Crown
• 2023 WPL Cricket Final, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai: Mumbai Indians win inaugural tournament beating Delhi Capitals by 7 wickets with 3 balls to spare; Player of the match: Nat Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians) 60no

 

MAR 27

• 1871 First international rugby union match - Scotland beats England, 1-0 at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
• 1873 35th Grand National: J. M. Richardson wins aboard 20/1 shot Disturbance by 6 lengths from Rhyshworth
• 1885 47th Grand National: Jockey Ted Wilson wins his second consecutive GN aboard 10/3 favourite Roquefort

• 1896 58th Grand National: Former owner David Campbell wins aboard 40/1 outsider The Soarer
• 1903 65th Grand National: Percy Woodland aboard 13/2 chance Drumcree wins by 3 lengths from Detail
• 1908 70th Grand National: Henry Bletsoe wins aboard American 66/1 outsider Rubio
• 1914 76th Grand National: Bill Smith aboard Sunloch wins by 8 lengths from Trianon III
• 1925 84th Grand National: Major John Wilson wins aboard 100/9 shot Double Chance; first year a tape, known then as a 'gate', used at the start line

Sports History

1928 US Ladies' Figure Skating championship won by Maribel Vinson


Figure SkaterMaribel Vinson

• 1929 US Ladies' Figure Skating championship won by Maribel Vinson
• 1931 90th Grand National: 9-year-old Grakle, at odds of 100/6 and ridden by jockey Bob Lyall wins by 1.5 lengths from 1929 winner Gregalach
• 1931 John McGraw says night baseball will not catch on
• 1932 De Bataven soccer team forms in Gendt
• 1936 95th Grand National: Fulke Walwyn scores back-to-back GN victories aboard Reynoldstown at 10/1
• 1937 Feijenoord Stadion, home ground of Dutch football club Feyenoord Rotterdam and nicknamed De Kuip opens after 2 years in construction
• 1939 1st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: U of Oregon beats Ohio State, 46-33; Ohio State forward Jimmy Hull is named tournament Most Outstanding Player

Louis vs. Simon
1942 Joe Louis KOs Abe Simon in 6 to retain heavyweight boxing title (NYC)


Boxer and World Heavyweight ChampionJoe Louis

• 1945 7th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Oklahoma State beats NYU, 49-44; Cowboys' center Bob Kurland is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 1951 13th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Kansas, 68-58; Wildcats' 3rd title; 16-team field is introduced

NHL Record
1962 NHL Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante ties record winning 6th NHL Vezina trophy


NHL GoalieJacques Plante

• 1965 119th Grand National: Tommy Smith becomes first American jockey to win GN aboard US trained and owned horse, Jay Trump at 100/6
• 1971 33rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Villanova, 68-62; UCLA's 5th consecutive title; Villanova later disqualified, ineligible player Howard Porter
• 1971 Wales clinches its 17th Five Nations Rugby Championship, 6th Grand Slam and 12th Triple Crown with a 9-5 win over France at Stade Colombes, Paris
• 1973 Dennis Amiss out for 99 v Pakistan, 3rd 99 in Test Cricket

Sports History
1977 American tennis star Chris Evert wins her 4th and final WTA Tour Championship 2–6, 6–1, 6–1 against England's Sue Barker at Madison Square Garden, NYC


Tennis LegendChris Evert

• 1978 40th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Duke, 94-88; Wildcats 5th title; forward Jack Givens scores 41 points
• 1982 Imran takes 14-116 for cricket match v Sri Lanka at Lahore

Boxing Title Fight
1983 Larry Holmes beats Lucien Rodriguez in 12 for heavyweight boxing title


WBC Heavyweight ChampionLarry Holmes

• 1988 Ice Dance Championship at Budapest won by Bestemianova & Bukin (URS)
• 1988 Ladies' Figure Skating Championship in Budapest won by Katarina Witt (GDR)

Sports History
1988 Men's Figure Skating Champions in Budapest won by Brian Boitano (USA)


Figure SkaterBrian Boitano

• 1988 Ok-Hee Ku wins Standard Register Turquoise Classic Golf Tournament
• 1988 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Local resident Mark McCumber wins with record total 273 (−15), 4 strokes ahead of runner-up Mike Reid
• 1989 Delhi beat Bengal by innings & 210 to win Cricket's Ranji Trophy
• 1990 NSW beat Queensland by 345 runs to win Sheffield Shield Final
• 1991 NCAA bans U of Minn football team from postseason play in 1992

Hockey Hall of Fame
1991 Scotty Bowman inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a "builder" of the game


NHL CoachScotty Bowman

• 1994 Ice Dance Championship at Chiba Japan won by Gritschuk & Platov (RUS)

Golf Major
1994 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Donna Andrews wins her only major title by 1 over British runner-up Laura Davies; Andrews birdies final hole while Davies makes bogey.


LPGA GolferLaura Davies
PGA Players Championship
1994 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Australian Greg Norman sets scoring record of 264 (−24) to finish 4 strokes ahead of runner-up Fuzzy Zoeller


GolferGreg Norman

GolferFuzzy Zoeller

• 1998 Chicago Bulls - Atlanta Hawks matchup at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, draws a crowd of 62,046, largest in any game in NBA history; Bulls win, 89-74

PGA Players Championship
2000 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: 1983 champion Hal Sutton leads wire-to-wire to win by a stroke ahead of runner-up Tiger Woods


GolferTiger Woods

• 2004 France beats England, 24-21 at Stade de France, Saint Denis to complete a Grand Slam and win the Six Nations Rugby Championship; England earns the Triple Crown

Golf Major
2005 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Annika Sörenstam of Sweden wins event for the 3rd time, 8 strokes ahead of American Rosie Jones


GolferAnnika Sörenstam

• 2023 Caitlin Clark records 41 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for Iowa against Louisville

 

MAR 28

• 1879 41st Grand National: Garry Moore aboard 5/1 chance The Liberator wins by 2 lengths from Jackal
• 1884 46th Grand National: Ted Wilson aboard 10/1 shot Voluptuary wins by 4 lengths from Frigate
• 1890 52nd Grand National: Arthur Nightingall wins aboard 4/1 favourite Ilex

• 1891 1st world weightlifting championship won by Edward Lawrence in London, England
• 1919 78th Grand National: Ernie Piggott wins aboard Poethlyn; shortest price winner in history at 11-4
• 1922 Stanley Cup Final, Mutual Street Arena, Toronto, ON: Toronto St Patricks (NHL) beat Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA), 5-1 for a 3-2 series win
• 1924 83rd Grand National: Bob Trudgill wins aboard 25/1 shot Master Robert; last GN from a general riding start, now-familiar 'tape' introduced the following year.
• 1933 1st SEC Men's Basketball Tournament: Kentucky beats Mississippi State, 46-27
• 1939 Renaissance Big 5 win 1st pro basketball championship
• 1942 4th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Stanford beats Dartmouth, 53-38; Cardinal forward Howie Dallmar is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 1944 6th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Utah defeats Dartmouth, 42-40; Utes' first title; small forward Arnie Ferrin is named tournament MOP
• 1950 12th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: CCNY beats Bradley, 71-68; City College of NY first to win NCAA & National Invitational Basketball in same year

Sports History

1952 US Ladies' Figure Skating championship won by Tenley Albright


Figure SkaterTenley Albright

• 1953 107th Grand National: Bryan Marshall wins aboard Irish 8-year old Early Mist; first of 3 consecutive GN victories for trainer Vincent O'Brien
• 1953 US Ladies' Figure Skating championship won by Tenley Albright
• 1955 NZ cricket all out for 26 v England at Eden Park
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• 1957 1st National Curling Championship held
• 1962 Devastating 8 for 6 spell by West Indian spin bowler Lance Gibbs gives home side innings & 30 run 3rd Test win over India in Bridgetown
• 1963 AFL's NY Titan's become the NY Jets

Sports History
1972 Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game


NBA LegendWilt Chamberlain

• 1975 NHL Washington Capitals win 1st game on road after 37 straight road loses
• 1976 AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament, Delta States beat Immaculata, 69-64 at Pennsylvania State University
• 1977 39th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Marquette beats North Carolina, 67-59; Warriors' first title; coach Al McGuire retires

Sports History
1981 Martina Navratilova beats 16-year-old American tennis prodigy Andrea Jaeger 6-3, 7-6 in the final of the WTA Tour Championships at Madison Square Garden, NYC


Tennis PlayerMartina Navratilova

Tennis PlayerAndrea Jaeger
Sports History
1981 Viv Richards scores century in the 1st Test at his home Antigua


Cricketer and Master BlasterViv Richards

• 1982 1st NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Louisiana Tech beats Cheney, 76-62; Lady Techsters' forward Janice Lawrence tournament MOP
• 1982 Last AIAW Women's Basketball Championship, Rutgers beat Texas 83-77 in Philadelphia
• 1983 PGA Tournament Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Hal Sutton comes from 4 strokes back with a final round 69 to win a rain-affected Monday finish by 1 stroke ahead of Bob Eastwood
• 1989 New Zealand wins America's Cup over Stars & Stripes, in a NY court
• 1990 Bengal beat Delhi in rained-out cricket Ranji Trophy final on quotient

NBA Record
1990 Michael Jordan scores 69 points, 4th time he scores 60 pts in a game


Basketball SuperstarMichael Jordan

Sports History
1990 US President George H. W. Bush posthumously awards Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal


Track and Field AthleteJesse Owens

41st US PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
Sports History
1991 Mike Tyson admits paternity in Manhattan Family Court to Kimberly Scarborough's infant daughter


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMike Tyson

• 1993 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Helen Alfredsson of Sweden wins her only major title, 2 strokes ahead of 3 runners-up; first non-American to win the event as a major

PGA Players Championship
1993 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Nick Price of Zimbabwe sets a scoring record of 270 (−18) to finish 5 strokes ahead of Germany's Bernhard Langer


GolferNick Price

Golfer and Two-Time Masters ChampionBernhard Langer

• 1995 Queensland beat South Australia in cricket to win the 1st ever Sheffield Shield
• 1999 18th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Purdue beats Duke, 62-45; Boilermakers' Ukari Figgs is named Most Outstanding Player

Golf Major
1999 Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: 1992 champion Dottie Pepper wins the last of her 2 major titles, 6 strokes ahead of runner-up Meg Mallon


LPGA GolferMeg Mallon
PGA Players Championship
1999 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: David Duval wins by 2 strokes from Scott Gump; Duval's father Bob wins Senior Tour's Emerald Coast Classic on the same day


GolferDavid Duval

• 2004 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Grace Park wins her only major title by 1 stroke, sinking a 6-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole; fellow South Korean Aree Song is runner-up
• 2004 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: 23-year old Australian Adam Scott holds on for his 2nd PGA Tour title, 1 stroke ahead of Irishman Pádraig Harrington

PGA Players Championship
2005 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: 48-year old Fred Funk becomes oldest event winner, 1 stroke ahead of runners-up Luke Donald, Tom Lehman, and Scott Verplank


GolferTom Lehman

GolferFred Funk

• 2007 Sri Lankan cricket fast bowler Lasith Malinga produces unprecedented sequence of 4 wickets in 4 balls, as South Africa scrambles to a 1-wicket Super 8's ICC World Cup win in Guyana
• 2018 Captain Steve Smith and David Warner are suspended by Cricket Australia for 12 months, and Cameron Bancroft (9 months) for their part in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa

 

MAR 29

• 1873 English FA Cup Final, Lillie Bridge, London: Wanderers beat Oxford University, 2-0; second consecutive title
• 1878 40th Grand National: John Jones aboard 7/1 chance Shifnal wins by 2 lengths from Martha
• 1879 English FA Cup Final, Kennington Oval, London: Old Etonians beat Clapham Rovers, 1-0; Charles Clerke scores winner

• 1889 51st Grand National: Jockey Tommy Beasley wins his third GN aboard Irish 2-time runner-up Frigate at 8/1
• 1895 57th Grand National: Joe Widger aboard 10/1 chance Wild Man From Borneo wins by 1.5 lengths from Cathal
• 1901 63rd Grand National: Jockey Arthur Nightingall wins his 3rd GN aboard 9/1 shot Grudon in a howling snowstorm
• 1912 74th Grand National: Ernie Piggott wins aboard 4/1 co-favourite Jerry M
• 1929 Stanley Cup Final, Madison Square Garden: Boston Bruins beat New York Rangers, 2-1 for a 2-0 series sweep; Boston's first Championship
• 1930 89h Grand National: 10-year-old 100/8 shot Shaun Goilin, ridden by jockey Tommy Cullinan, wins by a neck from Melleray's Belle
• 1935 94th Grand National: Frank Furlong wins aboard Reynoldstown at 22/1; stallion repeats with back-to-back victory the following year

Louis vs Paycheck

1940 American boxer Joe Louis KOs Johnny Paycheck in 2 rounds to retain heavyweight boxing title


Boxer and World Heavyweight ChampionJoe Louis

• 1941 3rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wisconsin beats Washington State, 39-34; Badgers' forward John Kotz is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 1946 1st Test Cricket between Australia & NZ
• 1946 Australian cricket bowlers Bill O'Reilly (5/14) and Ernie Toshack (4/12) rout NZ for 42 in one-off Test in Wellington; Test debuts of greats Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller & Don Tallon
• 1947 101st Grand National: 100/1 Irish outsider Caughoo ridden by 35-year-old jockey Eddie Dempsey wins by 20 lengths from Lough Conn
• 1948 Drachtster Boys soccer team forms in Drachten, Netherland
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• 1948 New York Yankees & Boston Red Sox tie at 2-2 in 17, spring training game
• 1958 112th Grand National: Arthur Freeman aboard 18/1 bet Mr. What wins by 30 lengths from Tiberetta

Cricket History
1959 West Indian cricket fast bowler Wes Hall dismisses Pakistani batsmen Mushtaq Mohammad, Fazal Mahmood and Nasim-ul-Ghani for a hat-trick in 3rd Test at Lahore


CricketerFazal Mahmood
Boxing Title Fight
1966 Muhammad Ali beats George Chuvalo in 15 for heavyweight boxing title


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMuhammad Ali

• 1969 123rd Grand National: Eddie P. Harty Sr. aboard 100/9 chance Highland Wedding wins by 12 lengths from Steel Bridge
• 1970 Manchester City of England win 10th European Cup Winner's Cup against Górnik Zabrze of Poland 2-1 in Vienna

Sports History
1973 Boston Celtic Dave Cowens wins NBA MVP


NBA Center and Head CoachDave Cowens

• 1975 Only 2nd time Islanders beat Rangers
• 1976 38th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Michigan, 86-68; first time 2 teams from same conference (Big Ten) play in title game
• 1979 Delhi beats Karnataka by 399 runs to win Cricket's Ranji Trophy
• 1979 Last day of Test cricket for Pakistani cricketer Mushtaq Mohammad
• 1980 134th Grand National: American amateur rider Charlie Fenwick wins aboard 40/1 outsider Ben Nevis; only 4 from 30 starters finish race
• 1981 AIAW Women's Basketball Championship, Louisiana Tech beat Tennessee 79-59 in Eugene
• 1981 Tiina Lehtola ski jumps female record 110m

Sports History
1982 44th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Georgetown, 63-62; Tar Heels' future Hall of Fame small forward James Worthy named Tournament Most Outstanding Player


NBA Small ForwardJames Worthy

• 1984 NFL Baltimore Colts move to Indianapolis

NHL Record
1985 Wayne Gretzky breaks own NHL season record with 126th assist


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky

• 1987 6th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee routs Louisiana 67-44; Lady Vols guard Tonya Edwards MOP
• 1987 PGA Tournament Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Sandy Lyle of Scotland defeats Jeff Sluman on the 3rd hole of a sudden-death playoff to become the first international player to win the title
• 1989 1st Soviet hockey players are permitted to play for the NHL
• 1992 Ice Dance Championship in Oakland, California won by Klimova & Ponomarenko (CIS)

Sports History
1992 Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Oakland, California won by Kristi Yamaguchi (USA)


Figure SkaterKristi Yamaguchi

• 1992 Men's Figure Skating Championship in Oakland, California won by Viktor Petrenko (CIS)
• 1992 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Dottie Pepper (Mochrie) wins the first of her 2 major titles in a sudden-death playoff with Juli Inkster with par on the 1st extra hole

PGA Players Championship
1992 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Davis Love III wins by 4 strokes ahead of runners-up Ian Baker-Finch, Phil Blackmar, Nick Faldo, and Tom Watson.


Golfer and Six-Time Major Championship WinnerNick Faldo

GolferTom Watson

GolferDavis Love III

• 1993 Queensland all out for 75 v NSW in Sheffield Shield Final

Sports History
1994 Coach Jimmy Johnson quits Dallas Cowboys


NFL Head CoachJimmy Johnson
Cricket History
1994 Last day of Test cricket for Allan Border


Test CricketerAllan Border

• 1996 Cleveland Browns choose new name for their relocated team - Baltimore Ravens
• 1996 NY Yankees beats NY Mets 7-3 in an exhibition game
• 1997 1st game at Turner Field Atlanta, Braves beats Yanks 2-0 (exhibition)
• 1998 17th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Louisiana Tech, 93-75; Volunteers' 3-peat, completing undefeated season (39–0)
• 1998 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Pat Hurst wins her only major title, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Helen Dobson after sinking a 5-foot birdie putt at the final green

PGA Players Championship
1998 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Justin Leonard recovers from 5 strokes back to finish 2 strokes ahead of runners-up Glen Day and Tom Lehman


GolferTom Lehman

• 1999 61st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Duke, 77-74; Huskies' first title in first title game
• 2015 Cricket World Cup, Melbourne (MCG): Australia defeats fellow host New Zealand by 7 wickets to win their 5th title; Player of Series: Mitchell Starc
• 2015 ICC Men's Cricket ODI World Cup, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia: Australia win their fourth title with 7 wicket win over New Zealand, 101 balls remaining; Player of the Match: James Faulkner (AUS) 3/36

 

MAR 30

• 1883 45th Grand National: Austrian breeder, owner Count Karel Kinsky rides Zoedone to 10 length win; only 10 starters, the smallest GN field in history; first winning jockey from outside Britain and Ireland
• 1894 56th Grand National: Jockey Arthur Nightingall wins his second GN aboard 5/1 joint favourite Why Not

62nd Grand National

1900 62nd Grand National: Algy Anthony wins aboard Ambush II; owner is Prince Of Wales (King Edward VII)


King of EnglandEdward VII

• 1906 68th Grand National: Aubrey Hastings wins aboard 20/1 shot Ascetic's Silver
• 1916 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens (NHA) beat Portland Rosebuds (PCHA), 2-1 for a 3-2 series victory
• 1918 Stanley Cup, Mutual Street Arena, Toronto, ON: Toronto Arenas (NHL) beat Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA), 2-1 for a 3-2 series victory; first series contested by the new NHL
• 1925 Stanley Cup Final, Patrick Arena, Victoria, BC: Victoria Cougars (WCHL) beat Montreal Canadiens (NHL), 6-1 for a 3-1 series win; last non-NHL team to win trophy
• 1928 87th Grand National: Mr. William Dutton aboard 100/1 long-shot Tipperary Tim wins as all of the 41 other starters fall during the race
• 1930 Babberich-H soccer team forms
• 1940 2nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Kansas, 60-42; Hoosiers' forward Marvin Huffman is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 1943 5th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wyoming beats Georgetown, 46-34; Cowboys' point guard Ken Sailors is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 1946 Australia beats NZ in cricket at 3 30pm on 2nd day
• 1946 Last Test Cricket appearance of Bill O'Reilly (5-14 & 3-19)

Babe Didrikson Zaharias
1947 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Babe Didrikson Zaharias wins her first of 3 Titleholders titles by 5 strokes ahead of Dorothy Kirby


All-Round Athlete and GolferBabe Didrikson Zaharias
Cricket Debut
1954 Test Cricket debut of West Indian great Garfield Sobers vs England at Kingston Oval, Barbados


CricketerGarfield Sobers

• 1957 111th Grand National: Fred Winter aboard 20/1 bet Sundew wins by 8 lengths from Wyndburgh
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• 1963 117th Grand National: 19-year old jockey Pat Buckley aboard 66/1 outsider Ayala wins by 3/4 of a length from Carrickbeg
• 1968 122nd Grand National: 20-year old Brian Fletcher aboard 100/7 chance Red Alligator rides the first of 3 GN victories
• 1974 128th Grand National: Brian Fletcher aboard Red Rum wins for the 2nd consecutive year; horse goes on to win 1977 race for 3 GN victories; Fletcher's record 3rd GN win
• 1975 Ron Lalonde scores the 1st hat trick by a Washington Capital

Sports History
1981 43rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats North Carolina, 63-50; Hoosiers' future Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas is named Tournament Most Outstanding Player


NBA Point Guard and CoachIsiah Thomas

• 1985 139th Grand National: Welsh jockey Hywel Davies aboard 11-year old 50/1 outsider Last Suspect wins by 1½ lengths from Mr. Snugfit
• 1985 Ireland beats England, 13-10 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin to clinch its 10th outright Five Nations Rugby Championship and 6th triple Crown
• 1986 5th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Texas beats USC, 97-81; Longhorns' Clarissa Davis MOP award; complete first undefeated season (34-0)
• 1986 PGA Tournament Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: John Mahaffey wins by 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Larry Mize

Golf Tournament
1990 Jack Nicklaus makes his debut on the Senior PGA Tour with a 71 (-1) in the first round of The Tradition at Desert Mountain; wins the event by 4 strokes from Gary Player


GolferJack Nicklaus

GolferGary Player

• 1991 1st exhibition baseball games at Joe Robbie Stadium (Yanks-Orioles)
• 1991 Northern Michigan wins its 1st NCAA hockey title

Sports History
1992 Man accidentally backs into Oakland A's Jose Canseco's $225,000 Lamborghini


MLB PlayerJosé Canseco

• 1993 New South Wales beat Qld by eight wkts to win Sheffield Shield
• 1993 Punjab beat Maharashtra by 120 runs to win Cricket's Ranji Trophy
• 
  
• 1994 Bombay beat Bengal by 8 wickets to win Cricket's Ranji Trophy
• 1994 England Cricket all out for 46 at Port-of-Spain
• 1996 149th Grand National: 7/1 favourite Rough Quest, ridden by Irish jockey Mick Fitzgerald wins by 1¼ lengths from Encore Un Peu

Cricket History
1996 Lara hits 146 cricket not out in ODI vs NZ at Port-Of-Spain


CricketerBrian Lara

• 1996 NY Mets beats NY Yankees 5-3 in an exhibition game
• 1997 16th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Old Dominion, 68-59; Volunteers 5th national title

Golf Major
1997 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: 41-year old Betsy King wins her 3rd title in this event, 2 strokes ahead of Kris Tschetter and Amy Fruhwirth; last of her 6 major titles


LPGA GolferBetsy King
PGA Players Championship
1997 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Steve Elkington of Australia leads wire-to-wire to win his 2nd PC title, a record 7 strokes ahead of runner-up Scott Hoch.


Golfer and PGA ChampionSteve Elkington

• 1998 60th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Utah, 78-69; Wildcats' 2nd title in 3 seasons and 7th overall

World Record
2001 At 15 years, 9 months American swimmer Michael Phelps breaks 200m butterfly world record at the US World Championship trials at Austin, Texas; becomes youngest male to set a world mark


SwimmerMichael Phelps
Sports History
2003 In a final match decider, England beats Ireland 42-6 in Dublin to complete a Grand Slam and win the Six Nations Rugby Championship; Jonny Wilkinson kicks 3 conversions, a penalty and 2 dropped goals for England


Rugby PlayerJonny Wilkinson
Golf Major
2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Patricia Meunier-Lebouc of France wins her only major title, 1 stroke ahead of the 2-time defending champion Annika Sörenstam of Sweden


GolferAnnika Sörenstam
PGA Players Championship
2003 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Davis Love III shoots a final round 64 to win his 2nd Players title, 6 strokes ahead of runners-up Jay Haas and Pádraig Harrington


GolferDavis Love III

• 2020 International Olympic Committee announces postponed 2020 Summer Olympic Games will be held July 23-August 8 in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic

Cricket History
2022 State memorial service held for Australian cricketing great Shane Warne at Melbourne Cricket Ground, attended by 50,000


Cricketer and BroadcasterShane Warne

 

MAR 31

• EVENTS
• BIRTHDAYS
• DEATHS

Fred "The Demon" Spofforth
1877 Test Cricket debut of feared Australian fast bowler Fred "The Demon" Spofforth; Australia loses 2nd Test by 4 wickets vs England at Melbourne Cricket Ground


CricketerFred Spofforth

• 1905 67th Grand National: Frank Mason victorious aboard Kirkland; first Welsh-trained horse to win the event
• 1909 National Baseball Commission rules players who jump contracts to be suspended for 5 years; players joining outlaw organizations suspended for 3 years
• 1923 First dance marathon in New York City; Alma Cummings sets record of 27 hours with 6 different partners
• 1923 Stanley Cup Final, Denman Arena, Vancouver, BC: Ottawa Senators (NHL) edge Edmonton Eskimos (WCHL), 1-0 for a 2-0 series sweep
• 1955 West Indies cricket all-rounder Collie Smith scores 104 in his Test debut in a 9 wicket 1st Test defeat to Australia in Kingston, Jamaica
• 1962 116th Grand National: Fred Winter aboard 28/1 shot Kilmore wins by 10 lengths from Wyndburgh
• 1973 127th Grand National: Brian Fletcher wins aboard 9/1 co-favourite Red Rum; recovers from 15 lengths behind at final fence; first of Red Rum's record 3 GN victories

Sports History
1973 American tennis star Billie Jean King ends Australian Margaret Court's 57-match winning streak 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 in semi finals of the WTA event in Indianapolis, IN


Tennis LegendBillie Jean King
NHL Record
1973 Boston Bruins defenceman Bobby Orr scores his 3rd career hat trick in a 7-3 loss at Toronto to become the first player in NHL history to score 100 points for 4 straight seasons


Ice Hockey LegendBobby Orr
Sports History
1973 Muhammad Ali suffers a broken jaw in a shock split-points decision loss to Ken Norton over 12 rounds in San Diego; Ali wins rematch in another controversial split decision


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMuhammad Ali

Heavyweight BoxerKen Norton

• 1973 Philadelphia Flyers score an NHL record tying 8 goals from an astounding 60 shots in the 2nd period of a 10-2 win over New York Islanders

Sports History
1974 American golfer Lee Trevino goes bogey-free for the full 4 rounds as he wins the Greater New Orleans Open by 8 strokes from Bobby Cole and Ben Crenshaw


GolferBen Crenshaw

GolferLee Trevino

• 1975 37th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Kentucky, 92-85; 10th title under coach John Wooden who had announced his retirement 2 days earlier
• 1976 Cleveland Cavaliers beat Jazz, 110-101 in New Orleans to clinch club's first ever NBA playoff berth
• 1979 133rd Grand National: Maurice Barnes victorious aboard Rubstic; first Scottish-trained horse to win the event
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• 1979 Montreal Canadiens beat visiting Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-3 to become just the 2nd team in NHL history to win 50 (or more) games for 4 straight years

Boxing Title Fight
1980 Almost concurrent heavyweight boxing championship fights: Larry Holmes TKOs Leroy Jones in 8 for WBC title in Las Vegas, NV whilst Mike Weaver KOs John Tate in 15 for WBA belt in Knoxville, TN


WBC Heavyweight ChampionLarry Holmes

BoxerMike Weaver

• 1982 NBA and Players Association reach a 4-year agreement that includes a 53% revenue-sharing plan in return for minimum & maximum payrolls; first of its kind in team sports
• 1984 138th Grand National: Neale Doughty wins aboard 13/1 Hallo Dandy; 23 complete the course, breaking record for most finishers

Sports History
1984 Mike Bossy becomes first player in NHL history to record 7 straight 50 goal seasons; scores 50th and 51st of the year in a 3-1 New York Islanders' win at Washington


Ice Hockey GreatMike Bossy

• 1985 4th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Old Dominion beats Georgia, 70-65; Monarchs' Tracy Claxton, MOP
• 1985 PGA Tournament Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Calvin Peete shoots final round 66 to win by 3 strokes from D. A. Weibring; Peete only player to break par in all 4 rounds
• 1986 48th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Louisville beats Duke, 72-69; first tournament to use a shot clock (initially set at 45 seconds)
• 1987 49th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Syracuse, 74-73; Hoosiers' guard Keith Smart hits game-winner in final seconds, intercepts full court pass at the last second

Sports History
1988 New York Islanders celebrate defenseman Denis Potvin's 1,000 points and 1,000 NHL games at tribute night at Nassau Coliseum


NHL StarDenis Potvin
Sports History
1990 20-year old Quebec Nordiques' center Joe Sakic scores a goal in a 3-2 loss to Hartford to become the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season


NHL LegendJoe Sakic

• 1991 10th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Virginia, 70-67; first overtime win in the NCAA's 10-year history

Golf Major
1991 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Amy Alcott breaks her own scoring record to win her 3rd DS by 8 strokes over Dottie Pepper; her 5th major title, and 29th & final LPGA Tour win


GolferAmy Alcott
PGA Players Championship
1991 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Australian Steve Elkington birdies final hole to win by 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Fuzzy Zoeller


Golfer and PGA ChampionSteve Elkington

GolferFuzzy Zoeller
Sports History
1991 St. Louis Blues' future Hockey Hall of Fame right wing Brett Hull scores his 86th goal of the season in a 2-1 win over Minnesota North Stars; 3rd best total in NHL history


NHL LegendBrett Hull

• 1992 Phoenix coach Cotton Fitzsimmons guides the Suns to a 128-111 home win over Portland to become the 6th coach in NBA history to record 800 career wins
• 1992 Ranji Trophy Cricket Final, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi: Delhi (Ajay Sharma 175 in 532) beats Tamil Nadu (449) on 1st innings

Sports History
1994 Chicago White Sox assigns former NBA superstar Michael Jordan to the Birmingham Barons of Class AA Southern League; returns to NBA after one season


Basketball SuperstarMichael Jordan

• 1995 Federal judge Sonia Sotomayor of US District Court in NYC issues an injunction against Major League Baseball owners in move that effectively ends 232-day strike
• 1995 Ranji Trophy Cricket Final, Wankhede Stadium, Bombay: Bombay (Sanjay Manjrekar 224 in 6/690) beats Punjab (Vikram Rathour 177 in 372) on 1st innings

Davis Cup
1995 Second time in tennis history, world #1 and #2 ranked players play in the same Davis Cup team; Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi score victories in US quarter-final win against Italy in Palermo


Tennis PlayerPete Sampras

Tennis LegendAndre Agassi

• 1996 15th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Georgia, 83-65; 3 Volunteers in All-Tournament team: Michelle Marciniak, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tiffani Johnson
• 1996 First time in MLB history, the regular season opens in March with Seattle Mariners beating Chicago White Sox, 3-2 in 12 innings at the Kingdome, Seattle

Golf Major
1996 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Patty Sheehan wIns by 1 stroke ahead of runners-up Meg Mallon, Kelly Robbins and Annika Sörenstam


LPGA GolferMeg Mallon

LPGA GolferPatty Sheehan

GolferAnnika Sörenstam
PGA Players Championship
1996 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Fred Couples shoots a final round 64 to win his 2nd PC title, 4 strokes ahead of runners-up Colin Montgomerie and Tommy Tolles


Golfer and Masters ChampionFred Couples

GolferColin Montgomerie

• 1996 Ranji Trophy Cricket Final, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Madras: Karnataka (Vijay Bharadwaj 146 of 8/620) beats Tamil Nadu (370) on 1st innings
• 1997 59th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Arizona beats Kentucky, 84-79 (OT); Wildcats' first title in first title game

Cricket Debut
1997 West Indies cricketers win 3rd Test at Bridgetown, Barbados by 38 runs after setting India a modest 120 run target; tourists dismissed for 81 in Brian Lara's debut as Windies' captain


CricketerBrian Lara

• 1998 Expansion clubs, Tampa Bay and Arizona both suffer bad losses in their MLB debuts; Devil Rays lose, 11-6 to the Detroit Tigers and the Diamondbacks fall, 9-2 to Colorado Rockies
• 1998 Milwaukee becomes first team since the inception of the American League in 1901 to switch MLB leagues; Brewers lose first NL game, 2-1 to the Braves in Atlanta

Sports History
2001 German brothers Michael and Ralf Schumacher become first siblings to share front row of the grid in a Formula 1 World Championship event; qualify 1st and 2nd respectively for Brazilian GP in São Paulo


Formula 1 DriverRalf Schumacher

• 2002 21st NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Oklahoma, 82-70; Huskies conclude perfect season (39-0)

Sports History
2002 Andre Agassi wins his 700th career match and captures his second straight Key Biscayne title with a 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 win over Roger Federer at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Florida

Golf Major
2002 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Defending champion Annika Sörenstam of Sweden shoots a final round 68 to win, 1 stroke ahead of compatriot Liselotte Neumann

Sports History
2003 Cincinnati Reds open their new home, The Great American Ball Park, with a 10-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates; former President George H. W. Bush throws first ceremonial pitch

• 2004 Australian swimmer Lisbeth Lenton breaks Inge de Bruijn's 4-year old 100m freestyle women's world record in 53.66s at the Australian Olympic trials in Sydney
• 2004 With a 12-1 defeat of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Tokyo, NY Yankees starter Kevin Brown becomes only the 2nd pitcher in MLB history to have beaten all 30 teams

 

APR 1

• 1888 Students from Rotterdam, Netherlands establish a cricket club called Rotterdamsche Cricket & Football Club Sparta which evolves into Sparta Rotterdam
• 1919 Stanley Cup Final, Seattle Ice Arena, Seattle, WA: With Montreal Canadiens (NHL) & Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA) tied at 2-2-1, trophy not awarded due to worldwide flu epidemic
• 1920 Stanley Cup Final, Mutual Street Arena, Toronto, ON: Jack Darragh scores a hat-trick as Ottawa Senators (NHL) beat Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA), 6-1 for a 3-2 series win

• 1926 Montreal Maroons' Clint Benedict becomes first NHL goalie to record 3 straight playoff shutouts, in a 3-0 win against the visiting Victoria Cougars in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Championship series

Jones' 13 Stroke Win

1930 American golfer Bobby Jones starts his Grand Slam season by winning the Southeastern Open by 13 strokes over Horton Smith at the Forest Hills-Ricker Golf Course in Atlanta, Georgia


GolferBobby Jones

• 1930 Chicago Cubs catcher Leo Hartnett breaks the altitude record for a catch by gloving a baseball dropped from the Goodyear blimp 800 feet over Los Angeles, California
• 1931 Jackie Mitchell becomes the second female (after Lizzie Arlington 1898) in organised baseball when she signs with the Chattanooga Lookouts Baseball Club
• 1933 England cricket batsman Wally Hammond smashes 34 fours, 10 sixes in a Test record unbeaten 336 in the drawn 2nd Test against New Zealand in Auckland
• 1933 Scotland beats Ireland, 8-6 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin to win the Home Nations Rugby Championship and Triple Crown

Louis vs. Thomas
1938 World heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis KOs Harry Thomas in 5th round of their title bout in Chicago; 3rd defense by Louis


Boxer and World Heavyweight ChampionJoe Louis

• 1948 Fast bowler Hines Johnson has match figures of 10-96 on debut in West Indies 4th cricket Test win v England in Kingston, Jamaica; first fast bowler to take 10 wickets in a single Test for West Indies

Three West Indian Centuries
1953 West Indian cricket batsmen Frank Worrell (237), Clyde Walcott (118) and Everton Weekes (109) all make centuries in 1st innings of drawn 5th Test v India in Kingston, Jamaica


West Indian CricketerEverton Weekes
Gordie Howe Fastest Goal
1954 Detroit Red Wings right wing Gordie Howe scores 2 goals and an assist, and sets a Stanley Cup playoff record for fastest goal from the start of a game 09) in a 4-3 2OT win over Toronto in Game 5 of the Semi-Finals


Ice Hockey LegendGordie Howe
Sports History
1963 NY Mets purchase future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Duke Snider from the LA Dodgers for $40,000; Snider had starred for the Brooklyn Dodgers 1947-57


Baseball Hall of Fame OutfielderDuke Snider

• 1969 Seattle Pilots trade little-known minor league outfielder Lou Piniella to KC Royals for 2 prospects; hits .282 with 11 HRs & 68 RBI to win AL Rookie of the Year; becomes leading MLB manager
• 1970 Federal Bankruptcy Referee Sidney Volinn declares MLB's Seattle Pilots bankrupt; car dealer Bud Selig buys franchise for $10.8 million and moves club to Milwaukee (Brewers)
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• 1972 MLB players stage first ever collective strike; play resumes (13/4/72) when owners and players agree to $500,000 increase in pension fund payments

NBA Record
1973 Boston Celtics captain John Havlicek scores career high 54 points in 134-109 rout of Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of 1st round Eastern Conference playoffs; hits NBA playoff record 24-of-36 field-goal attempts


NBA Small forwardJohn Havlicek
Sports History
1973 Despite a final round, 5-3 loss to Montreal, Boston Bruins center Phil Esposito wins his third consecutive NHL scoring title with 130 points from 55 goals and 75 assists in the 78-game season


NHL StarPhil Esposito

• 1978 132nd Grand National: Bob Davies aboard 14/1 chance Lucius wins by half a length from Sebastian V

Sports History
1978 New York Islanders right wing Mike Bossy becomes first NHL rookie to score 50 goals in a season after scoring #50 and #51 in the closing moments in a 3-2 win over Washington


Ice Hockey GreatMike Bossy
Sports History
1981 Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky has an assist (his 103rd) in the Oilers 4-4 tie with Colorado Rockies to break Bobby Orr's 10-year mark for most assists in a single NHL season


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky
NHL Record
1982 Quebec center Peter Šťastný scores 4th career hat trick and 4 assists, and his brother Marián adds 5 assists to lead the Nordiques to an 8-5 win at Boston


Ice Hockey PlayerPeter Šťastný

• 1984 3rd NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: USC goes back-to-back; beats Tennessee, 72-61; Cheryl Miller 2nd consecutive MOP award

PGA Players Championship
1984 PGA Tournament Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: 24-year old Fred Couples finishes at 277 (-11), 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Lee Trevino


Golfer and Masters ChampionFred Couples

GolferLee Trevino

• 1985 47th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Villanova beats Georgetown, 66-64; Wildcats lowest-seeded team (8th) to win tournament
• 1986 Ranji Trophy Men's Cricket, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi: Delhi beats Haryana by innings & 141; Manoj Prabhakar 113, Kirti Azad 107, Mohinder Amarnath 194, Ajay Sharma 110

Sports History
1989 A. Bartlett Giamatti replaces Peter Ueberroth as 7th commissioner of Major League Baseball; dies suddenly of a heart attack 5 months later


Olympic Executive and Commissioner of BaseballPeter Ueberroth

• 1990 9th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Stanford beats Auburn, 88-81; Cardinal point guard Jennifer Azzi MOP

Golf Major
1990 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Betsy King wIns the 2nd of her 3 Dinah Shore events, 2 strokes ahead of Shirley Furlong and Kathy Postlewait


LPGA GolferBetsy King
Golf Tournament
1990 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Jack Nicklaus wins his first start on the Senior PGA Tour by 4 strokes from Gary Player


GolferJack Nicklaus

GolferGary Player

• 1991 53rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Kansas, 72-65; Blue Devils' first title; power forward Christian Laettner MOP
• 1992 NHL players begin first strike in 75-year history; 10 day action earns large playoff bonus increase, more control over licensing of their likenesses and changes to free agency system
• 1992 Sheffield Shield Men's Cricket Final, Perth: West Australia beats NSW by 44 runs; Justin Langer 149
• 1993 Reigning NASCAR Winston Cup champion Alan Kulwicki perishes in a private plane crash en route to Bristol for the Food City 500
• 1995 Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton scores fastest goal in English Premier League history when he nets after 12.94 seconds in 2-1 win at Everton
• 1995 New York Islanders retire Swedish right wing Bobby Nystrom's uniform #23
• 1996 58th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Syracuse, 76-67; Wildcats' 6th national championship
• 1996 Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Boston MA on WBCN 104.1 FM (morn)
• 1996 Veteran American MLB umpire John McSheery dies of heart attack while umpiring on Opening Day at the Cincinnati Reds' Riverfront Stadium; he was 51
• 1999 Detroit Pistons guard Joe Dumars becomes 10th player in NBA history to play 1,000 games with the same team and one of 8 to play 1,000 games with his only team; scores 18 points in 107-75 rout of Chicago Bulls
• 1999 Philadelphia 76ers head coach Larry Brown wins his 900th pro game with an 88-84 win over Miami Heat; Brown record: 671-547 NBA, 229-107 ABA, combined 900-654

Boxing Title Fight
2000 American boxer Chris Byrd wins WBO Heavyweight title after Ukrainian champion Vitali Klitschko retires with a shoulder injury at the end of the 9th round in Berlin, Germany


Boxer and Mayor of KyivVitali Klitschko

• 2000 Michelle Kwan pushes through all 7 triple jumps at the Palais des Exposition in Nice, France to become the first American since Peggy Flemming to win 3 world figure skating titles
• 2001 20th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Notre Dame beats Purdue, 68-66; Fighting Irish forward Ruth Riley is named Most Outstanding Player
• 2002 64th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Maryland beats Indiana, 64-52; Terrapins' first title in first title game

Phelps Smashes 400m Medley Record
2007 American super swimmer Michael Phelps smashes his own world record in the 400m individual medley (4:06.22) to win his record 7th gold medal at the World Championships in Melbourne, Australia


SwimmerMichael Phelps
36th Kraft Nabisco Championship
2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Morgan Pressel wins by 1 from Brittany Lincicome, Catriona Matthew & Suzann Pettersen; youngest-ever winner of an LPGA major at 18 years, 313 days


GolferSuzann Pettersen

GolferCatriona Matthew

GolferBrittany Lincicome

• 2008 New York Yankees set a MLB record by winning their 11th straight home opener, 3-2 against Toronto Blue Jays
• 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Sun-Young Yoo wins sudden-death playoff on 1st extra hole after I.K. Kim misses a one-foot putt on the 72nd hole for the win
• 2016 The Golden State Warriors NBA record winning home run ends at 54 games with a 109-106 defeat to the Boston Celtics; the loss at Oracle Arena was the Warriors’ first since January 2015
• 2018 37th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Notre Dame beats Mississippi State, 61-58; Fighting Irish forward Jessica Shepard, 19 points
• 2020 All England Lawn Tennis Club cancels Wimbledon for the first time since World War II because of the COVID-19 pandemic; entire grass-court season abandoned

 

APR 2

• 1902 Dutch football club Maatschappelijke Voetbal Vereniging (MVV) is established in Maastricht, Netherlands
• 1906 Dave Nourse takes 4 wickets and Reggie Schwarz 3 as South Africa wins the 5th cricket Test in Cape Town to complete a 4-1 series drubbing of England

Girl Strikes Out Ruth, Gehrig

1931 17-year old girl Jackie Mitchell strikes out New York Yankees stars Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition baseball game at Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth

Baseball PlayerLou Gehrig

Tarzan the Ape Man
1932 "Tarzan the Ape Man" released starring Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller in the first of his 12 Tarzan films


Swimmer and ActorJohnny Weissmuller

Author and Creator of the Character TarzanEdgar Rice Burroughs
Guldahl's Only Title
1939 6th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ralph Guldahl wins his only Masters title with a tournament record 279 (−9), 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Sam Snead


GolferSam Snead

GolferRalph Guldahl

• 1942 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Dorothy Kirby retains title by 5 strokes ahead of Eileen Stulb
• 1969 Toronto center Forbes Kennedy sets a Stanley Cup playoff record for most penalties in one game with 8 as the Maple Leafs crash 10-0 to the Bruins at Boston; Boston’s first NHL playoff victory in 10 years

Sports History
1972 New York Mets manager Gil Hodges collapses just minutes after completing a round of golf in West Palm Beach, Florida, and dies of a heart attack


MLB First BasemanGil Hodges
Cricket History
1974 England cricket fast bowler Tony Greig takes 8-86 in West Indies' 1st innings in tourists' 26 run 5th Test win in Port-of-Spain; Greig also captures 5-70 in 2nd innings


Cricketer and CommentatorTony Greig
Baseball Trade
1976 Oakland Athletics trade 2 key members from recent World Series C'ship team, sending outfielder Reggie Jackson and pitcher Ken Holtzman to Baltimore Orioles in exchange for outfielder Don Baylor and pitchers Mike Torrez and Paul Mitchell


MLB Right FielderReggie Jackson

• 1977 131st Grand National: Tommy Stack wins aboard 9/1 Red Rum; record third GN victory (1973-74); Charlotte Brew first female to ride in the race
• 1977 Montreal Canadiens rout the Washington Capitals, 11-0 at the Montreal Forum to set an NHL record of 34 straight home games without a loss

Sports History
1978 Czech tennis star Martina Navratilova wins her first WTA Tour Championship; beats Evonne Goolagong Cawley of Australia 7-6, 6-4 at Oakland Coliseum Arena


Tennis PlayerMartina Navratilova

Tennis PlayerEvonne Goolagong Cawley

• 1978 Jamaican batsman Basil Williams scores 100 on debut for the West Indies in Australia's 3 wicket 3rd Test victory in Georgetown, Guyana

Sports History
1980 In his first full season in the NHL, Wayne Gretzky scores for Edmonton in a 1-1 tie with Minnesota North Stars to become the youngest player to reach 50 goals at 19 years and 2 months of age


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky
Sports History
1980 Montreal right wing Guy Lafleur scores twice to become the first player in NHL history to record 6 straight 50-goal seasons, as the Canadiens beat the Red Wings, 7-2 at Detroit


NHL LegendGuy Lafleur

Sports History
1983 New York Islanders right wing Mike Bossy scores in a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins to become the first player in NHL history to score 60 goals in 3 consecutive seasons


Ice Hockey GreatMike Bossy
Sports History
1984 46th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Georgetown beats Houston, 84-75; Hoyas center Patrick Ewing tournament MOP; John Thompson first African-American head coach to lead his team to any NCAA Division I title


Hall of Fame NBA CentrePatrick Ewing

• 1985 Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky sets an NHL record with his 34th career hat trick as the Oilers beat the Kings 6-4 in Los Angeles

Sports History
1985 Quebec's Czech center Peter Šťastný scores his 100th NHL point of the season for the 5th straight year, with an assist for the Nordiques in a 6-4 win over the Boston Bruins in Quebec City


Ice Hockey PlayerPeter Šťastný

• 1985 The NCAA Rules Committee adopts a 45-second shot clock for men’s basketball to begin in the 1986 season in an effort to eliminate stalling
• 1986 NCAA Basketball Rules Committee votes to adopt the 3-point shot beginning the 1986-87 season; sets college distance at 19 feet, 9 inches, compared to 21 feet in the NBA

NHL Record
1986 Paul Coffey of the Edmonton Oilers scores his 47th and 48th goals of the season in an 8-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks to break Bobby Orr's NHL record for most goals by a defenseman


NHL StarPaul Coffey
Cricket Debut
1988 West Indies cricket fast bowling great Curtly Ambrose makes his debut in 9 wicket 1st Test defeat to Pakistan in Georgetown, Guyana; low key debut with 2-108


CricketerCurtly Ambrose

• 1989 8th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Auburn, 76-60; Lady Vols forward Bridgette Gordon MOP
• 1989 Calgary Flames right wing Joe Mullen sets new NHL record for most points in a season by a American-born player, with a goal and 2 assists in a 4-2 win over Edmonton Oilers gives him 110 points
• 1989 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Juli Inkster leads wire-to-wire to win her second DS event, 5 strokes ahead of runners-up JoAnne Carner and Tammie Green
• 1990 52nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Nevada-LV beats Duke, 103-73; record largest margin of victory in a championship game; Runnin' Rebels' first title
• 1993 Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mark Price has his consecutive free throw streak end at 77, during a 114-113 loss at Charlotte; falls 1 short of Calvin Murphy’s NBA record of 78 straight free throws
• 1995 14th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Tennessee, 70-64; Huskies' first NCAA title, completing first undefeated season since 1986 Texas
• 1995 Longest strike in American major league sports history (232 days) ends as MLB owners accept players’ offer to return to work without a contract; MLB is first major pro sports league to lose an entire postseason due to labor struggles

Golf Tournament
1995 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: 2-time champion Jack Nicklaus wins with birdie on 3rd playoff hole against Isao Aoki


GolferJack Nicklaus
WrestleMania
1995 WrestleMania XI, Hartford Civic Centre, CT: NFL linebacker Lawrence Taylor defeats Bam Bam Bigelow

• 1996 Detroit Tigers slugger Cecil Fielder steals 1st base in 1,097th career game, a 10-6 win at Minnesota Twins; longest duration in MLB history without a stolen base

Cricket Record
1996 Sri Lankan cricket batsman Sanath Jayasuriya hits century in 48 balls (134 off 65), in 34 run win over Pakistan in Singapore; world ODI record

• 1996 Vancouver Grizzlies beat Minnesota Timberwolves, 105-103 at General Motors Place Arena to end their NBA single-season record 23-game consecutive loss streak
• 2000 19th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Tennessee, 71-52; Huskies' point guard Shea Ralph is named the Most Outstanding Player
• 2000 Adam Gilchrist takes his 10th catch in the 3rd cricket Test against New Zealand in Hamilton to create an Australian record for dismissals by a wicketkeeper; Australia wins by 6 wickets for 3-0 series sweep
• 2000 Atlanta center Ray Ferraro scores a goal and added 2 assists as the Thrashers end an NHL record 17-game home winless streak (0-15-2) with a 5-4 win against the visiting New York Islanders

Sports History
2000 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Tom Kite wins his lone Champions Tour major with birdie on 6th playoff hole with Tom Watson & Larry Nelson

• 2001 63rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Arizona, 82-72; Blue Devils' 3rd title; forward Shane Battier MOP

Baseball Record
2001 New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens becomes American League all-time strikeout leader, recording his 3,509th K in a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals; Walter Johnson previous record 3,508 Ks

Sports History
2001 Seattle outfielder Ichiro Suzuki has 2 hits and becomes first Japanese position player to play in a regular season MLB game as Mariners beat Oakland A's, 5-4 at Safeco Field

Sports History
2003 At 27 years, 249 days Texas Rangers infielder Alex Rodriguez becomes the youngest MLB player to hit 300 home runs; homers off Ramon Ortiz in 5th inning of an 11-5 loss to the Angels in Anaheim

• 2005 Bubba Stewart becomes first African-American to win a major motor sports event when he takes out the Monster Energy AMA Supercross C'ship event in Irving, Texas
• 2005 Newcastle United teammates Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer are sent off for fighting each other in a 3-0 home defeat to EPL rivals Aston Villa at St. James’ Park

Golf Major
2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Australian Karrie Webb beats Lorena Ochoa of Mexico with a birdie on the 1st playoff hole; earlier eagles same hole to force the playoff

• 2007 69th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Florida beats Ohio State, 84-75; Gators' back-to-back titles; forward Corey Brewer named Most Outstanding Player

Laureus Awards
2007 Laureus World Sports Awards, Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain: Sportsman: Roger Federer; Sportswoman: Yelena Isinbayeva; Team: Italy Men's National Football team

Contract of Interest
2010 Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant signs a three-year contract extension with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers worth $87 million


NBA GuardKobe Bryant
Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai: India beats Sri Lanka by 6 wickets; first country to win on home soil; MS Dhoni Man of the Match, Yuvraj Singh, Player of Series

• 2011 ICC Men's Cricket ODI World Cup, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India: India beats Sri Lanka by 6 wickets for their second title; Player of the Match: MS Dhoni (IND) 91 no (79)
• 2012 74th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky defeats Kansas, 67-59; Wildcats guard Doron Lamb, 22 points
• 2017 36th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: South Carolina defeats Mississippi State, 67-55; Gamecocks power forward A'ja Wilson, 23 points
• 2017 ANA Inspiration Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Ryu So-yeon of South Korea wins 2nd major in a playoff with Lexi Thompson who had earlier been penalised 4 strokes
• 2018 80th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Villanova defeats Michigan, 79–62; Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo 31 points

Golf Major
2018 ANA Inspiration Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Pernilla Lindberg of Sweden gains her first pro win in a sudden-death playoff against Inbee Park and Jennifer Song that extends to 8 holes

• 2019 OKC guard Russell Westbrook becomes 2nd player in NBA history to have 20+ points, rebounds and assists in a game; records 20-20-21 in 119-103 win over LA Lakers
• 2023 41st NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: American Airlines Center Dallas, Texas: LSU defeat Iowa Hawkeyes, 102-85 to win Tigers' first-ever national title; MOP: Angel Reese (LSU)

Sports History
2023 Caitlin Clark scores 41 points in the Final Four for Iowa against South Carolina


Basketball PlayerCaitlin Clark

 

APR 3

• 1908 Frank Gotch wins world heavyweight wrestling championship in 2 hrs
• 1923 2 "Black Sox" sue White Sox (unsuccessfully) for back salary

Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins

1930 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 4-3 for a 2-0 series sweep and their 3rd Championship


NHL GoalieGeorge Hainsworth

• 1935 Yasuo Ikenada runs world record marathon (2:26:44)
• 1955 Baltimore Orioles pull their 1st triple play (3-6-2 vs KC Athletics)

Sports History
1962 American jockey Eddie Arcaro retires after 31 years (24,092 races)


Racing Hall of Fame JockeyEddie Arcaro
Sports History
1966 Tom Seaver signs with the Mets for a reported $50,000 bonus


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherTom Seaver

• 1971 125th Grand National: John Cook aboard 28/1 chance Specify wins a close finish between the leading 5 in the final furlong

Sports History
1975 Bobby Fischer stripped of world chess title for refusing to defend it, title awarded to Russian Anatoly Karpov


Chess ChampionBobby Fischer

Chess GrandmasterAnatoly Karpov

• 1976 130th Grand National: John Burke wins aboard Rag Trade; equal record 4th winner trained by Fred Rimell and 2nd winner owned by Pierre Raymond Bessone
• 1976 Philadelphia Flyers win record tying 20th straight NHL home game
• 1977 Boston Bruin Jean Ratelle scores his 1,000th NHL point
• 1982 136th Grand National: 48-year-old Dick Saunders wins aboard 7/1 favourite Grittar; oldest jockey to win the event
• 1982 Buffalo Sabre Gil Perrault scores his 1,000th NHL point
• 1982 Marco van Basten plays his first match for Ajax, scoring a debut goal in a 5-0 victory over NEC
• 1983 2nd NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: USC beats Louisiana Tech, 69-67; Trojans' forward Cheryl Miller tournament MOP

Golf Major
1983 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: In strong winds, Amy Alcott wins by 2 strokes ahead of Kathy Whitworth and Beth Daniel; first year tournament regarded as a major title


LPGA GolferKathy Whitworth

LPGA GolferBeth Daniel

GolferAmy Alcott
Sports History
1987 Bill Elliott sets NASCAR qualify record of 212.809 mph at Talladega


Auto RacerBill Elliott

• 1987 MLB Chicago Cubs trade Dennis Eckersley to Oakland A's for 3 minor league players
• 1988 7th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Louisiana Tech beats Auburn, 56-54; Lady Techsters Erica Westbrooks MOP

Sports History
1988 Mario Lemieux wins NHL scoring title, stopping Gretzky's 7 year streak


NHL Legend and OwnerMario Lemieux
Golf Major
1988 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Amy Alcott wins the 2nd of her 3 DS events, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Colleen Walker


GolferAmy Alcott

• 1988 NJ Devils beat Blackhawks, 4-3 in OT to join playoffs for 1st time
• 1989 51st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Michigan beats Seton Hall, 80-79 (OT); Wolverines first title; small forward Glen Rice named tournament MOP

Contract of Interest
1991 Bo Jackson signs 1-year contract with Chicago White Sox


NFL Running Back and Baseball OutfielderBo Jackson

• 1992 1st exhibition game at Camden Field - Orioles beat NY Mets
• 1993 147th Grand National: race declared void, after 30 of 39 runners carried on racing despite a false start; bookmakers forced to refund estimated £75 million in bets staked
• 1994 13th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Louisiana Tech, 60-59; Tar Heels first NCAA title on 3-point shot by Charlotte Smith as time expires
• 1994 1st roster of Silver Bullets (all-female pro baseball team) announced

Golf Tournament
1994 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Ray Floyd wins first of 4 Champions Tour majors with birdie on first playoff hole against Dale Douglass


Golfer and Four-Time Major Championship WinnerRay Floyd

• 1995 57th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Arkansas, 89-78; Bruins' 11th national title

Cricket Debut
1996 Cricketer Rahul Dravid makes his international debut for India in an ODI against Sri Lanka


CricketerRahul Dravid

• 1996 South Australia grab exciting draw vs W A to win Sheffield Shield
• 1996 St Francis Fighting Saints scores college baseball run record 71-1
• 2000 62nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Michigan State beats Florida, 89-76; Spartans only top-4 seed to advance to the Final Four
• 2004 157th Grand National: Graham Lee wins aboard Amberleigh House; trainer Ginger McCain's equal record 4th GN victory
• 2006 68th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Florida beats UCLA, 73-57; Gators first title; center Joakim Noah named tournament Most Outstanding Player

Sports History
2006 Steve Yzerman scores his final NHL goal (#692) against the Calgary Flames


NHL LegendSteve Yzerman

• 2007 26th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Rutgers, 59-46; Volunteers' 7th national title; Candace Parker is named Most Outstanding Player

Golf Major
2011 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Stacy Lewis shoots final round 69 to win her first major, 3 strokes ahead of defending champion Yani Tseng


GolferYani Tseng

• 2012 31st NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Baylor beats Notre Dame, 80-61; Lady Bears' second National title

Golf Major
2016 ANA Inspiration Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Lydia Ko of New Zealand wins by 1 from Charley Hull & Chun In-gee for her second major title


GolferLydia Ko
Cricket History
2016 ICC Men's Cricket T20 World Cup, Kolkata: West Indies beat England by 4 wickets with 2 balls remaining for their second title; Player of the Series: Indian batsman Virat Kohli (273 runs • 1 wicket)


CricketerVirat Kohli

• 2016 ICC Women's Cricket T20 World Cup, Eden Gardens, Kolkata: Hayley Matthews with 66 from 45 balls leads West Indies to 149/2; beat Australia 148/5 by 4 wickets with 2 balls to spare
• 2017 79th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina defeats Gonzaga, 71–65; Tar Heels point guard Joel DeWayne Berry II, 22 points
• 2019 San Antonio coach Geg Popovich is ejected after an NBA record low 63 seconds in the Spurs 113-85 loss in Denver; receives 2 technical fouls in a verbal confrontation with a referee
• 2022 40th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota: South Carolina Gamecocks defeat UConn Huskies, 64–49 to win their second NCAA title: MOP Aliyah Boston (SC)
• 2022 Chevron Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: American Jennifer Kupcho wins her first LPGA tournament by 2 strokes over Jessica Korda

Sports History
2022 Pakistan plunges into constitutional crisis after Prime Minister Imran Khan dissolves parliament and calls for new elections, avoiding a no-confidence vote [1]


Cricketer and Prime Minister of PakistanImran Khan

• 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup: Alyssa Healy scores ICC CWC record 170 as Australia beats England by 71 runs in the final in Christchurch, NZ

 

APR 4

• 1911 Hugh Chalmers, automaker, suggests idea of baseball MVP
• 1913 75th Grand National: Percy Woodland wins aboard 100/9 chance Covertcoat; owner Sir Charles Assheton-Smith's 2nd straight GN victory and 3rd overall
• 1921 Stanley Cup Final, Denman Arena, Vancouver, BC: Ottawa Senators (NHL) beat Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA), 2-1 for a 3-2 series victory

• 1930 England cricket batsman Andy Sandham ends Day 2 of 4th Test against West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica unbeaten on 309; 1st triple century in Test history; out for 325
• 1930 Les Ames makes the 1st Test Cricket century by a wicketkeeper (149)

4th Augusta National Invitation

1937 4th Augusta National Invitation Tournament (Masters) Golf: Byron Nelson wins first of his 5 major titles by 2 strokes ahead of Ralph Guldahl


GolferByron Nelson

GolferRalph Guldahl
5th Augusta National Invitation
1938 5th Augusta National INvitation (Masters): Henry Picard wins his only Masters, 2 strokes ahead of runners-up Harry Cooper and Ralph Guldahl


GolferRalph Guldahl
Mack vs Griffith
1948 84-year-old Connie Mack challenges 78-year-old Clark Griffith to a race from home to 1st base; it ends in a tie


Baseball LegendConnie Mack

• 1959 France beats Wales, 11-3 at Stade Colombes to win the Five Nations Rugby Championship outright for the first time
• 1970 124th Grand National: 15/1 chance Gay Trip wins by 20 lengths, giving Irish jockey Pat Taaffe his second GN winner

Sports History
1974 Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth's home-run record by hitting his 714th in Cincinnati, facing Jack Billingham


Baseball PlayerHank Aaron

• 1981 135th Grand National: Bob Champion aboard 10/1 hope Aldaniti wins by 4 lengths from 8/1 favourite Spartan Missile
• 1983 45th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina State beats Houston, 54-52; Wolfpack win with buzzer-beating dunk by Lorenzo Charles off a desperation 30 foot shot from Dereck Whittenburg
• 1985 Tulane University cancels its basketball season amidst scandal

NHL Record
1986 Wayne Gretzky sets NHL record with 213th point of season


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky

• 1987 141st Grand National: Jockey Steve Knight wins his second GN aboard 28/1 shot Maori Venture by 5 lengths from The Tsarevich
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• 1988 50th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kansas beats Oklahoma, 83-79; Jayhawks power forward Danny Manning named tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 1988 Eddie Hill becomes the world's first driver to cover the quarter mile in under 5 seconds
• 1988 Largest crowd (55,438) at an MLB Opening Day game at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium; Reds win over St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4 in 12 innings
• 1988 MLB New York Mets set Opening Day record with 6 HRs, in a 10-6 win over Expos at Montreal

Sports History
1989 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's last NBA game in Seattle


NBA LegendKareem Abdul-Jabbar
Sports History
1989 NY Yankee Tommy John ties record of playing 26 seasons, his 287th win puts him 19th overall as Yanks beat Twins on opening day 4-2


Baseball PitcherTommy John

• 1992 146th Grand National: 14/1 shot Party Politics, ridden by Welsh jockey Carl Llewellyn wins by 2½ lengths from Romany King
• 1992 Game 1 of Mayor Challenge - NY Yankees beat NY Mets 6-4 at Yank Stad
• 1993 12th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Texas Tech beats Ohio State, 84-82; future Hall of Fame forward Sheryl Swoopes MOP
• 1993 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Tom Shaw wins his lone career major title by 1 stroke from Mike Hill
• 1994 56th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Arkansas beats Duke, 76-72; Razorbacks' first title in first title game

Sports History
1994 LA Dodger Darryl Strawberry begins substance abuse treatment


Baseball PlayerDarryl Strawberry

• 1994 Largest Opening Day crowd at Yankee Stadium, 56,706
• 1994 MLB Chicago Cubs Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes, hit 3 HRs in 1993 hits 3 HRs on Opening Day vs Mets starter Dwight "Doc" Gooden at Wrigley Field, Chicago
• 1997 Anaheim Ducks clinch their 1st-ever playoff berth
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• 1997 Braves officially open Turner Field against Cubs
• 1998 151st Grand National: Carl Llewellyn wins aboard Earth Summit; first GN winner who was also successful in both Scottish and Welsh Grand Nationals
• 1998 NFL Europe (Formerly WLAF), kicks off season

Sports History
1999 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Graham Marsh of Australia wins his second Champions Tour major by 3 strokes from Larry Nelson


Golfer and Three-Time Major Championship WinnerLarry Nelson

• 2005 67th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Illinois, 75-70; Tar Heels' 4th national championship
• 2006 25th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Maryland beats Duke, 78-75 OT; Terrapins' first national title; Laura Harper MOP
• 2009 162nd Grand National: French-bred 100/1 outsider Mon Mome, ridden by Liam Treadwell, wins by 12 lengths from defending champion Comply or Die

Golf Major
2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Yani Tseng of Taiwan wins her 2nd major title by 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Suzann Pettersen of Norway


GolferSuzann Pettersen

GolferYani Tseng

• 2011 73rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Butler, 53-41; Huskies' point guard Kemba Walker scores 16 points
• 2016 78th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Villanova defeats North Carolina, 77-74; Wildcats guard Phil Booth, 20 points
• 2021 39th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Stanford Cardinal defeat Arizona Wildcats, 54–53 to win their third NCAA title

Golf Major
2021 ANA Inspiration Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand wins her first LPGA Tour event by 2 strokes from NZ's Lydia Ko who cards a 10-under-par final round


GolferLydia Ko

• 2022 83rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Caesars Superdome, NO, Louisiana: Uni of Kansas overcome record 16 point first half deficit to beat North Carolina Tar Heels, 72–69: Jayhawks 4th national title

 

APR 5

• 1904 The first international rugby league match is played between England and an Other Nationalities team (Welsh & Scottish players) in Central Park, Wigan, England.

Willard vs Johnson

1915 Jess Willard KOs Jack Johnson after 26 rounds to win the heavyweight boxing title in front of 25,000 fans at Oriental Park Racetrack in Havana, Cuba


World Heavyweight Boxing ChampionJack Johnson

• 1919 Antwerp is officially declared the host city for the Games of the 7th Olympiad to be conducted in 1920; first post WWI Olympics

Babe Ruth Collapses
1925 Yankees whip Dodgers in exhibition 16-9 but Babe Ruth collapses in NC due to an ulcer


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth
Johnny Weissmuller
1927 Johnny Weissmuller sets world records in both the 100m and 200m free style swimming events


Swimmer and ActorJohnny Weissmuller

• 1930 England cricketers dismissed for then record 849 v West Indies in 4th Test in Kingston, Jamaica; Andy Sandham out for 325
• 1934 Baseball superstar Babe Ruth agrees to do three 15-minute broadcasts a week over NBC for a fee of $39,000 for 13 weeks; $4,000 more than his NY Yankees playing contract
• 1940 99th Grand National: 25/1 shot Bogskar ridden by Royal Air Force sergeant Mervyn Jones wins by 4 lengths from MacMoffat; last true Aintree GN before a 5-year break due to World War II
• 1946 100th Grand National: Capt. Robert Petre wins aboard 25/1 shot Lovely Cottage; first true GN since 1940 due to World War II; last on a Friday
• 1952 106th Grand National: Jockey Arthur Thompson and trainer Neville Crump combine for their second GN with Teal winning at odds of 100/7 [1]

US Masters Golf
1959 23rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Art Wall Jr wins by 1 stroke from Cary Middlecoff for his only PGA Tour major victory


GolferCary Middlecoff
NBA Record
1967 '76er Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA record of 41 rebounds


NBA LegendWilt Chamberlain

• 1972 The regular MLB season fails to open due to a player strike for the first time in history; 86 games are lost before the labor dispute settled
• 1973 NFL adopts jersey numbering system (ie QBs, 1-19)

Cricket History
1974 Last day of Test cricket for Garfield Sobers and Rohan Kanhai


CricketerGarfield Sobers

• 1975 129th Grand National: Irish combination of jockey Tommy Carberry aboard L'Escargot wins by 15 lengths from 7/2 favourite and 1973-74 winner Red Rum

Sports History
1975 American tennis #1 Chris Evert wins her 3rd WTA Tour Championship at the Los Angeles Sports Arena; beats Martina Navratilova 6-4, 6-2


Tennis LegendChris Evert

Tennis PlayerMartina Navratilova

• 1981 Philadelphia Flyers amass a record 2,621 penalty minutes
• 1982 43-year-old St. Louis reliever Jim Kaat pitches 1 inning for the Cardinals in a season-opening, 14-3 rout of Houston; sets a MLB record for pitchers by playing in his 24th consecutive season

Sports History
1983 NY Met Tom Seaver's sets record 14th NL Opening Day assignment


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherTom Seaver
NBA Record
1984 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks Wilt Chamberlain's all-time career scoring record of 31,419 points (31,421)


NBA LegendKareem Abdul-Jabbar

• 1986 140th Grand National: Richard Dunwoody aboard 9-year-old 15/2 second favourite West Tip wins by 2 lengths from Young Driver

Golf Major
1987 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Betsy King wins the first of her 6 major titles in a sudden-death playoff with Patty Sheehan, with a par on the 2nd extra hole


LPGA GolferBetsy King

LPGA GolferPatty Sheehan
Sports History
1987 Wayne Gretzky wins 7th straight NHL scoring title


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky
Sports History
1989 Los Angeles Dodger Orel Hershiser's consecutive scoreless streak of 59 innings ends


Baseball PitcherOrel Hershiser
NBA Record
1990 John Stockton reaches 1000-assist mark for NBA record 3 yrs in a row


NBA Point GuardJohn Stockton

• 1990 NY Rangers beat NY Islanders 2-1 in 1st game of preliminary
• 1991 Detroit Pistons Joe Dumaars ends NBA free throw streak of 62 games
• 1992 11th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Stanford beats Western Kentucky, 78-62; Cardinal guard Molly Goodenbour MOP
• 1992 Game 2 of Mayor Challenge - NY Yankees sweep NY Mets 6-5 at Shea

Golf Tournament
1992 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Lee Trevino win his second Champions Tour major by 1 stroke from Jack Nicklaus


GolferJack Nicklaus

GolferLee Trevino

• 1993 55th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Michigan, 77-71; Tar Heels' 3rd title
• 1993 73,293 see the NY Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians, 9-1 in the season opener at Cleveland Stadium
• 1993 A win and a loss for MLB expansion teams in their debut games; Florida Marlins beat LA Dodgers, 6-3 in Miami; the Colorado Rockies lose to Mets, 3-0 in NYC
• 1994 Miami Heat beat NY Knicks ending 15 game NBA winning streak
• 1998 France thrashes Wales, 51-0 at Wembley Stadium, London for its second straight Five Nations Rugby Championship and Grand Slam; fly-half Christophe Lamaison lands 5 conversions and 2 penalties
• 1998 The Arizona Diamondbacks record their first win in team history with a 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants in Phoenix, AZ; ends second-worst start ever (0-5) by an expansion team
• 1998 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Defending champion Gil Morgan wins by 2 strokes from Tom Wargo
• 2003 156th Grand National: 10-year-old 16/1 shot Monty's Pass, ridden by Barry Geraghty wins by 12 lengths from 2001 Welsh National winner Supreme Glory
• 2003 The Kansas City Royals become the first MLB team to begin the season 5-0 after losing 100 games the previous year, beating the Cleveland Indians, 2 - 1
• 2004 66th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Georgia Tech, 82-73; Huskies' forward Emeka Okafor named tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 2005 24th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Baylor beats Michigan State, 84-62; Bears' small forward Sophia Young is named Most Outstanding Player
• 2005 The Washington Nationals lose their inaugural season opener, 8-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies; first team to represent the nation's capital since the Washington Senators left after the 1971 season
• 2008 161st Grand National: 7/1 joint favourite Comply or Die wins in Irish jockey Timmy Murphy's 11th attempt, 4 lengths ahead of King John's Castle

Kraft Nabisco Championship
2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Brittany Lincicome eagles the final hole to win her first major title, 1 stroke ahead of fellow American Cristie Kerr


GolferBrittany Lincicome

• 2010 72nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Butler, 61-59; Blue Devils' forward Kyle Singler, 19 points
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• 2011 30th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Texas A&M beats Notre Dame, 76-70; Aggies center Danielle Adams scores 22 of her 30 points in the 2nd half
• 2012 A three-run homer by J.P. Arencibia off Jairo Asencio gives the Toronto Blue Jays a 7-4 win over the Cleveland Indians; 16 inning game duration a MLB Opening Day record
• 2013 Baltimore outfielder Chris Davis becomes 4th player to homer in first 4 games of a MLB season; 8th-inning grand slam propels Orioles to a 9-5 win over the Twins; his RBI total of 16 a MLB record
• 2014 167th Grand National: Leighton Aspell wins aboard Pineau de Re; sixth French-bred horse to win the GN
• 2014 Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire picks up the 1,000th win of his MLB career as the Twins score a 7 - 3 victory over the Cleveland Indians
• 2015 ANA Inspiration Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Brittany Lincicome eagles last hole to force a playoff, then beats Stacy Lewis on 3rd extra hole to win her 2nd major title

Sports History
2016 35th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut defeats Syracuse, 82–51; Huskies' power forward Breanna Stewart, 24 points


Basketball Power forwardBreanna Stewart

• 2019 OKC guard Russell Westbrook becomes first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the third consecutive season during the Thunder's 123-110 win at home over Detroit Pistons
• 2021 82nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Baylor Bears become second consecutive first-time NCAA champions with 86–70 over previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs
• 2023 84th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas: UConn defeat the San Diego State Aztecs, 76–59 for Huskies' 5th national title; MOP: Adama Sanogo (UConn)

 

APR 6

• 1896 First modern Summer Olympic Games open in Athens, Greece; American athlete James Connolly becomes first modern Olympic champion when he wins triple jump (then 2 hops and a jump); later 3rd in long jump, 2nd in high jump

Jeffries vs Finnegan

1900 James J. Jeffries KOs Jack Finnegan in 1 for heavyweight boxing title


Boxer and World Heavyweight ChampionJames J. Jeffries

• 1926 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Maroons beat Victoria Cougars (WHL), 2-0 for a 3-1 series victory
• 1935 H Levitt sinks 499 basketball free throws, misses & sinks 371 more

3rd Augusta National
1936 3rd Augusta National Invitation Tournament (Masters) Golf: Horton Smith wins his second Masters, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Harry Cooper, with defending champion Gene Sarazen 3rd


GolferGene Sarazen
8th US Masters
1941 8th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Craig Wood wins his first major title, 3 strokes ahead of runner-up Byron Nelson; Masters' first wire-to-wire champion


GolferByron Nelson

GolferCraig Wood

• 1947 11th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jimmy Demaret wins his 2nd Masters by 2 strokes over Byron Nelson and amateur Frank Stranahan

US Masters Golf
1952 16th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Sam Snead wins his second green jacket by 4 strokes over Jack Burke Jr


GolferSam Snead

• 1954 Montreal Canadiens score 3 goals in 56 sec in playoff game against Det
• 1957 Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis buys the Hellenic National Airlines (TAE) and founds Olympic Airlines.

US Masters Golf
1958 22nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Arnold Palmer wins the first of his 4 Masters titles, 1 stroke ahead of Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins; first of his 7 major titles


GolferArnold Palmer
Sports History
1973 Roberto Clemente Day, Pittsburgh Pirates retire his #21


Baseball PlayerRoberto Clemente

• 1973 Yankee Ron Blomberg becomes 1st designated hitter, he walks
• 1974 Yankees 1st home game at Shea Stadium, while Yankee Stadium is renovated; beat Cleveland Indians 6-1
• 1977 Kingdome opens, Seattle Mariners 1st game, loses to Angels 7-0

Sports History
1979 Baltimore manager Earl Weaver wins his 1,000th game as a skipper, a 5-3 Orioles victory over the Chicago White Sox


MLB ManagerEarl Weaver
NHL Record
1980 Gordie Howe completes a record 26th NHL season


Ice Hockey LegendGordie Howe

• 1982 Largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in Minnesota 52,279

Golf Major
1986 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Pat Bradley wins the 4th of her 6 major titles, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Val Skinner


LPGA GolferPat Bradley

• 1986 Soccer ball juggled non-stop for 14:14 hrs
• 1987 Los Angeles Dodger's GM Al Campanis appears on TV program ABC News: Nightline saying Blacks may not be equipped to be in baseball management, sparking a racial controversy

Sports History
1987 Middleweight World Boxing Championship bout: Sugar Ray Leonard upsets Marvelous Marvin Hagler at Caesars Palace in Paradise, Nevada


BoxerSugar Ray Leonard

• 1988 NJ Devils' 1st playoff game; lose to NY Islanders 4-3 (OT) in 1st round
• 1991 145th Grand National: In Canadian distillery Seagram's final year of race sponsorship, New Zealand-bred chestnut gelding Seagram wins, ridden by Nigel Hawke

Sports History
1991 Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona suspended for 15 months by Italian League for testing positive for cocaine use


Football LegendDiego Maradona

• 1992 1st game at Camden Field, Baltimore, Maryland - Orioles beat Cleveland Indians 2-0
• 1992 54th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Michigan, 71-51; back-to-back titles for Blue Devils and coach Mike Krzyzewski
• 1993 Florida Marlins 1st lost ever (4-2 to LA Dodgers)
• 1996 American baseball player Albert Belle shows off his arm by hitting Sports Illustrated photographer Tony Tomsic in the hand prior to a game
• 1997 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Gil Morgan wins first of 3 Champions Tour majors by 6 strokes from Isao Aoki
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• 2002 155th Grand National: 8-year-old 20/1 shot Bindaree, ridden by Jim Culloty and trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies wins by 1¾ lengths from What's Up Boys
• 2002 France beats Ireland 44-5 at Stade de France, Saint Denis to complete a Grand Slam and win the Six Nations Rugby Championship; their 13th title

Sports History
2004 23rd NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Tennessee, 70-61; UConn's Diana Taurasi is named Most Outstanding Player for the 2nd straight year


Basketball PlayerDiana Taurasi
Golf Major
2008 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: top-ranked Lorena Ochoa of Mexico shoots a bogey-free final round 67 to win by 5 strokes ahead of Suzann Pettersen and Annika Sörenstam


GolferAnnika Sörenstam

GolferSuzann Pettersen

GolferLorena Ochoa

• 2009 71st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Michigan State, 89-72; Tar Heels' 5th national title; Ty Lawson 21 points
• 2010 29th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Stanford, 53-47; UConn forward Maya Moore scores 23 points
• 2013 166th Grand National: Ryan Mania wins aboard 66/1 Auroras Encore for trainer Sue Smith

Sports History
2013 Bayern Munich win their 23rd German Bundesliga title with 6 games to spare


Football StarThomas Müller
Cricket History
2014 ICC Men's Cricket T20 World Cup, Mirpur: Sri Lanka wins their first title with 6 wicket victory over India with 13 balls remaining; Player of the Series: Indian batsman Virat Kohli (319 runs)


CricketerVirat Kohli

• 2014 ICC Women's Cricket T20 World Cup, Dhaka: captain Meg Lanning's 44 from 30 balls leads Australia to 106/4; beat England 105/8 to win by 6 wickets (with 29 balls remaining); 3rd consecutive T20 WC

Golf Major
2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: 19-year-old Lexi Thompson shoots a bogey-free final round 68 to win her first major title, 3 strokes ahead of Michelle Wie


GolferMichelle Wie

• 2015 77th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Wisconsin, 68-63; Blue Devils' point guard Tyus Jones, 23 points
• 2019 Tampa Bay Lightning beats Boston Bruins, 6-3 in the season finale for their 62nd regular season win, tying the NHL record held by Detroit Red Wings (1995-96); 128 points, 4th in NHL history
• 2020 149th British Open Men's Golf Championship is cancelled for the first time since WWII due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Royal St George's GC to host event in 2021

 

APR 7

• 1896 American athlete Robert Garrett wins the throwing double at the Athens Olympics by taking out the shot putt (11.22m); wins the discus the previous day

First Olympic 1500m

1896 Australian athlete Edwin Flack wins gold in the first Olympic 1500m final at inaugural modern Games in Athens; goes on to win 800m two days later


Olympic RunnerTeddy Flack

• 1928 44-year old NY Rangers GM Lester Patrick replaces his injured goaltender in a Stanley Cup game and beats Montreal Maroons, 2-1 in OT; Rangers go on to win series, 3-2

7th US Masters
1940 7th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jimmy Demaret wins the first of his 3 Masters titles, 4 strokes ahead of runner-up Lloyd Mangrum


GolferJimmy Demaret

• 1943 NFL adopts free substitution rule; helmets made mandatory and 10-game schedule for all teams approved

10th US Masters
1946 10th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: American Herman Keiser wins his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of tour money-leader Ben Hogan; first Masters in 4 years because of World War II


GolferBen Hogan

• 1951 105th Grand National: John Bullock wins aboard 40/1 shot Nickel Coin; of 36 runners, only 3 complete the course
• 1951 15th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ben Hogan wins the first of his 2 Masters titles, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Skee Riegel
• 1956 10th NBA Championship: Despite 30 points from Pistons forward George Yardley, Philadelphia Warriors beat Fort Wayne, 99-88; Warriors wrap up series, 4-1

US Masters Golf
1957 21st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Doug Ford wins his only Masters, 3 strokes ahead of 3-time champion Sam Snead


GolferSam Snead

• 1958 Dodgers erect 42-foot screen in left field at LA Coliseum to cut down on home runs, since it is only 250 feet down the line
• 1962 Indian cricketer Polly Umrigar slams 172 not out vs West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 248 minutes

US Masters Golf
1963 27th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: 23-year-old Jack Nicklaus wins the first of his record 6 Green Jackets with a 3-foot par putt on the final hole to finish 1 stroke ahead of Tony Lema


GolferJack Nicklaus

• 1963 Public stock offering of 115,000 shares in Milwaukee Braves withdrawn after only 13,000 shares are sold to 1,600 new investors
• 1969 Dodgers' Bill Singer is credited with 1st official save, against Reds

Sports History
1969 Ted Williams begins managing Washington Senators, they lose to Yanks 8-4


Baseball PlayerTed Williams

• 1970 MLB Milwaukee Brewers (former Seattle Pilots) 1st game, lose to Angels 12-0

Sports History
1971 Dismissal of Curt Flood's free agency suit against baseball is upheld by the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit [1]


Baseball PlayerCurt Flood

• 1973 Doug Walters' best Test Cricket bowling, 5-66 v WI Georgetown
• 1977 MLB Toronto Blue Jays 1st game, they beat Chicago 9-5

Sports History
1978 US Court of Appeals upholds Commissioner Bowie Kuhn's voiding of attempted player sales by A's owner Charlie Finley in June 1976


MLB CommissionerBowie Kuhn
Sports History
1979 Houston Astro Ken Forsch no-hits Atlanta Braves, 6-0, becoming with his brother Bob Forsch the only MLB siblings to accomplish the feat


Baseball PitcherBob Forsch
Sports History
1979 NHL New York Islanders Mike Bossy scores 4 goals on his first 4 shots in 9-2 win over visiting Philadelphia Flyers


Ice Hockey GreatMike Bossy
Sports History
1984 Detroit Tiger Jack Morris no-hits Chicago White Sox, 4-0


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherJack Morris

• 1985 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Alice Miller shoots a final round 67 (−5) to win her only major title, 3 strokes ahead of Jan Stephenson of Australia
• 1989 NY Supreme Court takes America's Cup away from SD Yacht Club for using a catamaran against NZ. Appeals court eventually overrules
• 1990 144th Grand National: Marcus Armytage aboard 16/1 bet Mr Frisk wins in race record 8m 47.8s; 2 equine fatalities during the race
• 1990 NY Rangers beat NY Islanders 5-2, Rangers lead 2-0 in preliminary
• 1991 Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Jack Nicklaus wins his second of 4 event titles by 1 stroke from Jim Colbert, Jim Dent & Phil Rodgers
• 1994 NY Yankees beat Texas Rangers 18-6
• 1995 Baseball exhibition season begins late due to strike
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• 1996 Pakistan beats Sri Lanka to win Cricket's Singer Cup in Singapore

Sports History
1996 Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya hits fastest ODI fifty off 17 balls v Pakistan, Singapore


CricketerSanath Jayasuriya

• 1996 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Defending champion Jack Nicklaus wins his 4th event title by 3 strokes from Hale Irwin
• 1997 150th Grand National: Tony Dobbin aboard New Zealand bred Lord Gyllene wins at 14/1 by 25 lengths; race postponed 2 days because of IRA bomb threat
• 2000 1st regular season MLB game at Enron Field (now Minute Maid Park) in Houston, Texas; visiting Philadelphia Phillies beat Astros 4-1, Phillies third baseman Scott Rolen hits first homer at new park

Cricket History
2000 South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje is charged by Delhi police with fixing One Day International matches against India


CricketerHansie Cronje

• 2001 154th Grand National: Richard Guest wins aboard Red Marauder; trainer Martin Pipe saddles 10 of 40-strong field, Blowing Wind best at 3rd place
• 2003 65th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Syracuse beats Kansas, 81-78; Orangemen win first title; Carmelo Anthony named tournament Most Outstanding Player
• 2008 70th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kansas beats Memphis, 75-68; first time since seeding began, all 4 top seeds advance to the Final Four
• 2009 28th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Louisville, 76-54; Huskies' 6th national title with center Tina Charles MOP

Golf Major
2013 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Inbee Park wins her 2nd major title, 4 strokes ahead of fellow South Korean So Yeon Ryu; first of Park's 3 straight major victories in 2013


GolferInbee Park

• 2013 Sweden wins the 2013 World Men's Curling Championship defeating Canada
• 2014 76th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Kentucky, 60-54; 2nd time a school has won both men's & women's Div I national titles in same year
• 2015 34th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Notre Dame, 63-53; Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis & Moriah Jefferson, 15 points for Huskies
• 2018 Vegas Golden Knights suffer a 7-1 end of regular season defeat at Calgary but finish with an NHL expansion team record 51 victories; previous record 33 by Anaheim Ducks & Florida Panthers 1993-94
• 2019 38th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Baylor beats Notre Dame, 82-81; Lady Bears' point guard Chloe Jackson, 26 points
• 2019 ANA Inspiration Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Ko Jin-young wins her first major title by 3 strokes over fellow South Korean Lee Mi-hyang

NBA Record
2019 Retiring NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas) and Dwyane Wade (Miami) play their final home games, both victories; Magic Johnson sensationally quits as LA Lakers president of basketball operations; Houston Rockets convert NBA record 27 three-point field goals in 149-113 win over Phoenix


NBA LegendMagic Johnson

Basketball PlayerDwyane Wade

• 2022 MLB Cleveland Guardians lose in first game under their new name, 3-1 to the Royals in Kansas City

 

APR 8

2nd Augusta National

1935 2nd Augusta National Invitation Tournament (Masters) Golf: Gene Sarazen wins Monday playoff with Craig Wood by 5 strokes


GolferGene Sarazen

GolferCraig Wood

Louis vs Musto
1941 In his 4th title defense in 9 weeks Joe Louis beats Tony Musto by TKO in the 9th round at the Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri to retain NYSAC heavyweight boxing crown


Boxer and World Heavyweight ChampionJoe Louis

• 1943 1943 NFL Draft: Frank Sinkwich from University of Georgia first pick by Detroit Lions
• 1943 Stanley Cup Final, Boston Garden, Boston, MA: Detroit Red Wings beat Boston Bruins, 2-0 for a 4-0 series sweep and their 3rd SC Championship
• 1945 1945 NFL Draft: Charley Trippi from University of Georgia first pick by Chicago Cardinals
• 1956 20th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jack Burke Jr. wins his first major title, 1 stroke ahead of amateur Ken Venturi; final Masters played without a 36-hole cut

Sports History
1963 Detroit Tigers claim young pitcher Denny McLain on waivers from the Chicago White Sox; McLain goes on the win Cy Young Award 1968, 69 and AL MVP 1968


Baseball PitcherDenny McLain
Sports History
1966 American Football League votes in 36-year-old Al Davis as commissioner after Joe Foss resigns; appointment lasts 3 months when AFL merges with NFL


American Football Coach and ExecutiveAl Davis

• 1967 121st Grand National: John Buckingham aboard rank 100/1 outsider Foinavon avoids famous carnage to win by 15 lengths from favourite Honey End

Sports History
1968 Major League Baseball decides to postpone Opening Day because of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr


Civil Rights ActivistMartin Luther King Jr.

• 1969 Expansion teams Royals, Expos, Padres & Pilots win their 1st games
• 1969 First Major League Baseball game featuring a Canadian team; Montréal Expos beats NY Mets, 11-10 at Shea Stadium; KC Royals, SD Padres and Seattle Pilots also win on debut
• 1972 126th Grand National: Graham Thorner aboard 14/1 bet Well To Do wins from 1970 winner Gay Trip; Black Secret & General Symons dead heat for 3rd
• 1972 Alvin Kallicharran scores 100* in his 1st Test Cricket innings v NZ

Sports History
1974 Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits 715th HR, off of L.A. Dodger Al Downing, breaking Babe Ruth's record in Atlanta


Baseball PlayerHank Aaron
Sports History
1975 Frank Robinson debuts as 1st African American baseball manager (Cleveland Indians beat New York Yankees, 5-3)


Baseball Outfielder and ManagerFrank Robinson

• 1976 1976 NFL Draft: Lee Roy Selmon from University of Oklahoma first pick by Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 1979 People's Republic of China joins International Olympic Committee
• 1980 Islander Potvin's 2 shorthanded goals tie NHL record vs Kings & set NHL rec of 2 shorthanded playoff goals in 1 period
• 1981 Islanders scored 9 goals against Toronto in playoffs
• 1982 Tracy Caulkins wins her 36th US swimming title aged 19

Golf Major
1984 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Juli Inkster wins the first of her 7 major titles in a sudden-death playoff with Pat Bradley, with a par on the 1st extra hole


LPGA GolferPat Bradley

• 1989 143rd Grand National: Irish 12-year-old Little Polveir, ridden by jockey Jimmy Frost wins by 7 lengths from West Tip
• 1989 California Angels pitcher Jim Abbott, born without his right hand, makes MLB debut, lasting only 4 2/3 innings

US Masters Golf
1990 54th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Nick Faldo of England goes back-to-back with a par on the 2nd sudden-death playoff hole with Raymond Floyd


Golfer and Six-Time Major Championship WinnerNick Faldo

Golfer and Four-Time Major Championship WinnerRay Floyd
Sports History
1991 Jockey Bill Shoemaker paralyzed in a car accident


Racing Hall of Fame JockeyBill Shoemaker

• 1991 Major league umpires & baseball reach a 4-year agreement
• 1991 Oakland A's stadium becomes 1st outdoor arena in USA to ban smoking
• 1993 Indians' Carlos Baerga is 1st to switch hit HRs in same inn (vs Yanks)
• 1994 Atlanta Brave Kent Mercker no-hits Dodgers, 6-0

Sports History
1994 MLB outfielder Darryl Strawberry enters Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California for substance abuse rehabilitation


Baseball PlayerDarryl Strawberry

• 1995 148th Grand National: Irish rider Jason Titley wins aboard 40/1 outsider Royal Athlete; trainer Jenny Pitman's second GN victory
• 1995 American Bruce Seldon defeats by RTD over Tony Tucker in 7 rounds to win vacated WBA boxing title

Boxing Title Fight
1995 Oliver McCall beats Larry Holmes in 12 for heavyweight boxing title


WBC Heavyweight ChampionLarry Holmes

• 2000 153rd Grand National: Irish 10/1 shot Papillon, ridden by jockey Ruby Walsh and trained by his father Ted Walsh wins by 1¼ lengths from Mely Moss

US Masters Golf
2001 65th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tiger Woods wins his 2nd Masters and 6th major title, 2 strokes ahead of David Duval


GolferTiger Woods

GolferDavid Duval
Sports History
2003 22nd NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Tennessee, 73-68; UConn guard Diana Taurasi is named Most Outstanding Player


Basketball PlayerDiana Taurasi

• 2006 159th Grand National: 11–1 Irish shot Numbersixvalverde, ridden by Niall Madden wins by 6 lengths from defending champion Hedgehunter
• 2007 71st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Zach Johnson wins his first major title, 2 strokes ahead of Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini and Tiger Woods
• 2008 27th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Stanford, 64-48; Volunteers' back-to-back titles; coach Pat Summitt, 8 national championships

US Masters Golf
2012 76th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Bubba Watson wins on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff with South African Louis Oosthuizen


GolferLouis Oosthuizen

• 2013 75th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Louisville beats Michigan, 82-76; Cardinals' forward Luke Hancock hits 22 points
• 2014 33rd NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Notre Dame, 79-58; 2nd time a school has won both men's & women's Div I national titles in same year

Sports History
2014 Mike Babcock wins his 414th career game as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, becoming the winningest coach in Red Wings history (passing Jack Adams)


NHL CoachMike Babcock

• 2017 170th Grand National: Derek Fox wins aboard 14/1 One For Arthur; second ever Scottish-trained winner of the event
• 2018 82nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Patrick Reed wins his first major title, 1 stroke ahead of fellow American Rickie Fowler
• 2019 81st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Virginia beats Texas Tech, 85-77 OT; Cavaliers first ever National title; forward De'Andre Hunter, 27 points