Today's events in sports history

April 8

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

Boxing Title Fight

1941 In his 4th title defence 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 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
• 1943 1943 NFL Draft: Frank Sinkwich from University of Georgia first pick by Detroit Lions
• 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 WS; 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
• 1968 Major League Baseball decides to postpone Opening Day because of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr
• 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
• 1969 Expansion teams Royals, Expos, Padres & Pilots win their 1st games
• 1972 Alvin Kallicharran scores 100* in his 1st Test Cricket innings v NZ
• 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

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
• 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, 19, wins her 36th US swimming title

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 1-handed pitcher Jim Abbott debut but lasts only 4 2/3 inn
• 1989 143rd Grand National: Irish 12-year-old Little Polveir, ridden by jockey Jimmy Frost wins by 7 lengths from West Tip

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

• 1991 Jockey Bill Shoemaker paralyzed in a car accident
• 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 Darryl Strawberry enters Betty Ford clinic


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


WBC Heavyweight ChampionLarry Holmes

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

• 2003 22nd NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Tennessee, 73-68; UConn guard Diana Taurasi is named Most Outstanding Player
• 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
• 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
• 2013 75th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Louisville beats Michigan, 82-76; Cardinals' forward Luke Hancock hits 22 points

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

• 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
• 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

 

April 9

• 1880 British Open Men's Golf, Musselburgh Links: Scotsman Bob Ferguson wins first of 3 straight titles; beats Peter Paxton by 5 strokes

Olympic Games
1896 Australian athlete Edwin Flack claims the middle distance double at the Athens Olympics winning the 800m final in 2:11.0; his 2nd victory of the Games after success in the 1500m


Olympic RunnerTeddy Flack

• 1896 Greek shooter Pantelis Karasevdas scores a perfect 40 hits to win the military rifle event at the Athens Olympics; Greek 1-2-3 with Pavlos Pavlidis and Nicolaos Trikupis taking out the minor placings
• 1912 1st exhibition baseball game at Fenway Park (Red Sox vs Harvard)
• 1913 Brooklyn Superbas' (later Dodgers) Ebbets Field opens; visiting Philadelphia Phillies win, 1-0

Sports History
1925 Babe Ruth rushed to hospital


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth

• 1928 Top-Oss soccer team forms in Oss

Sports History
1931 Chicago Cy Wentworth beats Montreal Canadiens at 13:50 of 6th period


NHL GoalieGeorge Hainsworth

• 1932 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs beat New York Rangers, 6-4 for 3-0 series sweep; Toronto's first SC as the Maple Leafs
• 1935 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Maroons beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-1 for 3-0 series sweep; Maroons last defunct team to win the Cup
• 1941 PGA establishes Golf Hall of Fame
• 1941 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Dorothy Kirby wins comfortably by 16 strokes ahead of Helen Sigel
• 1945 NFL requires players to wear long stockings
• 1946 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 6-3 for a 4-1 series victory

Sports History
1947 Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler suspends Brooklyn Dodger Leo Durocher for 1 year for "association with known gamblers"


Baseball Player and ManagerLeo Durocher

• 1950 14th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jimmy Demaret becomes the first 3-time Masters champion by 2 strokes ahead of Australian Jim Ferrier
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• 1959 Baltimore Orioles pull their 2nd triple play (3-6-3 vs Washington Senators)

NBA Record
1959 Bill Sharman hits a NBA record 56 consecutive foul shot


NBA GuardBill Sharman

• 1959 13th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics sweep Minnesota Lakers in 4 games, first of Boston Celtics record 8 straight titles
• 1960 14th NBA Championship: Bost Celtics beat St Louis Hawks, 4 games to 3

US Masters Golf
1962 26th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Arnold Palmer wins the 3rd of his 4 Masters titles in an 18 hole Monday playoff with Gary Player and Dow Finsterwald; tournament's first 3-way playoff


GolferArnold Palmer

GolferGary Player
Baseball Record
1965 1st game at Astrodome, Houston beats Yankees 2-1 in exhibition as Mickey Mantle hits 1st indoor homerun


Baseball LegendMickey Mantle

• 1966 Anaheim Stadium for California Angels opens
• 1967 31st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Gay Brewer wins his only major title by 1 stroke over runner-up Bobby Nichols
• 1968 Minn's Wayne Connelly is 1st to score on a Stanley Cup penalty shot
• 1969 Chic Cub Billy Williams hits 4 consecutive doubles beat Phillies 11-3

US Masters Golf
1972 36th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jack Nicklaus leads wire-to-wire to win the 4th of his 6 Masters titles, 3 strokes ahead of Bruce Crampton, Tom Weiskopf and Bobby Mitchell


GolferJack Nicklaus

• 1972 New Zealand cricket opening batsmen Glenn Turner (259) & Terry Jarvis (187) make 387 partnership in 4th Test v WI in Georgetown, Guyana
• 1973 37th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Due to weather delays final round is played on Monday with Tommy Aaron winning his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of J. C. Snead

Sports History
1974 San Diego Padres owner Ray Kroc, addresses fans "Ladies & gentlemen, I suffer with you I've never seen such stupid baseball playing in my life"


McDonald's EntrepreneurRay Kroc
US Masters Golf
1978 42nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: 42 year old Gary Player shoots a record-tying final round 64 (−8) to win by 1 stroke from Rod Funseth, Tom Watson and Hubert Green


GolferGary Player

GolferTom Watson

• 1978 Brewers sweep Orioles 11-3, 16-3, & 13-5 (each with a grand slam)

Sports History
1978 In separate NBA games Denver's David Thompson scores 73 points & San Antonio's George Gervin scores 63 points (33 in 1 quarter)


NBA GuardGeorge Gervin

• 1980 Los Angeles Kings tie NHL record with two shorthanded playoff goals (vs NY Islanders)

Sports History
1981 LA Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela's 1st start, beats Astros 2-0


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherFernando Valenzuela

• 1982 LA Lakers block 21 Denver shots setting NBA regulation game record
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• 1983 137th Grand National: Ben de Haan wins aboard 13/1 bet Corbiere; Jenny Pittman first female GN winning trainer

Sports History
1985 White Sox pitcher Tom Seaver starts a record 15th opening day game


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherTom Seaver
Sports History
1987 For 3rd time, Wayne Gretzky, scores 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists) in a Stanley Cup game and passes Jean Béliveau as all time playoff scoring champ


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky

• 1988 Devils 3-0 over Islanders-Devils lead 2-1 in 1st round
• 1988 142nd Grand National: Irish jockey Brendan Powell wins aboard 10/1 shot Rhyme 'n' Reason by 4 lengths from Durham Edition

US Masters Golf
1989 53rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Englishman Nick Faldo wins the first of his 3 Masters titles after a final round 65 (−7) and a birdie on the 2nd hole of a sudden-death playoff with Scott Hoch


Golfer and Six-Time Major Championship WinnerNick Faldo
Sports History
1989 Mike Tyson strikes a parking attendant when asked to move his car


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMike Tyson
Baseball Record
1989 Rickey Henderson steals his 800th career base in NY's 4-3 loss to Clev


MLB OutfielderRickey Henderson
Contract of Interest
1990 Don Mattingly signs a $19.7 million 5-year contract with Yankees


Baseball 1st basemanDon Mattingly

• 1990 NY Islanders beat NY Rangers 4-3 in double overtime-Rangers lead 2-1
• 1992 Florida drops rape charges against NY Mets Gooden, Boston & Coleman
• 1992 Record 18 golfers shoot in 60s in Masters round 1 (old record 12)
• 1993 Colorado Rockies 1st home game & 1st victory, 11-4 over Mont Expos
• 1994 147th Grand National: Jockey Richard Dunwoody wins his second GN aboard Irish 16/1 shot Miinnehoma by 1¼ lengths from Just So
• 1995 59th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ben Crenshaw wins his 2nd Masters title, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Davis Love III
• 1997 Cleveland Indians pitcher Jose Mesa is acquitted of rape
• 1997 Major League Soccer announces Miami & Chicago expansion
• 1997 NFL announces it will give $3M to CFL & possible "World Classic Bowl"

US Masters Golf
2000 64th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Fijian Vijay Singh wins by 3 strokes from Ernie Els of South Africa


GolferErnie Els

GolferVijay Singh

• 2005 158th Grand National: 9-year-old 7/1 favourite Hedgehunter, ridden by Ruby Walsh and trained by Willie Mullins, win by 14 lengths from 40/1 shot Royal Auclair

US Masters Golf
2006 70th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Phil Mickelson wins his 2nd green jacket by 2 shots from South African Tim Clark


GolferPhil Mickelson

• 2011 164th Grand National: Jason Maguire wins aboard Irish 14/1 shot Ballabriggs; first GN win for trainer Donald McCain Jr., son of 4-time winning trainer Ginger McCain
• 2013 32nd NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Louisville, 93-60; Huskies' 8th National title
• 2016 169th Grand National: David Mullins victorious aboard 33/1 Rule The World; wins by 6 lengths from race favourite The Last Samuri
• 2017 81st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Spaniard Sergio García beats Justin Rose of England in a sudden-death playoff, after they completed 72 holes at -9; Garcia's 1st major title in his 74th attempt
• 2021 San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove no-hits the Texas Rangers, 3-0 at Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX

 

April 10

• 1874 British Open Men's Golf, Musselburgh Links: Mungo Park wins first title by 2 strokes from Tom Morris Jr
• 1887 Soccer team Be Quick forms in Hairs Groningen

Sports History

1896 Spyridon Louis of Greece wins inaugural Olympic marathon (2:58:50) in Athens; runs last lap accompanied by Constantine I


King of GreeceConstantine I

• 1896 High jumper Ellery Clark leads an American sweep of the placings with a leap of 1.81m at the Athens Olympics; his 2nd victory of the Games after taking out the long jump
• 1896 American athlete Thomas Burke claims the sprint double at the Athens Olympics winning the 100m final in 12.0s; his 2nd victory of the Games after success in the 400m

Sports History
1913 President Woodrow Wilson throws out 1st ball, Senators beat Yankees 2-1


28th US PresidentWoodrow Wilson
Sports History
1913 New York Highlanders play first MLB game as the New York Yankees; lose to the Washington Senators, 2-1 at Griffith Stadium


MLB PitcherWalter Johnson

• 1916 The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) is founded in New York City
• 1924 Tubular steel golf club shafts approved for championship play
• 1930 Brilliant West Indian cricket batsman George Headley scores patient 223 in drawn 4th Test against England at Kingston, Jamaica
• 1934 Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Chicago Blackhawks beat Detroit Red Wings, 1-0 in double OT for a 3-1 series win; Black Hawks' first Stanley Cup
• 1945 NFL's Boston Yanks & Brooklyn Tigers merge

Contract of Interest
1947 Jackie Robinson becomes first black player of the 20th century to sign a MLB contract; Brooklyn GM, Branch Rickey announces Dodgers had bought Robinson’s contract from Montreal Royals


Baseball PlayerJackie Robinson

Baseball Player and Sports ExecutiveBranch Rickey
US Masters Golf
1949 13th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Sam Snead wins his first of 3 green jackets by 3 strokes over Johnny Bulla and Lloyd Mangrum


GolferSam Snead

• 1953 NBA Championship Finals, Minneapolis Auditorium, Minnesota, MN: Minneapolis Lakers beat NY Knicks, 91-84 for a 4-1 series victory; Lakers' 5th title in 6 years
• 1954 108th Grand National: Bryan Marshall wins aboard Royal Tan at 8/1; second consecutive GN victory for both Marshall and trainer Vincent O'Brien
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• 1954 Wales beats Scotland, 15-3 at the St. Helen's Ground, Swansea to share Five Nations Rugby Championship with France and England; France's first title

US Masters Golf
1955 19th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Cary Middlecoff wins by a record 7 strokes ahead of Ben Hogan


GolferBen Hogan

• 1955 9th NBA Championship: Syrac Nats beat Ft Wayne Pistons, 4 games to 3

Sports History
1956 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Jean Béliveau has a goal and 2 assists as Montreal Canadiens beat Detroit Red Wings, 3-2 for a 4-1 series win


NHL LegendJean Béliveau

• 1959 Chicago White Sox second baseman Nellie Fox gets a MLB Opening Day record tying 5 hits in 7 at-bats in a 14-inning, 9–7 win in Detroit

US Masters Golf
1960 24th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: 1958 champion Arnold Palmer birdies the final 2 holes to win by 1 stroke over runner-up Ken Venturi


GolferArnold Palmer
US Masters Golf
1961 25th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: South African Gary Player beats defending champion Arnold Palmer and amateur Charles Coe by 1 stroke to become first international champion; Monday finish because of rain


GolferGary Player

GolferArnold Palmer
Sports History
1961 Washington Senators play first game in franchise history with President John F. Kennedy in attendance; lose a 4-3 decision to the Chicago White Sox


35th US PresidentJohn F. Kennedy

• 1962 52,564 fans attend first MLB game at LA's Dodger Stadium at Chavez Ravine, a 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds
• 1962 Houston Colt .45s make their MLB debut with an 11-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Colt Stadium; outfielder Román Mejías hits a pair of 3-run homers
• 1964 Demolition begins in Upper Manhattan, New York City on Polo Grounds sports stadium (home to MLB Giants, 1891-1957, Mets, 1962-63, and NFL Jets, 1960-63) to clear way for housing project
• 1971 Philadelphia Phillies open their new home, Veterans Stadium, with a 4-1 win over the Montreal Expos; 55,352, largest ever crowd to watch a MLB game in Pennsylvania
• 1973 Kansas City Royals open their new park, Royals Stadium with 12-1 rout of the Texas Rangers; attendance 39,476
• 1975 Rangers score 8 goals against Islanders in playoffs
• 1976 Brewers' Don Money's grand slammer disallowed-Yanks win 9-7
• 1976 Cleveland Cavaliers win their 1st NBA Central Division title

US Masters Golf
1977 41st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tom Watson wins the first of his 2 green jackets, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Jack Nicklaus


GolferTom Watson

GolferJack Nicklaus

• 1977 Cleveland Indians set club record for longest, 9 inn game (3:17)
• 1978 Formation of Major Indoor Soccer League announced
• 1979 J. R. Richard of the Houston Astros pitches a complete game but sets a MLB record by throwing 6 wild pitches in 2-1 win over the LA Dodgers at the Astrodome
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• 1982 LA Kings losing 5-0 to Edmonton in 3rd period, win in OT 6-5

Sports History
1983 Baltimore's Eddie Murray hits his 1,000 career hit


MLB 1st BasemanEddie Murray

• 1988 52nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Scotsman Sandy Lyle claims his second major title with a birdie on the 72nd hole to win by 1 stroke over Mark Calcavecchia
• 1988 Islanders beat Devils 5-4 (OT) 1st round tied at 2-2
• 1990 Curtly Ambrose takes 8-45 in cricket vs England at Bridgetown

NHL Record
1991 LA King Wayne Gretzky scores NHL record 93rd playoff goal


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky

• 1991 Martin Zubero swims world record 200m backstroke (1:52.51)
• 1992 NHL strike ends after 10 days
• 1993 Ottawa Senators win 1st road game (Islanders) after 38 straight loses
• 1993 Pittsburgh Penguins win their NHL record 17 game winning streak
• 1994 58th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: José María Olazábal wins the first of 2 Masters titles, 2 strokes ahead of Tom Lehman; 6th winner from Europe in the past 7 years
• 1999 152nd Grand National: Irish 10/1 shot Bobbyjo, ridden by jockey Paul Carberry wins by 10 lengths from Blue Charm

US Masters Golf
2005 69th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tiger Woods wins his 4th green jacket on the 1st hole of a playoff with Chris DiMarco


GolferTiger Woods

• 2005 Cricket Women's World Cup: Australia defeats India by 98 runs
• 2005 At 16 years, 271 days James Vaughan scores for Everton in a 4-0 win against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park; becomes youngest goalscorer in EPL history
• 2010 163rd Grand National: Tony McCoy wins aboard 10/1 joint-favourite Don't Push It by 5 lengths ahead of Black Apalachi
• 2011 75th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Charl Schwartzel of South Africa birdies the final 4 holes to win his first major title, 2 strokes ahead of Australian pair Adam Scott and Jason Day

US Masters Golf
2016 80th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: England's Danny Willett wins his first major title, 3 strokes ahead of Lee Westwood and defending champion Jordan Spieth


Professional GolferJordan Spieth

 

April 11

• 1750 Jack Slack retains Champion of England boxing title, beats Frenchman Jean Petit in 7 rounds in Harlston, England; acknowledged as first international prize fight

The Lewis Chess Pieces
1831 The 12th century Lewis chess pieces are exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, shortly after their rediscovery in a sand bank on the Scottish Isle of Lewis


Lewis chess piece of a queen made of walrus ivory in the British Museum

• 1896 Hungarian swimmer Alfréd Hajós beats Otto Herschmann of Austria by 0.6s to win the inaugural Olympic 100m freestyle final in 1:22.2 at the Athens Games; also takes out the 1,200m on the same day
• 1896 Irish tennis player John Boland, representing Great Britain wins both the men's singles and doubles finals at the Athens Olympics; Dionysios Kasdaglis of Greece loses both matches
• 1907 New York Giants future Baseball Hall of Fame backstop Roger Bresnahan becomes first catcher to wear shin guards
• 1921 KDKA broadcast 1st radio sporting event, a boxing match (Ray-Dundee)
• 1924 1st men's college swimming championships begin

Sports History
1936 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Detroit Red Wings beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2 for a 3-1 series win; Red Wings first SC Championship


NHL GoalieGeorge Hainsworth

• 1948 12th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Claude Harmon shoots a record-tying 279 (−9) to finish 5 strokes ahead of runner-up Cary Middlecoff
• 1955 Gary Sobers starts run of 85 Test Cricket appearances for WI uninterrupted

Sports History
1959 Dodger pitcher Don Drysdale hits his 2nd Opening Day HR


MLB PlayerDon Drysdale

• 1961 15th NBA Championship: Bos Celtics beat St Louis Hawks, 4 games to 1
• 1962 New York Mets make a losing debut

Sports History
1963 Milwaukee Braves future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn beats NY Mets, 6-1 for his 328th win; most by a left-hander in MLB history


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherWarren Spahn
US Masters Golf
1965 29th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jack Nicklaus wins the 2nd of his 6 Masters titles with a tournament record 271 (−17); beats Gary Player and Arnold Palmer by a record 9 strokes


GolferJack Nicklaus

GolferArnold Palmer

GolferGary Player

• 1966 30th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jack Nicklaus becomes first back-to-back champion winning an 18-hole Monday playoff with Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer
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• 1966 Emmett Ashford becomes first African American major league baseball umpire in Washington Senators’ game against the Cleveland Indians at D.C. Stadium
• 1971 35th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Charles Coody wins his only major title by 2 strokes ahead of runners-up Johnny Miller and Jack Nicklaus

Sports History
1975 Hank Aaron returns to County Stadium as a Milwaukee player after his off-season trade from the Atlanta Braves; Brewers beat Cleveland Indians, 6-2


Baseball PlayerHank Aaron

• 1975 J. P. Parisé scores an 11 sec OT goal, to see the NY Islanders eliminate the NY Rangers in their ever 1st playoff advance

US Masters Golf
1976 40th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Raymond Floyd wins his only Masters title, 8 strokes ahead of runner-up Ben Crenshaw


Golfer and Four-Time Major Championship WinnerRay Floyd
Boxing Title Fight
1981 Larry Holmes beats Trevor Berbick by unanimous decision in Las Vegas to retain his WBC heavyweight boxing title


WBC Heavyweight ChampionLarry Holmes

• 1982 46th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Craig Stadler wins his only major title by defeating Dan Pohl on the 1st hole of a sudden-death playoff

US Masters Golf
1983 47th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Seve Ballesteros of Spain wins his 2nd Masters and 3rd major title, 4 strokes ahead of Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite; Monday finish because of torrential rain


Golfer and Five-Time Major WinnerSeve Ballesteros

GolferTom Kite

• 1987 Yankees score 12 runs in 7th inning vs KC Royals
• 1987 Zoja Ivanova wins 2nd female World Cup marathon (2:30:39)

Sports History
1989 1st playoff goal scored by a goalie, Ron Hextall of Philadelphia


NHL GoalieRon Hextall

• 1990 MLB California Angels Mark Langston & Mike Witt, no-hit Seattle, 1-0
• 1990 NY Rangers beat NY Islanders 6-1, Rangers lead 3-1 in preliminary playoffs
• 1992 MLB Cleveland Indians set team record for long game loss to Boston Red Sox (19 innings - 6½ hr)

US Masters Golf
1993 57th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Bernhard Langer of Germany wins his second green jacket by 4 strokes from Chip Beck


Golfer and Two-Time Masters ChampionBernhard Langer

• 1996 Detroit Red Wings become 2nd NHL team to win 60 games in a season

US Masters Golf
1999 63rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: José María Olazábal of Spain wins his second Masters title, 2 strokes ahead of Davis Love III and 3 from of Greg Norman


GolferGreg Norman

GolferDavis Love III

• 1999 Neil Jenkins converts a Scott Gibbs try to give Wales a famous, 32-31 win over England at Wembley Stadium; allows Scotland to win final Five Nations Rugby Championship; reverts to 6 teams in 2000
• 2000 South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje is sacked after admitting dishonesty following match-fixing allegations in India

US Masters Golf
2004 68th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Phil Mickelson claims his first major title with a birdie on the final hole to win by 1 stroke over Ernie Els of South Africa


GolferPhil Mickelson

GolferErnie Els

• 2010 74th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Phil Mickelson wins his 3rd green jacket by 3 strokes from England's Lee Westwood
• 2015 168th Grand National: Jockey Leighton Aspell wins his second consecutive GN aboard 25/1 shot Many Clouds; owner Trevor Hemmings' 3rd GN victory

Farm Aid Concert
2020 Farm Aid "At Home" held virtually; performers include Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Black Pumas, Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Edie Brickell, Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Jon Batiste, and Valerie June & The War and Treaty


Country SingerWillie Nelson

Singer-SongwriterJohn Mellencamp

Singer-Songwriter and GuitaristDave Matthews

• 2021 85th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Hideki Matsuyama become first Japanese male to win a golf major; hangs on to beat American Will Zalatoris by 1 stroke

 

April 12

• 1858 1st US billiards championship, Michael J Phelan wins in Detroit
• 1877 Catcher's mask 1st used in a baseball game

• 1896 Stamasia Portrisi is 1st woman to win a marathon (5:30 in Athens)
• 1909 Philadelphia's Shibe Park (later Connie Mack Stadium) opens; Athletics win 81 against Boston Red Sox
• 1930 4th Test Cricket WI v England ends in a draw after nine days
• 1930 Wilfred Rhodes ends Test Cricket career aged 52 years 165 days
• 1931 Joe McCarthy debuts as NY Yankee manager
• 1937 Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft at Rugby, England.
• 1938 Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Chicago Black Hawks beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-1 for a 3-1 series win; only team to win Cup with losing regular season record
• 1940 NFL cuts clipping penalty from 25 yards to 15 yards
• 1941 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Boston Bruins defeat Detroit Red Wings, 3-1 for a 4-0 series sweep

Golf Tournament

1946 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Louise Suggs wins her first major title by 2 strokes from Eileen Stulb


Golfer and Co-Founder of the LPGALouise Suggs
US Masters Golf
1953 17th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ben Hogan shatters the Masters scoring record by 5 strokes with a 274 (−14) to finish 5 strokes ahead of runner-up Ed Oliver; Hogan's second Masters


GolferBen Hogan
US Masters Golf
1954 18th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Sam Snead wins his 3rd and final Masters by 1 stroke in an 18-hole playoff with Ben Hogan


GolferSam Snead

GolferBen Hogan

• 1954 8th NBA Championship: Min Lakers beat Syracuse Nationals, 4 games to 3
• 1955 1st game in KC, KC A's beat Detroit Tigers, 6-2
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• 1958 12th NBA Championship: St Louis Hawks beat Bost Celtics, 4 games to 2

Sports History
1960 Bill Veeck & Chicago Comiskey Park debuts "Exploding Scoreboard"


MLB Team Owner and PromoterBill Veeck
Sports History
1961 Douglas MacArthur declines offer to become baseball commissioner


US WWII GeneralDouglas MacArthur
US Masters Golf
1964 28th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Arnold Palmer wins by 6 shots from Dave Marr and Jack Nicklaus to become the first 4-time winner of the Masters; his 7th and final major victory


GolferArnold Palmer

GolferJack Nicklaus

• 1965 1st NL game at Houston's Astrodome (Phillies beat Astros 2-0)
• 1966 Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium opens; Pirates beat Braves 3-2
• 1969 Simon & Garfunkel releases "Boxer"
• 1969 Wales beats England, 30-9 at the National Stadium, Cardiff to clinch their 16th Five Nations Rugby Championship and 11th Triple Crown

Sports History
1970 Yankees dedicate plaques to Mickey Mantle & Joe DiMaggio


Baseball LegendMickey Mantle

Baseball PlayerJoe DiMaggio

• 1980 Milwaukee beats Boston Red Sox, 18-1 (Cooper & Money hit grand slams)
• 1980 US Olympic Committee endorses a boycott of the Moscow Olympic games
• 1980 Terry Fox begins his "Marathon of Hope" at St. John's, Newfoundland

US Masters Golf
1981 45th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tom Watson wins his second green jacket and 5th major title by 2 strokes over Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller


GolferTom Watson

GolferJack Nicklaus
US Masters Golf
1987 51st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Larry Mize chips-in from 140 feet for an improbable birdie 3 on the 2nd playoff hole to beat Greg Norman for his only major title


GolferGreg Norman

• 1987 Ahmed Salah wins 2nd World Cup marathon (2:10:55)
• 1988 Devils 4-2 over Islanders-Devils lead 3-2 in 1st round

Sports History
1988 Frank Robinson replaces Cal Ripkin as manager of Baltimore Orioles


Baseball Outfielder and ManagerFrank Robinson

• 1992 2nd lowest NBA scoring game - Detroit Pistons 72, NY Knicks 61

US Masters Golf
1992 56th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Fred Couples wins his only major title, 2 strokes ahead of 1976 champion Raymond Floyd


Golfer and Masters ChampionFred Couples

Golfer and Four-Time Major Championship WinnerRay Floyd

• 1992 MLB Boston Red Sox pitcher Matt Young no-hits Cleveland Indians, but loses 2-1
• 1992 NY Mets lose 1st 3 home games for 1st time since 1962
• 1993 American Jeff Rouse swims world record 100m backstroke (51.43 sec) at Sheffield, England
• 1998 62nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Mark O'Meara claims his first major title with a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win by 1 stroke from David Duval and Fred Couples

Sports History
2004 West Indian cricket batsman Brian Lara smashes highest individual score in a Test innings with 400 not out (773 mins; 582 balls; 43x4, 4x6) in drawn 4th Test against England at Antigua


CricketerBrian Lara

• 2009 73rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ángel Cabrera wins his 2nd major title in a playoff with Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry; Cabrera, first Masters champion from Argentina and South America

US Masters Golf
2015 79th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jordan Spieth leads wire-to-wire to win his 1st major title by 4 strokes from Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose


Professional GolferJordan Spieth

GolferPhil Mickelson

• 2019 Melbourne captain Cameron Smith becomes highest point scorer in Australian Rugby League history; 49th minute penalty in Storm's 18-12 win over North Queensland in Townsville takes him to 2,420; Hazem El Masri, 2,418

 

• 1908 Groundbreaking for Philadelphia's Shibe Park, home of MLB Athletics (AL), 1909-54, MLB Phillies (NL), 1938-70, and NFL Eagles, 1940-57

Sports History

1926 At 38, Walter Johnson pitches his 7th opening day shutout


MLB PitcherWalter Johnson

• 1926 Cyclists without bicycle-tax-stamp rounded up in Amsterdam
• 1927 Stanley Cup Final, Ottawa Auditorium, Ottawa, ON: Ottawa Senators beat Boston Bruins, 3-1 for a 2-0-2 series win

Sports History
1933 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: New York Rangers beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 1-0 in OT for a 3-1 series win; first best-of-4 Finals series


NHL GoalieGeorge Hainsworth

• 1940 American athlete Cornelius "Dutch" Warmerdam, using a bamboo pole, becomes 1st man to pole vault 15 ft, at University of California, Berkeley
• 1940 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario: New York Rangers beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2 for 4-2 series victory; Rangers last Cup win for 54 years

US Masters Golf
1942 9th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Byron Nelson wins an 18-hole playoff by 1 stroke over runner-up Ben Hogan


GolferByron Nelson

GolferBen Hogan

• 1944 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 5-4 in overtime for a 4-0 series sweep; Canadiens' first SC triumph since 1931
• 1946 Eddie Klepp, a white pitcher signed by defending Negro League champ Cleveland Buckeyes, is barred from field in Birmingham, Alabama
• 1949 Basketball Association of America Finals: Minneapolis Lakers beat Washington Capitols, 77-56 to take series, 4 games to 2; BAA and National Basketball League merge later that year to create the NBA
• 1953 1st game of Milwaukee Braves, they beat Cincinnati Reds 2-0
• 1954 Baltimore Orioles 1st game, loses to Tigers in Detroit 3-0

Sports History
1954 Milwaukee Braves' Hank Aaron's 1st game


Baseball PlayerHank Aaron

• 1957 11th NBA Championship: Bost Celtics beat St Louis Hawks, 4 games to 3

Baseball Record
1962 Stan Musial scores his 1,869th run, a new NL record


MLB LegendStan Musial

Sports History
1963 Pete Rose triples for his 1st major league base hit


MLB Player and ManagerPete Rose

• 1969 33rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: George Archer wins his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of runners-up Billy Casper, George Knudson, and Tom Weiskopf
• 1970 34th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Billy Casper defeats Gene Littler, 69 to 74 in a Monday 18-hole playoff to win his 3rd major title; last 18-hole playoff at the Masters
• 1972 1st baseball players' strike ends after 13 days

US Masters Golf
1975 39th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jack Nicklaus wins his 5th Masters title, 1 stroke ahead of Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf; Lee Elder, first African-American to compete in the tournament


GolferJack Nicklaus

• 1976 1st NBA playoff game for Cleve Cavliers, they lose 100-95 to Wash

US Masters Golf
1980 44th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: 23 year old Spaniard Seve Ballesteros wins his first Masters, 4 strokes ahead of Jack Newton and Gibby Gilbert


Golfer and Five-Time Major WinnerSeve Ballesteros

• 1980 US and its allies boycott the Summer Olympics in Moscow in protest against Russia's invasion of Afghanistan
• 1983 Undefeated middleweight boxer Tony Ayala gets 35 years on sex assault
• 1984 India beat Pak by 58 runs to win 1st Asia Cricket Cup in Sharjah
• 1984 Pete Rose becomes 1st NL to get 4,000 hits in a career
• 1985 "TASS" denounces US boycott of Moscow Olympics
• 1985 Katrin Dörre wins 1st female World Cup marathon (2:33:30)
• 1986 50th Masters Golf Tournament: Jack Nicklaus wins his record 18th major with a 1-stroke victory over Greg Norman and Tom Kite; shoots final round 65 (−7); at 46 the oldest Masters winner
• 1986 Boston Celtics end season with a 40-1 home win record
• 1986 Spanish Grand Prix decided by 0.014 of a second
• 1987 1st 3 San Diego Padres hit HRs off SF starter Roger Mason
• 1990 4th largest NBA crowd (45,458) see Orlando play at Minneapolis
• 1990 NY Rangers beat NY Islanders 6-5, Rangers win preliminary, 4-1
• 1992 Lou Carnesecca retires as coach of St John's basketball team
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• 1992 Longest 2 undefeated baseball teams to meet (NY Yanks 5-0 vs Toronto Blue Jays 6-0); Yanks score 3 in top of 9th to win 5-2
• 1995 Yankees beat the Mets 2-0
• 1996 En route to NHL record 62 victories Detroit Red Wings win #61
• 1996 Ottawa Senators eliminate Stanley Cup Champs NJ Devils from playoff
• 1997 48th time opposing pitchers hit HRs, Carlos Perez (Mon)/Darren Holmes

US Masters Golf
1997 61st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tiger Woods wins his first major title, a record 12 strokes ahead of Tom Kite; 4-round total 270 (−18) is tournament record


GolferTiger Woods

GolferTom Kite

• 1997 Hartford Whalers last NHL game

Sports History
1997 NHL Pitts Penguin Mario Lemieux's last NHL regular game


NHL Legend and OwnerMario Lemieux

• 1997 Rare double doubleheader played in the same city Giants vs Mets & Oakland A's vs Yankees in NY after rain previous day
• 2003 67th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Mike Weir wins his only major title in a 1-hole playoff over Len Mattiace; only Canadian to win a major and first left-handed Masters champion

Baseball Record
2004 Barry Bonds hits his 661st career home run, passing his godfather Willie Mays on the MLB all-time list


MLB LegendBarry Bonds

• 2008 72nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Trevor Immelman of South Africa wins his first major title, 3 strokes ahead of Tiger Woods; Immelman leads, or ties for the lead after every round
• 2014 Kenyan Wilson Kipsang wins the London Marathon

US Masters Golf
2014 78th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Bubba Watson wins his 2nd Masters, 3 shots ahead of runners-up Jonas Blixt and Jordan Spieth


Professional GolferJordan Spieth
Boxing Title Fight
2014 Manny Pacquiao defeats Timothy Bradley to regain his WBO welterweight boxing title


BoxerManny Pacquiao

• 2019 Gregg Popovich surpasses Lenny Wilkens to became the all-time winningest coach in NBA history with his 1,413th win as San Antonio Spurs beat Denver Nuggets, 101-96 in Western Conference Playoffs

 

April 14

• 1904 NY Highlanders' future Baseball HOF pitcher Jack Chesbro's first of 41 wins this season; pitches complete game and beats Boston Americans, 8-2 at Hilltop Park, NYC

Sports History

1910 US President William Howard Taft begins tradition of throwing ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day of baseball season


27th US PresidentWilliam Howard Taft

• 1917 Chicago White Sox pitcher Ed Cicotte no-hits St Louis Browns, 11-0
• 1925 First regular-season Chicago Cubs game broadcast on radio (WGN) by caller Quin Ryan; Cubs beat Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-2
• 1928 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: In only their 2nd season in the NHL, New York Rangers beat Montreal Maroons, 2-1 for a 3-2 series win

Sports History
1931 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 2-0 for a 3-2 series win; Canadiens' back-to-back Championships


NHL GoalieGeorge Hainsworth

• 1941 45th Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:30:38; his third victory in the event
• 1948 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Toronto Maple Leafs go back-to-back with a 7-2 win over Detroit Red Wings for a 4-0 series sweep
• 1955 26-year-old catcher/outfielder Elston Howard becomes first African-American to play for NY Yankees; hits single with 1 RBI in 8-4 loss to Boston Red Sox
• 1955 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings win back-to-back titles; beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 for a 4-3 series victory
• 1960 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Montreal Canadiens beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-0 for a 4 game sweep; 5th consecutive title
• 1962 France retains the Five Nations Rugby Championship with an 11-0 win over Ireland at Stade Colombes, Paris

Sports History
1964 LA Dodgers' future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax throws his 9th complete game without allowing a walk in 4-0 Opening Day win over St. Louis Cardinals


Baseball PitcherSandy Koufax

• 1968 First NBA game at New York's iconic Madison Square Garden; NY Knicks beat San Diego Rockets, 114-102
• 1968 32nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Bob Goalby shoots a final round 66 (-6) to win his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of Roberto De Vicenzo who has his card famously marked incorrectly
• 1969 First regular-season MLB game played outside the United States; Montreal Expos beat St. Louis Cardinals, 8-7 at Parc Jarry, Montreal
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• 1973 Ireland edges France, 6-4 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin to create a 5-way tie for the Five Nations Rugby Championship; each nation wins their 2 home matches

US Masters Golf
1974 38th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Gary Player wins the 2nd of his 3 Masters titles, 2 strokes ahead of Dave Stockton and Tom Weiskopf


GolferGary Player

Golfer and Two-Time PGA ChampionDave Stockton

• 1983 NY Islanders tie own record with 2 shorthanded playoff goals (vs NY Rangers)

US Masters Golf
1985 49th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Bernhard Langer wins by 2 strokes from Seve Ballesteros, Curtis Strange & Raymond Floyd; first German champion


Golfer and Two-Time Masters ChampionBernhard Langer

Golfer and Five-Time Major WinnerSeve Ballesteros

Golfer and Four-Time Major Championship WinnerRay Floyd

• 1985 Ahmed Salah wins 1st World Cup marathon (2:08:09)
• 1988 Devils 6-5 over Islanders-Devils take 1st round 4-2
• 1991 55th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Welshman Ian Woosnam wins his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of José María Olazábal; 4th straight year the Masters champion is from the UK
• 1991 Chic Blackhawks becomes 1st NHL regular season champion in 20 years to lose in 1st round of the playoffs (To Minn North Stars)
• 1994 NJ Devils end best regular season, 47-25-12 record for 106 points
• 1995 India beats Sri Lanka to win the Asia Cricket Cup final in Sharjah

US Masters Golf
1996 60th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Englishman Nick Faldo wins his 3rd Masters and 6th and final major title, 5 strokes ahead of Greg Norman of Australia


Golfer and Six-Time Major Championship WinnerNick Faldo

GolferGreg Norman

• 1996 Detroit Red Wings win NHL record 62 games

US Masters Golf
2002 66th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tiger Woods becomes the 3rd player to claim back-to-back Masters, 3 strokes ahead of Retief Goosen of South Africa


GolferTiger Woods

• 2007 160th Grand National: 33–1 shot Silver Birch, ridden by Robbie Power, edges out McKelvey to win by three-quarters of a length
• 2012 165th Grand National: Daryl Jacob wins aboard Neptune Collonges; beats Sunnyhillboy in a photo finish and the closest ever GN finish
• 2013 77th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Adam Scott wins his first major title and becomes first Australian Masters champion with a 2nd hole sudden death playoff win against Ángel Cabrera
• 2018 171st Grand National: Davey Russell wins aboard 10/1 Tiger Roll in a photo finish from Pleasant Company
• 2019 83rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tiger Woods wins his 5th Masters title by 1 stroke from Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson & Brooks Koepka; Woods' 15th major and first in 11 years
• 2021 Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodón no-hits the Cleveland Indians, 8-0 at Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago

 

• 1896 1st modern Summer Olympic Games close in Athens, Greece; USA wins gold medal count, 11; Greece wins total medal count, 46; IOC has retroactively assigned gold, silver & bronze medals to 3 best placed athletes in each event
• 1901 5th Boston Marathon won for second straight year by Canadian Jim Caffrey in race record 2:29:23.6

• 1907 11th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Tom Longboat in race record 2:24:24

Sports History

1910 William Howard Taft is first US President to throw out the 1st ball at a baseball game


27th US PresidentWilliam Howard Taft
Baseball Record
1911 Walter Johnson pitches a record tying 4 strike outs in an inning


MLB PitcherWalter Johnson

• 1912 16th Boston Marathon won by Mike Ryan in race record 2:21:18.2
• 1918 22nd Boston Marathon won by Camp Devens relay team; race run as relay for 10-man military teams
• 1925 NHL's NY Americans (formerly Hamilton Tigers) 1st game, lose 3-1

Baseball Record
1927 Yankees slugger Babe Ruth hits #1 of MLB record season 60 HRs; tees off on A's Howard Ehmke in 1st inning of New York's 6-3 win over Philadelphia


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth

• 1929 33rd Boston Marathon won by Canadian Johnny Miles in 2:33:08.6; his second win in the event
• 1935 39th Boston Marathon won by John A Kelley in 2:32:07.4
• 1937 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings beat New York Rangers, 3-0 for a 3-2 series win; back-to-back titles for Red Wings
• 1940 44th Boston Marathon won by Gérard Côté of Canada in 2:28:28.6; first of 4 wins in the event
• 1946 50th Boston Marathon won by Stylianos Kyriakides of Greece in 2:29:27; first and only Cypriot athlete to win the event

Sports History
1947 Jackie Robinson becomes 1st African-American to play in US major league baseball (Dodgers)


Baseball PlayerJackie Robinson

• 1952 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-0 for a 4-0 series sweep
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• 1954 Orioles 1st game in Baltimore beat White Sox 3-1
• 1954 Yankees dedicate a plaque to Edward Barrow
• 1957 61st Boston Marathon won by John J Kelley in 2:20:05; course length changed
• 1958 1st baseball game in California, SF Giants beat LA Dodgers, 8-0
• 1961 France wins it’s 2nd outright Five Nations Rugby Championship with an 15-3 victory over Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
• 1963 67th Boston Marathon won by Aurèle Vandendriessche of Belgium in race record 2:18:58
• 1965 NFL changes penalty flag from white to bright gold
• 1967 France wins its 4th outright Five Nations Rugby Championship with an 11-6 win over Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
• 1968 Houston Astros beat NY Mets, 1-0, in 24 innings
• 1968 72nd Boston Marathon: Amby Burfoot wins in 2:22:17; Bobbi Gibb 1st woman for 3rd straight year in 3:30:00 (unsanctioned)
• 1974 78th Boston Marathon: Neil Cusack of Ireland takes men's race in 2:13:39; American Miki Gorman women's winner in 2:47:11
• 1976 Yankee stadium reopens, Yanks beat Twins after trailing 4-0
• 1977 1st baseball game at Montreal's Olympic Stadium

US Masters Golf
1979 43rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Fuzzy Zoeller wins his only Masters with a birdie on the 2nd hole of a playoff with Ed Sneed and Tom Watson


GolferTom Watson

• 1984 48th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ben Crenshaw wins the first of his 2 green jackets, 2 strokes ahead of 1977 & 1981 champion Tom Watson
• 1985 89th Boston Marathon: Englishman Geoff Smith repeats as men's champion in 2:14:05; American Lisa Larsen Weidenbach takes women's title in 2:34:06
• 1986 Viv Richards century off 56 balls v England in Antigua Test Cricket
• 1989 96 crushed to death and 766 injured at Hillsborough Football Stadium, Sheffield, England, during FA semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest
• 1989 Sue Marchiano wins 3rd World Cup female marathon (2:30:48)

Sports History
1990 PGA Seniors' Championship Men's Golf, PGA National GC: South African Gary Player wins his third event title by 2 strokes from Chi-Chi Rodríguez


GolferGary Player

• 1991 95th Boston Marathon: Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya wins his 2nd men's title in 2:11:06; Wanda Panfil of Poland woman's champion in 2:24:18

NBA Record
1991 Magic Johnson sets NBA record for career assists with 9,898


NBA LegendMagic Johnson

• 1991 Sacramento Kings set NBA record, losing 35th consecutive game on road
• 1992 NY Islander, Al Arbour, coaches most NHL games (1,438)
• 1996 100th Boston Marathon: Moses Tanui of Kenya takes centenary men's title in 2:09:15.9; 3-peat for Uta Pippig of Germany in women's race in 2:27:12
• 1997 Baseball honors Jackie Robinson by retiring #42 for all teams
• 2000 NFL Draft: Penn State defensive end Courtney Brown first pick by Cleveland Browns
• 2001 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Doug Tewell wins his second & final Champions Tour major by 9 strokes from Mike McCullough
• 2002 106th Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Rodgers Rop claims men's event in 2:09:02; Margaret Okayo women's winner in 2:20:43
• 2013 Boston Marathon bombings: 3 people are killed and 183 injured after two explosions near the finish line
• 2013 117th Boston Marathon: Lelisa Desisa Benti of Ethiopia men's winner in 2:10:22; Rita Jeptoo of Kenya wins women's section in 2:26:25

Laureus Awards
2015 Laureus World Sports Awards, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai, China: Sportsman: Novak Đoković; Sportswoman: Genzebe Dibaba; Team: German Men's National Football team


Tennis ChampionNovak Đoković

• 2019 123rd Boston Marathon: Lawrence Cherono of Kenya wins in 2:07:58, just 0.1s ahead of Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa; Worknesh Degefa of Ethiopia is women's champion in 2:23.31
• 2019 Los Angeles Clippers overcome an NBA record 31-point deficit to score an improbable 135-131 Game 2 playoff victory over the Golden State Warriors in Oakland; shooting guard Lou Williams 36 points
• 2019 3 days after winning Hobey Baker Award as top college hockeyplayer, Cale Makar becomes first defenseman to score in NHL debut during the playoffs in Colorado's 6-2 Game 3 win over Calgary

 

• April 16
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• 1900 4th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Jim Caffrey in race record 2:39:44.4
• 1906 10th Boston Marathon won by 18-year old Tim Ford in 2:45:45; youngest race winner

• 1912 Pirates turn a rare 5-3-7 doubleplay (left fielder covers 2nd base)
• 1917 21st Boston Marathon won by Bill Kennedy in 2:28:37.2

Boston Marathon

1923 27th Boston Marathon won by Clarence DeMar in 2:23:37.4 for second straight year; 3rd race victory


Marathon RunnerClarence DeMar

• 1928 32nd Boston Marathon won by Clarence DeMar in 2:37:07.8; back-to-back wins for his 6th race title
• 1929 New York Yankees become first MLB team to permanently feature numbers on backs of uniforms; numbers correspond to position in batting order
• 1934 38th Boston Marathon won by Dave Komonen of Canada in 2:32:53.8

Sports History
1935 40-year-old future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth debuts in the NL with a HR and single in Boston Braves 4-2 win over the NY Giants, in Boston


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth

• 1939 Stanley Cup Final, Boston Garden, Boston, MA: Boston Bruins beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-1 for a 4-1 series win; first best-of-7 SC Final series
• 1940 Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller hurls the first and only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history; beats Chicago WS, 1-0 at Comiskey Park
• 1945 49th Boston Marathon won by John A Kelley in 2:30:40.2; his second event victory
• 1946 Mel Ott playing in right field for NY Giants hits his 511th and final MLB home run in 8-4 Opening Day win over Philadelphia Phillies
• 1949 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: 3-peat for Toronto Maple Leafs as they beat Detroit Red Wings, 3-1 for a 4 game series sweep
• 1951 55th Boston Marathon won by Shigeki Tanaka of Japan in 2:27:45
• 1953 Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Connie Ryan bats 6 from 6 in a 14-12 defeat against the Pirates at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh
• 
  
• 1953 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 1-0 for a 4-1 series win
• 1954 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings beat Montreal Canadiens, 2-1 in OT for a 4-3 series victory
• 1956 60th Boston Marathon won by Antti Viskari of Finland in race record 2:14:14
• 1957 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Dickie Moore has a goal and 2 assists as Montreal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 5-1 for a 4-1 series victory
• 1959 Phils' Dave Philley gets a major league record 9th straight pinch hit
• 1961 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Chicago Blackhawks beat Detroit Red Wings, 4-1 for a 4-2 series victory
• 1962 66th Boston Marathon won by Eino Oksanen of Finland in 2:23:48; second straight win and 3rd title overall
• 1972 Chicago Cubs rookie pitcher Burt Hooton hurls a 4-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field, Chicago
• 1973 77th Boston Marathon: American double; Jon Anderson men's champion in 2:16:03; Jacqueline Hansen wins women's title in 3:05:59
• 1978 Cardinals' Bob Forsch no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 5-0, in St. Louis

Boston Marathon
1979 83rd Boston Marathon: American double; Bill Rodgers wins 2nd straight event and 3rd overall title in 2:09:27; Joan Benoit women's champion in 2:35:15


Marathon RunnerBill Rodgers
Sports History
1980 Arthur Ashe retires from professional tennis


Tennis PlayerArthur Ashe
Baseball Record
1983 Steve Garvey sets NL record by playing in 1,118 consecutive games


Baseball PlayerSteve Garvey

• 1984 88th Boston Marathon: Englishman Geoff Smith wins men's event in 2:10:34; Lorraine Moller of New Zealand women's champion in 2:29:28
• 1984 Oakland A's Dave Kingman hits 3 HRs including a grand slam

NBA Record
1987 Michael Jordan becomes the second NBA player in history to score 3,000 points in a season


Basketball SuperstarMichael Jordan
Sports History
1989 1st The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Don Bies wins his lone career Champions Tour major title by 1 stroke from Gary Player


GolferGary Player

• 1989 Costa Rica beats US 1-0, in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup
• 1989 Zeleka Metaferia wins 3rd World Cup marathon (2:10:28)
• 1990 94th Boston Marathon: Gelindo Bordin is first Italian event winner in race record 2:08:19; Portugal's Rosa Mota wins her 3rd woman's title in 2:25:24
• 1991 St Louis Blues becomes 8th NHL team in Play-off to come back from a 3-1 deficit as they beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in game 7
• 1992 NY Rangers win team record 50th game

Golf Tournament
1995 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Raymond Floyd wins by 5 strokes from fellow Americans John Paul Cain, Larry Gilbert and Lee Trevino


Golfer and Four-Time Major Championship WinnerRay Floyd
Sports History
2000 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Doug Tewell wins first of 2 Champions Tour major titles with a convincing 7 stroke margin from the foursome of Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Larry Nelson and Dana Quigley


Golfer and Three-Time Major Championship WinnerLarry Nelson

GolferTom Kite

• 2001 105th Boston Marathon: Lee Bong-Ju of South Korea men's winner in 2:09:43; Catherine Ndereba of Kenya wins back-to-back women's titles in 2:23:53
• 2003 Washington Wizards' Michael Jordan plays his final NBA game, in Philadelphia, where he receives a 3 minute standing ovation.
• 2007 111th Boston Marathon: Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya goes back-to-back for 3rd title in 2:14:13; Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia wins women's race in 2:29:18

Laureus Awards
2009 Laureus World Sports Awards, (ceremony cancelled GFC): Sportsman: Usain Bolt; Sportswoman: Yelena Isinbayeva; Team: China Olympic team


Olympic SprinterUsain Bolt

• 2012 116th Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Wesley Korir wins men's section in 2:12:40; Sharon Cherop first woman in 2:31:50
• 2018 122nd Boston Marathon: Yuki Kawauchi of Japan wins men's race in 2:15:58; Desiree Linden (2:39:54) first American to win women's title since 1985
• 2019 Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson becomes the highest-paid player in NFL history with a 4-year $140m extension including record $65m signing bonus

 

April 17

Boxing Match That Went for 42 Rounds

1860 Champion of England Tom Sayers and American John Heenan fight out brutal 2 hour, 27 minute draw near Farnborough, England; police stop fight acknowledged as first world title bout


John Heenan, left, squares up to Tom Sayers in their championship bout. Photograph: Hulton Archive

• 1869 1st pro baseball games-Cincinnati Reds 24, Cin amateurs 15
• 1875 Modern Snooker invented by Sir Neville Chamberlain, a bored British officer in Jabalpur, India
• 1892 1st Sunday NL baseball game, Reds beat Cards 5-1
• 1899 3rd Boston Marathon won by Lawrence Brignolia in 2:54:38
• 1905 9th Boston Marathon won by Fred Lorz in 2:38:25.4

Boston Marathon
1911 15th Boston Marathon won by Clarence DeMar in race record 2:21:39.6; first of 7 race victories


Marathon RunnerClarence DeMar

• 1916 20th Boston Marathon won by Arthur Roth in 2:27:16.4
• 1922 26th Boston Marathon won by Clarence DeMar in race record 2:18:10; his 2nd race victory; first of 3 consecutive wins
• 1923 Longest NL opening game, Phillies & Dodgers tie 5-5 in 14

Sports History
1925 NY Yankee Babe Ruth has ulcer surgery


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth

• 1933 Chicago Bears win their 1st NFL Game beating NY Giants 23-21
• 1933 37th Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:31:01.6
• 1934 New Fenway Park opens, Washington Senators beat Red Sox 6-5

Boxing Title Fight
1939 In his 6th title defence, world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis KOs Jack Roper in 1 at Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, California


Boxer and World Heavyweight ChampionJoe Louis

• 1939 43rd Boston Marathon won by Ellison Brown in 2:28:51.8; his second victory in the event
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• 1944 48th Boston Marathon won by Gerard Cote of Canada in 2:31:50.4; second straight victory; 3rd of 4 titles

Sports History
1947 Jackie Robinson bunts for his 1st major league hit


Baseball PlayerJackie Robinson

• 1950 54th Boston Marathon won by Kee Yong Ham of South Korea in 2:32:39

Sports History
1951 NY Yankee Mickey Mantle's 1st game, he goes 1 for 4


Baseball LegendMickey Mantle

• 1953 Mickey Mantle hits a 565' (172 m) HR in Washington, D.C.'s Griffith Stadium
• 1960 Cleveland Indians trade Rocky Colavito to Tigers for Harvey Kuenn
• 1961 65th Boston Marathon won by Eino Oksanen of Finland in 2:23:39; his 2nd event title
• 1964 1st game at Shea Stadium, NY Mets lose to Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3
• 1966 100th international soccer match between Netherlands and Belgium (3-1)
• 1967 71st Boston Marathon: Dave McKenzie of New Zealand wins in 2:15:45; American Bobbi Gibb 1st woman for 2nd straight year in 3:27:17 (unsanctioned)
• 1967 Italian boxer Nino Benvenuti beats American Emile Griffith in a 15 round points decision to win world middleweight crown at Madison Square Garden; start of famous trilogy of fights between the pair
• 1968 A's 1st game in Oakland-Alameda Stadium, lose 4-1 to Baltimore Orioles
• 1969 Mont Expos Bill Stoneman no-hits Phillies, 7-0
• 1972 76th Boston Marathon: Olavi Suomalainen of Finland wins men's race in 2:15:39; American Nina Kuscsik takes inaugural women's title in 3:10:26; first year women's race officially sanctioned
• 1972 Kiteman attempting to throw out 1st ball in Phillie Vet crashes into centerfield seats

Baseball Record
1976 NL greatest comeback: trailing 12-1, Philadelphia Phillies beat Chicago Cubs, 18-16 in 10 innings at Wrigley Field; Mike Schmidt hits 4 consecutive HRs


MLB Third BasemanMike Schmidt
Sports History
1976 Australian tennis star Evonne Goolagong Cawley wins her second WTA Tour Championship at the Los Angeles Sports Arena; beats Chris Evert 6–3, 5–7, 6–3


Tennis LegendChris Evert

Tennis PlayerEvonne Goolagong Cawley
Boston Marathon
1978 82nd Boston Marathon: US double; Bill Rodgers wins his 2nd men's title in 2:10:13; Gayle Barron women's champion in 2:44:52


Marathon RunnerBill Rodgers

• 1981 New York Islander Dennis Potvin's 3 playoff power-play goals vs Edmonton Oilers tie NHL record
• 1981 Ranger's Anders Hedberg is 2nd to score on a Stanley Cup penalty shot
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• 1983 Grete Waltz runs female world record marathon (2:25:29)

Baseball Record
1983 Nolan Ryan strikes out his 3,500th batter


MLB Pitching LegendNolan Ryan

• 1983 NY Islanders tie NHL record with 3 shorthanded playoff goals vs NY Rangers
• 1984 Braves pitcher Pascual Perez suspended due to cocaine usage

Sports History
1987 Julius Erving becomes 3rd NBA (and ABA) player to score 30,000 points


NBA LegendJulius Erving

• 1988 Ethiopian Belayneh Densimo runs world record marathon (2:06:50)
• 1989 93rd Boston Marathon: Abebe Mekonen of Ethiopia takes men's race in 2:09:06; Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway wins her 2nd women's title in 2:24:33
• 1994 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Lee Trevino beats Jim Colbert by 1 stroke for his second title in the event
• 1995 99th Boston Marathon: Cosmas Ndeti of Kenya claims 3rd straight title in 2:09:22; Uta Pippig of Germany wins 2nd consecutive women's event in 2:25:11

Sports History
1997 NJ Devil Martin Brodeur is 2nd NHL goalie to score in a playoff game


NHL GoalieMartin Brodeur

• 1999 NFL Draft: University of Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch first pick by Cleveland Browns
• 2000 104th Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Elijah Lagat wins men's race in 2:09:47; Catherine Ndereba takes women's title in 2:26:11
• 2006 110th Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot wins 2nd men's title in 2:07:14; Rita Jeptoo takes women's title in 2:23:38
• 2015 James Anderson becomes the highest wicket-taking bowler in England's test cricket history
• 2017 121st Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Geoffrey Kirui takes men's title in 2:09:37; Edna Kiplagat women's champion in 2:21:52
• 2021 San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau ties Gordie Howe's NHL record for most regular season games played at 1,767

 

April 18

• 1809 First run of 2,000 guineas horse race at Newmarket, England
• 1869 1st international cricket match, held in San Francisco, won by California

• 1898 2nd Boston Marathon won by Canadian Ron McDonald in race record 2:42:00
• 1904 8th Boston Marathon won by Michael Spring in 2:38:04.4

Boxing Title Fight

1908 Canadian champion Tommy Burns KOs Jewey Smith of England in 5th round at Neuilly Bowling Palace, Paris to retain his world heavyweight boxing title


Boxer and World Heavyweight ChampionTommy Burns

• 1910 14th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Fred Cameron in 2:28:52.4

Sports History
1918 Cleveland center fielder Tris Speaker turns an unassisted double play


Baseball PlayerTris Speaker

• 1921 25th Boston Marathon won by Frank Zuna in race record 2:18:57.6
• 1922 Netherlands soccer team defeats Denmark 2-0
• 1923 74,000 (62,281 paid) on hand for opening of Yankee Stadium

Boston Marathon
1927 31st Boston Marathon won by Clarence DeMar in 2:40:22.2; his 5th victory in the event


Marathon RunnerClarence DeMar

• 1932 36th Boston Marathon won by German runner Paul de Bruyn in 2:33:36.4
• 1938 42nd Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:35:34.8; his second victory in the event
• 1942 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings, 3-1 for a 4-3 series win; Toronto recovers after losing first 3 games
• 1945 1 armed outfielder, St Louis Brown Pete Gray, 1st game he goes 1 for 4

Sports History
1946 Jackie Robinson debuts as 2nd baseman for the Montreal Royals


Baseball PlayerJackie Robinson

• 1949 53rd Boston Marathon won by Gösta Leandersson of Sweden in 2:31:50.8
• 1950 Sam Jethroe is 1st African American to play for Boston Braves
• 1950 Yankees win 15-10 after trailing Red Sox 9-0 in 6th
• 1955 59th Boston Marathon won by Hideo Hamamura of Japan in 2:18:22
• 1958 NL single-game record crowd of 78,682 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Dodgers win over San Francisco Giants, 6-5
• 1959 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens' 4th straight title; beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-3 for a 4-1 series win
• 1960 64th Boston Marathon won by Paavo Kotila of Finland in 2:20:54
• 1962 16th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 3
• 1963 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs go back-to-back with a 3-1 Game 5 win over Detroit Red Wings for a 4-1 series victory

Baseball Record
1964 LA Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax strikes out the side on 9 pitches, for major league best third time in his career


Baseball PitcherSandy Koufax
NBA Record
1966 Bill Russell becomes first African American coach in NBA history (Boston Celtics)


Basketball PlayerBill Russell

• 1966 70th Boston Marathon: Kenji Kimihara of Japan wins in 2:17:11; American Bobbi Gibb first woman in 3:21:40 (unsanctioned)
• 1968 1st ABA basketball championship began
• 1970 France beats England, 35-13 at Stade Colombes, Paris to earn a share of the Five Nations Rugby Championship with Wales
• 1977 81st Boston Marathon: Canadian Jerome Drayton wins men's race in 2:14:46; American Miki Gorman takes her 2nd women's event in 2:48:33

Baseball Event
1977 Eddie Murray hits his 1st HR


MLB 1st BasemanEddie Murray

• 1981 Longest game in Professional Baseball: Pawtucket Red Sox tie Rochester Red Wings 2-2 in 32 innings (game resumed 23rd June)
• 1982 Atlanta Braves win record 11th straight opening game (beat Astros)
• 1983 87th Boston Marathon: American double; Greg Meyer men's champion in 2:09:00; Joan Benoit takes women's race in 2:22:43; her 2nd event title
• 1984 Joan Benoit runs world record female marathon (2:22:43)

Baseball Record
1987 Mike Schmidt hits 500th home run (vs Robinson-Pirates)


MLB Third BasemanMike Schmidt

• 1987 Gregory Robertson does 200-mph free fall to save unconscious skydiver near Coolidge, Arizona
• 1988 92nd Boston Marathon: Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya wins men's race in 2:08:43; Rosa Mota of Portugal repeats as women's champion in 2:24:30
• 1990 Birmingham Fire issued an original franchise in WLAF

NBA Record
1991 John Stockton breaks his own NBA season assist record at 1,136


NBA Point GuardJohn Stockton

• 1992 Start of South Africa's 1st Test Cricket since 1970 (v WI Bridgetown)
• 1993 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: American Tom Wargo pars second playoff hole to beat Bruce Crampton of Australia and take his first and only major title
• 1994 98th Boston Marathon: Cosmas Ndeti of Kenya wins 2nd straight title in 2:07:15; Uta Pippig of Germany claims women's race in 2:21:45

World Record
1994 Cricketer Brian Lara hits 375 runs on 1 day for WI vs England to beat Gary Sobers' world record


CricketerBrian Lara
Sports History
1995 Quarterback Joe Montana announces his retirement from football


NFL QuarterbackJoe Montana
Sports History
1998 NFL Draft: Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning first pick by Indianapolis Colts


NFL QuarterbackPeyton Manning
Sports History
1999 Wayne Gretzky plays his last game in the NHL, as his New York Rangers lose 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky

• 1999 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Allen Doyle wins first of 4 Senior PGA major titles with a 2 stroke margin over runner-up Vicente Fernández of Argentina
• 2005 109th Boston Marathon: Hailu Negussie of Ethiopia claims men's section in 2:11:44; Catherine Ndereba of Kenya wins back-to-back races and 4th overall women's title in 2:25:12
• 2008 NBA owners give approval of a potential Seattle SuperSonics' relocation to Oklahoma City in a 28–2 vote by the Board of Governors
• 2011 115th Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Geoffrey Mutai wins men's race in record 2:03:02; Caroline Kilel takes women's section in 2:22:36
• 2016 120th Boston Marathon: Ethiopian double; Lemi Berhanu Hayle wins men's section in 2:12:45; Atsede Baysa takes women's event in 2:29:19

Laureus Awards
2016 Laureus World Sports Awards, Palais am Funkturm, Berlin, Germany: Sportsman: Novak Đoković; Sportswoman: Sernea Williams; Team: New Zealand Men's National Rugby Union team


Tennis ChampionNovak Đoković
Sports History
2017 Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first player to score 100 goals in the Champions League with a hat-trick in Real Madrid's 4-2 win over Bayern Munich


Football StarCristiano Ronaldo

Football StarThomas Müller

• 2021 12-team European Super League is announced to widespread condemnation amongst governments, non-involved clubs, press and fans; amidst the furore all 6 EPL clubs withdraw within 3 days

 

• 1897 1st Boston Marathon (B.A.A. Road Race), won by John J. McDermott in 2:55:10; the world's oldest annual marathon inspired by success of the first marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics
• 1900 Highest scoring opening game, Phils beat Braves 19-17 in 10

• 1909 13th Boston Marathon won by Henri Renaud in 2:53:36.8
• 1915 19th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Édouard Fabre in 2:31:41.2
• 1920 24th Boston Marathon won by Peter Trivoulidas of Greece in 2:29:31
• 1926 30th Boston Marathon won by Canadian Johnny Miles in 2:25:40.4
• 1928 Yanks are out of 1st place for 1st time since May 1926
• 1937 41st Boston Marathon won by Walter Young of Canada in 2:33:20
• 1938 Baker Bowl, Philadelphia: Phillies infielder Emmett "Heine" Mueller & Brooklyn Dodger outfielder Ernie Koy both homer in their 1st MLB at bats
• 1943 47th Boston Marathon won by Gerard Cote of Canada in 2:28:25.8; his 2nd of 4 wins in the event
• 1944 1944 NFL Draft: Angelo Bertelli from University of Notre Dame first pick by Boston Yanks

• 1946 Yankees switch from 3rd base to 1st base dug out
• 1947 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs edge Montreal Canadiens, 2-1 for a 4-2 series win; first all-Canadian final since 1935
• 1947 Suh Yun Buck wins world record marathon (2:25:39)

Sports History
1947 After scoring 45 goals during the regular season, Maurice Richard is named MVP.


Ice Hockey PlayerMaurice Richard

• 1947 England beats France, 6-3 at Twickenham to be level on points with Wales for a share of the Five Nations Rugby Championship; first appearance of France in tournament since 1931
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• 1948 52nd Boston Marathon won by Gerard Cote of Canada in 2:31:02; his 4th victory in the event

Sports History
1949 Yankees dedicate a plaque for Babe Ruth


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth

• 1954 58th Boston Marathon won by Veikko Karvonen of Finland in 2:20:39

Boston Marathon
1954 7-time winner of Boston Marathon, 65-year-old Clarence DeMar, runs his last race at Boston finishing 78th


Marathon RunnerClarence DeMar

• 1956 1st ML baseball game in NJ, Dodgers beat Phils in Roosevelt Stadium
• 1960 Baseball uniforms begin displaying players' names on their backs
• 1965 69th Boston Marathon won by Morio Shigematsu of Japan in race record 2:16:33

Sports History
1971 After smashing 124 in the 1st innings, Indian cricket opener Sunil Gavaskar makes 220 in 2nd innings in the drawn 5th Test against the West Indies in Port of Spain, Trinidad


CricketerSunil Gavaskar

• 1971 75th Boston Marathon: Álvaro Mejía of Colombia wins in 2:18:45; American Sara Mae Berman 1st woman for 3rd straight year in 3:08:30 (unsanctioned)
• 1974 Oriole Al Bumbry hits an inside-the-park HR against NY Yankees
• 1976 80th Boston Marathon: US double; Jack Fultz is men's winner in 2:20:19; Kim Merritt takes women's section in 2:47:10
• 1981 Oakland A's runs record to 11-0
• 1982 86th Boston Marathon: American Alberto Salazar claims men's title in 2:08:51; Charlotte Teske of West Germany wins women's section in 2:29:33
• 1982 Rosie Ruiz, marathon race cheater, arrested for forgery

Boxing Title Fight
1986 Michael Spinks beats Larry Holmes in 15 for heavyweight boxing title


WBC Heavyweight ChampionLarry Holmes

• 1987 Brendon Kuruppu scores 201* on Test Cricket debut (Sri Lanka v NZ)
• 1987 Brewers score 5 runs in 9th to win 6-4 & record 12th straight AL win
• 1987 LA Clippers end season with a terrible 12-70 record
• 1989 Kevin Elster (NY Mets), sets error-less shortstop mark at 73
• 1990 Pistons & 76'ers get into a fight accruing $162,500 fines (NBA record)

Boxing Title Fight
1991 Evander Holyfield beats George Foreman in 12 for heavyweight boxing title


BoxerEvander Holyfield

• 1992 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Lee Trevino beats Mike Hill by 1 stroke for his 3rd seniors major title
• 1993 97th Boston Marathon: Cosmas N'deti of Kenya wins men's event in 2:09:33; Olga Markova of Russia repeats as women's champion in 2:25:27
• 1994 Graeme Obree bicycles world record 10km (11:25.88)
• 1996 Rangers scores 16 in 8th vs Orioles
• 1997 San Diego Padres & St Louis Cards play at Aloha Stadium Hawaii
• 1997 NFL Draft: Ohio State offensive tackle Orlando Pace first pick by St. Louis Rams

Sports History
1998 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Hale Irwin makes it 3 straight titles in the event with a convincing 7 stroke margin over runner-up Larry Nelson


Golfer and Three-Time Major Championship WinnerLarry Nelson

• 1999 103rd Boston Marathon: Joseph Chebet of Kenya takes men's title in 2:09:52; 3-peat for Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia in women's race in 2:23:25
• 2004 108th Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Timothy Cherigat takes men's title in 2:10:37; Catherine Ndereba wins her 3rd women's event in 2:24:27
• 2010 114th Boston Marathon: Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot of Kenya wins 4th men's title in 2:05:52; Teyba Erkesso of Ethiopia women's champion in 2:26:11
• 2021 In Las Vegas, Nevada: San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau breaks Gordie Howe's NHL record for most games played, now at 1,768 and counting

 

April 20
April 20

World's First Motor Race

1887 Georges Bouton wins the world’s 1st motor race on a steam-powered quadricycle, a 'test' organised by French newspaper Le Velocipede


Georges Bouton and Jules-Albert de Dion causing a stir and setting a record in 1887. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

• 1903 7th Boston Marathon won by Irishman John Lorden in 2:41:29.8
• 1908 12th Boston Marathon won by Tom Morrissey in 2:25:43.2
• 1908 Opening day of competition of the New South Wales Rugby League.
• 1910 Cleveland Naps Addie Joss 2nd no-hitter, beats Chicago, 1-0
• 1912 Fenway Park officially opens, Red Sox beat NY Highlanders 7-6 in 11
• 1912 Tiger Stadium in Detroit opens, Tigers beat Cleveland Indians 6-5
• 1914 18th Boston Marathon won by Canadian James Duffy in 2:25:01.2
• 1916 Chicago Cubs play their 1st game at Weeghman Park (now Wrigley Field) and beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6
• 1920 Phillies manager Gravvy Cravath puts himself in as pinch hitter, his 3- run homer beats NY Giants 3-0
• 1925 29th Boston Marathon won by Charles Mellor in 2:33:00.6
• 1931 35th Boston Marathon won by Jim Henigan in 2:46:45.8
• 1931 British House of Commons agrees for sports play on Sunday
• 1936 40th Boston Marathon won by Ellison Brown in 2:33:40.8

Sports History
1939 Ted Williams' first MLB hit comes off of NY Yankees fellow future HOF'er Red Ruffing in Boston's 2-0 opening day defeat at Yankee Stadium, NYC


Baseball PlayerTed Williams

• 1941 Dodgers start to wear liners in their caps
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• 1942 46th Boston Marathon won by Joe Smith in 2:26:51.2

Sports History
1943 Braves manager Casey Stengel is struck by a taxi, fractures a leg


Baseball Hall of Fame ManagerCasey Stengel

• 1944 NFL legalizes coaching from bench
• 1945 Cleveland Browns organization formed by Arthur "Mickey" McBride
• 1946 1st baseball broadcast in Chicago, Cards vs Cubs
• 1949 Jockey Bill Shoemaker wins his 1st race, in Albany, California
• 1950 Balt's Memorial Stadium opens - Orioles of International League
• 1953 57th Boston Marathon won by Keizo Yamada of Japan in 2:18:51
• 1957 Yankee Bill Skowron becomes 3rd player to hit a ball out of Fenway
• 1958 Stanley Cup Final, Boston Garden, Boston, MA: Montreal Canadiens' 3-peat; beat Boston Bruins, 5-3 for a 4-2 for series win
• 1959 63rd Boston Marathon won by Eino Oksanen of Finland in 2:22:42
• 1964 68th Boston Marathon won for second straight year by Aurele Vandendriessche of Belgium in 2:19:59

Sports History
1967 NY Met pitcher Tom Seaver wins his 1st game, helps beat Cubs, 6-1


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherTom Seaver

• 1970 74th Boston Marathon: Englishman Ron Hill wins in 2:10:30 (US record): American Sara Mae Berman 1st woman for 2nd straight year in 3:05:07 (unsanctioned)
• 1972 Kallicharran scores his 2nd Test century in his 2nd Test Cricket
• 1981 85th Boston Marathon: Toshihiko Seko of Japan wins men's race in 2:09:26; Allison Roe of New Zealand takes women's title in 2:26:46
• 1982 Atlanta Braves become 1st team to win 1st 12 games of the season
• 1985 Carlos Lopes runs world record marathon (2:07:12)

NBA Record
1986 Michael Jordan sets NBA playoff record with 63 points in a game


Basketball SuperstarMichael Jordan

• 1987 91st Boston Marathon: Toshihiko Seko of Japan wins 2nd title in 2:11:50; Rosa Mota of Portugal claims women's event in 2:25:21; her first of 3 race victories
• 
  
• 1988 Baltimore Orioles set worst record to start a season 0-14 (will go 0-21)
• 1988 NJ Devils 1st playoff hat trick-Eric Broten
• 1988 Yanks HR 9,999 (D Winfield) 10,000 (C Washington) 10,001 (J Clarke)

Sports History
1990 Pete Rose pleads guilty to hiding $300,000 in income


MLB Player and ManagerPete Rose

• 1990 8 2/3 inning perfect game pitched by Brian Holman of Oakland A's is spoiled by a home run hit by Ken Philips
• 1991 Mark Lenzi is 1st diver to score 100 pts on a dive (101.85)
• 1992 96th Boston Marathon: Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya repeats in 2:08:14 for his 3rd title; Olga Markova first Russian women's champion in 2:23:43
• 1996 Chicago Bulls win record 72 games in a season
• 1996 1996 NFL Draft: Keyshawn Johnson from USC first pick by New York Jets
• 1997 1st baseball game in Hawaii, Cards beat Padres in doubleheader

Sports History
1997 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Defending champion Hale Irwin wins his second of 3 straight Senior PGA C’ships by streeting runners-up Dale Douglass and Jack Nicklaus by 12 strokes


GolferJack Nicklaus

• 1997 Cubs beat NY Mets ending NL worst opening, lost 14 straight games

Sports History
1997 Mark McGwire is 4th to HR on Detroit Tiger left field roof (others are Frank Howard, Harmon Killibrew, & Cecil Fielder)


MLB First BasemanMark McGwire

• 1998 102nd Boston Marathon: Moses Tanui of Kenya wins men's title in 2:07:34; Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia wins back-to-back women's events in 2:23:21
• 2002 NFL Draft: Fresno State quarterback David Carr #1 pick by Houston Texans
• 2008 Danica Patrick driving for Andretti Green Racing wins the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi; first female driver in history to win an IndyCar Series race
• 2009 113th Boston Marathon: Deriba Merga of Ethiopia wins men's event in 2:08:42; Salina Kosgei of Kenya women's champion in 2:32:16
• 2013 5 snowboarders are killed by an avalanche in Loveland Pass, Colorado
• 2015 119th Boston Marathon: Lelisa Desisa Benti of Ethiopia wins men's race in 2:09:17; Caroline Rotich of Kenya women's champion in 2:24:55
• 2018 Arsène Wenger announces he will leave London EPL club Arsenal after 22 years as manager
• 2021 All six EPL clubs withdraw from the controversial European Super League just 3 days after it was announced - Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham

 

April 21

• 1898 Phillies' pitcher Bill Duggleby hits a grand slam on 1st at bat
• 1902 6th Boston Marathon won by Sam Mellor in 2:43:12

Sports History

1904 Ty Cobb makes his pro debut for Augusta (South Atlantic League)


MLB LegendTy Cobb

• 1910 Cleve Naps play 1st game at League Park, lose to Det Tigers 5-0
• 1913 17th Boston Marathon won by Fritz Carlson in 2:25:14.8
• 1919 23rd Boston Marathon won by Carl Linder in 2:29:13.4

Boston Marathon
1924 28th Boston Marathon won by Clarence DeMar for the third consecutive year in 2:29:40.2; 4th race victory


Marathon RunnerClarence DeMar

• 1925 No baseball games played in NL due to Charles Ebbets' funeral
• 1930 34th Boston Marathon won by Clarence DeMar in 2:34:48.2; his 7th victory in the event
• 1934 Moe Berg, Senators catcher, plays AL record 117th cons errorless game
• 1944 NFL Chic Cardinals & Pittsburgh Steelers merge (dissolves on Dec 3)
• 1947 51st Boston Marathon won by Yun Bok Soh of Korea in 2:25:39; world best time
• 1948 Basketball Association of America Finals: Baltimore Bullets beat Philadelphia Warriors, 88-73 to take series, 4 games to 2
• 1951 NBA Championship: Rochester Royals beat New York Knicks, 79-75 to take series 4 games to 3; first Finals appearance for both teams
• 1951 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-2 for a 4-1 series victory
• 1952 56th Boston Marathon won by Doroteo Flores of Guatemala in 2:31:53
• 
  
• 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers win, then record 10th straight game to begin a season
• 1958 62nd Boston Marathon won by Franjo Mihalić of Yugoslavia in 2:25:54
• 1964 Pirates & Cubs combine for 9 HRs, Pirates win 8-5
• 1967 Dodgers 1st rain out in Los Angeles (after 737 consecutive games)
• 1969 73rd Boston Marathon: Yoshiaki Unetani of Japan wins in 2:13:49; American Sara Mae Berman 1st woman in 3:22:46 (unsanctioned)
• 1970 Reds clout 7 HRs by 6 batters, Braves counter with 3 HRs, 6 for one team & 9 different batters for two teams, all tie or set records

Boston Marathon
1975 79th Boston Marathon: American Bill Rodgers wins men's section in race record 2:09:55; Liane Winter of West Germany women's champion in 2:42:24 (female world record)


Marathon RunnerBill Rodgers
Sports History
1977 Billy Martin pulls Yankee line-up out of a hat, beats Blue Jays 8-6


Baseball Player and ManagerBilly Martin

• 1980 84th Boston Marathon: Bill Rodgers wins 3rd straight event and 4th overall title in 2:12:11; Jacqueline Gareau of Canada women's winner in 2:34:28; Rosie Ruiz disqualified for not running the entire course
• 1982 Atlanta Braves win their 13th straight game
• 1985 Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway wins London Marathon in race record 2:21:06
• 1986 90th Boston Marathon: Rob de Castella first Australian winner in 2:07:51; Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway claims women's title in 2:24:55
• 1986 Bob Hering sets Formula One power boat record (165.338 mph, Ariz)
• 1987 Brewers lose, ending AL season-opening winning streak at 13 games
• 1987 Milwaukee Brewers lose after 13th straight victory to start season

Sports History
1987 Richard Hadlee makes highest Test Cricket score of 151* (v Sri Lanka)


CricketerRichard Hadlee

• 1988 1st four-day games in County Cricket Championship commence

Sports History
1989 George W. Bush and Edward W. Rose become joint CEOs of the Texas Rangers


43rd US PresidentGeorge W. Bush

• 1990 National League umpire is arrested for stealing baseball cards

Golf Tournament
1991 PGA Seniors' Championship Men's Golf, PGA National GC: Jack Nicklaus wins his 4th of 8 Champions Tour majors by 6 strokes from Bruce Crampton of Australia


GolferJack Nicklaus

• 1991 Jakov Tolstikov wins 4th World Cup marathon (2:09:17)
• 1991 Rosa Mota wins 4th World Cup female marathon (2:26:14)
• 1991 NFL Draft: University of Miami defensive tackle Russell Maryland first pick by Dallas Cowboys

Baseball Record
1994 Eddie Murray sets record for switch hit HRs in a games (11 times)


MLB 1st BasemanEddie Murray

• 1995 Boston Celtics final regular season game at Boston Garden, NY Knicks win 98-92
• 1996 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Hale Irwin beats Japan’s Isao Aoki by 2 strokes for his first of 4 Senior PGA Championships
• 1996 Chicago Bulls win NBA record 72 games (72-8)
• 1997 101st Boston Marathon: Lameck Aguta of Kenya wins men's event in 2:10:34; Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia women's champion in 2:26:23
• 2001 NFL Draft: Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick first pick by Atlanta Falcons
• 2003 107th Boston Marathon: Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya men's champion in 2:10:11; Svetlana Zakharova of Russia women's winner in 2:25:19
• 2008 112th Boston Marathon: 3rd straight men's title for Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya in 2:07:45; Dire Tune of Ethiopia women's winner in 2:25:25
• 2012 Chicago White Sox pitcher, Philip Humber, pitches the 21st MLB perfect game against the Seattle Mariners
• 2013 Tsegaye Kebede and Priscah Jeptoo win the 2013 London Marathon
• 2014 118th Boston Marathon: American Meb Keflezighi men's champion in 2:08:37; Rita Jeptoo of Kenya wins her 2nd women's title in 2:18:57
• 2018 Oakland A's left hander Sean Manaea no-hits the Boston Red Sox

 

April 22

• 1876 1st official National League baseball game is played; Boston Red Caps beat Philadelphia Athletics, 6-5 at the Jefferson Street Grounds, Philadelphia
• 1876 Philadelphia native Tim McGinley of the Boston Red Caps scores baseball National League's 1st run, in Philadelphia

• 1898 Baltimore James Hughes no-hits Boston Braves 8-0
• 1898 Cincinnati Red Theodore Breitenstein no-hits Pirates 11-0
• 1903 NY Highlanders (Yankees) first MLB game; lose 3-1 before 11,950 vs Washington Senators at American League Park
• 1906 Intercalated Games opens in Athens
• 1906 New rule puts umpire in sole charge of all game balls
• 1908 Queensland beat NSW by 171 runs for their 1st cricket win at Gabba

Sports History

1914 Babe Ruth's 1st professional game (as a pitcher) is a 6-hit 6-0 win


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth

• 1915 NY Yankees don pinstripes & hat-in-the-ring logo for 1st time
• 1945 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings, 2-1 for a 4-3 series win; Leafs lead series 3-0 but Wings recover to 3-3 to force a decider
• 1947 1st Basketball Association of America Finals: Philadelphia Warriors beat Chicago Stags, 83-80 to take inaugural series, 4 games to 2
• 1954 NBA adopts 24-second shot clock & 6 team-foul rule
• 1955 KC Athletic's 1st game, beat Tigers 6-2
• 1957 All NL baseball teams integrate, John Irwin Kennedy becomes the 1st Black player for the Philadelphia Phillies

Baseball Record
1959 Yankee Whitey Ford strikes out 15, beating Senators, 1-0 in 14 innings


MLB PitcherWhitey Ford

• 1959 Chicago White Sox beat KC Athletics 20-6, in 1 inning Sox score 11 runs on 1 hit, 10 walks, & 3 errors
• 1962 NY Mets tiea NL record by losing 9 straight to start season
• 1962 Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Dick Duff scores the winner as Toronto Maple Leafs beat Chicago Blackhawks, 2-1 for a 4-2 series victory
• 1966 Atlanta Braves win their 1st game, beating NY Mets 8-4

Boxing Title Fight
1969 American Joe Frazier KOs American Dave Zyglewick in 1st round to retain heavyweight boxing title, in Houston, Texas


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionJoe Frazier

• 1969 Robin Knox-Johnston ends 312 day non-stop sailing
• 1970 NY Met Jerry Grote sets record of 20 put outs by a catcher

Baseball Record
1970 NY Met Tom Seaver strikes out last 10 Padres, for a total of 19


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherTom Seaver

• 1970 Senators beat Yankees 2-1 in 18 innings

Sports History
1981 Dodgers rookie Fernando Valenzuela tosses his 3rd shutout in 4 starts


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherFernando Valenzuela

• 1982 Atlanta Braves lose after winning 1st 13 games of season
• 1983 Start of 1st Sri Lanka-Australia Test Cricket match (at Kandy)
• 1988 Women are allowed to compete in Little 500 bicycle race (Indiana)
• 1988 NJ Devil Patrik Sundstrom sets NHL playoff record of 8 pts in a playoff game (hat trick & 5 assists) in 10-4 rout over the Capitals
• 1990 NFL Draft: University of Illinois quarterback Jeff George first pick by Indianapolis Colts
• 1991 Frank Thomas is 1st White Sox to homer at new Comiskey Park
• 1993 Seattle Mariner Chris Basio no-hits Boston Red Sox

Sports History
1994 Ice skater Tonya Harding sues ex-husband Jeff Gillooly for $42,500


Figure SkaterTonya Harding
Boxing Title Fight
1994 Michael Moorer beats Evander Holyfield in 12 for heavyweight boxing title


World Boxing ChampionMichael Moorer

BoxerEvander Holyfield
Boxing Title Fight
1995 George Foreman beats Axel Schulz in 12 for heavyweight boxing title in Las Vegas


Boxing ChampionGeorge Foreman

• 1995 NFL Draft: Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter first pick by Cincinnati Bengals

Sports History
2003 Patrick Roy plays his final career NHL game


NHL Goalie and CoachPatrick Roy

• 2010 NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford first pick by St. Louis Rams
• 2012 30 year old woman collapses and dies during London Marathon
• 2013 Manchester United defeat Aston Villa to claim the 2012/2013 English Premier League
• 2014 David Moyes is sacked as manager of Manchester United

Federation Cup
2017 Ilie Năstase thrown off tennis court for insulting British female players during Fed Cup play-off against Romania in Constanta


Tennis ChampionIlie Năstase

• 2018 Liverpool's Egyptian soccer forward Mohamed Salah is named Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year

Sports History
2018 Monte Carlo Tennis Masters: Rafael Nadal beats Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 to extend his Open-era record for most wins at the same event (11)


Tennis ChampionRafael Nadal

 

April 23

• 1903 NY Highlanders (Yankees) win their first game; beat Washington Senators, 7-2 at American League Park
• 1919 US Major League Baseball opens a reduced 140-game season

• 1933 Dovo soccer team forms in Veenendaal

Sports History

1937 New York Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell's first start of season, a 3-0 win over the Boston Bees, is his 17th straight win; streak continues for league record 24 victories in a row


Baseball PitcherCarl Hubbell
Baseball Event
1939 Boston Red Sox Ted Williams hits his 1st HR


Baseball PlayerTed Williams

• 1940 NY Yankees dedicate a plaque to Jacob Rupert
• 1946 Brooklyn Dodger Ed Head no-hits Boston Braves, 5-0
• 1950 1st major league day game completed under lights (Phils 6, Braves 5)
• 1950 NBA Championship: Minneapolis Lakers beat Syracuse Nationals, 110-95 to take series, 4 games to 2
• 1950 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Pete Babando scores Cup-winning goal in double overtime of Game 7 as Detroit Red Wings beat NY Rangers, 4-3 for a 4-3 series win
• 1952 Bob Cain of Browns & Bob Feller of Cleveland Indians each pitch a one-hitter
• 1952 New York Giant Hoyt Wilhelm wins his 1st game in relief & hits his only HR

Baseball Record
1954 Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits 1st of his 755 homers


Baseball PlayerHank Aaron
Sports History
1958 Gil Hodges hits his 300th HR & Pee Wee Reese plays in 2,000th game


MLB First BasemanGil Hodges

• 1962 NY Mets win their 1st game ever, after going 0-9, beat Pirates 9-1
• 1964 Houston Colt 45s Ken Johnson becomes 1st major league pitcher to lose a 9 inning no-hitter, Reds win 1-0

NBA Finals
1969 LA Lakers guard Jerry West scores 53 points in 120-118 NBA Finals Game 1 win over Boston Celtics at the LA Forum


NBA GuardJerry West

• 1977 ADO Den Haag soccer team forms in The Hague, Netherlands
• 1977 Czech chess master Vlastimil Hort plays 201 games simultaneously & only loses 10

Sports History
1978 Reds Joe Morgan ends record streak of 91 consecutive errorless games at 2nd


MLB Hall of Fame Infielder and BroadcasterJoe Morgan

• 1983 David Hookes scores his only Test Cricket century, 143* v Sri Lanka
• 1985 Brooklyn College soccer team wins Nepal's invitational
• 1987 NJ Devils farm team Maine Mariners (AHL) move to Utica (Devils) NY

Sports History
1989 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores 10 points in his last game as a Laker in a 121-117 win over Seattle SuperSonics at the LA Forum


NBA LegendKareem Abdul-Jabbar
Sports History
1989 Nolan Ryan blows a no hitter in 9th inning


MLB Pitching LegendNolan Ryan

• 1989 NFL Draft: UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman first pick by Dallas Cowboys

Sports History
1991 Björn Borg loses 6-2, 6-3 to Jordi Arrese after an 8 year lay off without practising or playing any exhibition matches


Tennis PlayerBjörn Borg

• 1991 Outstanding West Indian cricket opening batsman Gordon Greenidge scores 226 in his final Test innings at home in Bridgetown, Barbados; WI win 4th Test v Australia by 343 runs
• 2005 NFL Draft: University of Utah quarterback Alex Smith first pick by San Francisco 49ers
• 2012 38,000 London Marathon entrants have their home and email contacts published in a data protection breach

Sports History
2013 West Indian cricketer, Chris Gayle, smashes the fastest century in history (30 balls)


CricketerChris Gayle

• 2019 Southampton striker Shane Long scores fastest goal in English Premier League history when he nets after 7.69 seconds in 1-1 draw at Watford
• 2020 NFL Draft: LSU quarterback Joe Burrow first pick by Cincinnati Bengals

 

April 24

• 1880 Amateur Athletic Association, governing body for men's athletics in England & Wales, is founded in Oxford, England

World Record

1894 French cyclist Henri Desgrange rides 100km in a world record time of 2:39:18


Cyclist and Founder of the Tour-de-FranceHenri Desgrange

• 1894 Phillies Lave Cross hits for cycle vs Bkln Dodgers
• 1901 The Chicago White Stockings win against the Cleveland Blues in the 1st game played in baseball's American League

Sports History
1905 First-class cricket debut of Sir Jack Hobbs, "The Master" for Surrey v the "Gentlemen of England" (18 & 88)


Cricket playerSir Jack Hobbs

• 1905 Senators execute a triple-play & beat Yankees 4-3
• 1917 Yankee lefty George Mogridge no-hits Red Sox 2-1 at Fenway
• 1945 Albert B "Happy" Chandler is named 2nd baseball commissioner
• 1946 11 players named to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Tinker, Evers, Chance, Burkett, McCarthy, Waddell, Plank, Walsh, Jack Chesbro, Griffith, and McGinnity
• 1956 AL umpire Frank Umont is 1st to wear glasses in a regular season game
• 1957 Chicago Cub pitchers walk NL record 9 Reds in 5th inning
• 1958 Lee Walls hits 3 HRs, as Cubs beat Dodgers 15-2

Baseball Record
1962 LA Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax's 2nd career 18-strikeout, in a 10-2 win over Cubs in Chicago


Baseball PitcherSandy Koufax
Hall of Fame
1963 Future Basketball Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy plays his last NBA game for Boston as Celtics beat LA Lakers, 112-109 in Game 6 for their 5th straight NBA C'ship


NBA Point GuardBob Cousy

• 1963 17th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 2
• 1966 Atlanta Braves win NL-record 18 straight home games (17 in Milwaukee)
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• 1967 21st NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers beat SF Warriors, 4 games to 2
• 1974 NFL grants franchise to Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baseball Record
1978 Angels Nolan Ryan strikes out 15 Mariners, 20th time he has 15 in game


MLB Pitching LegendNolan Ryan

• 1981 Bill Shoemaker wins his 8,000th race, 2000 more than any other jockey
• 1981 San Antonio blocks 20 Golden State shots to set NBA reg game record
• 1982 Cards win 12th game in a row; 7-4 over Phillies
• 1988 NFL Draft: Auburn tight end Aundray Bruce first pick by Atlanta Falcons

Sports History
1992 George Steinbrenner drops his suits against baseball


New York Yankees OwnerGeorge Steinbrenner
Sports History
1994 David Robinson scores ties 7th highest total in the NBA - 71


NBA CenterDavid Robinson

• 1994 NY Rangers sweep NY Islanders in NHL playoffs
• 1994 NFL Draft: Ohio State defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson first pick by Cincinnati Bengals

Sports History
1995 Court orders Darryl Strawberry to pay back $350,000 in taxes


Baseball PlayerDarryl Strawberry

• 1996 Highest scoring baseball game in 17 years - Twins 24, Tigers 11

Sports History
2004 NFL Draft: Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning first pick by San Diego Chargers


NFL QuarterbackEli Manning

 

April 25

• 1876 Chicago Cubs 1st NL game, beats Louisville 4-0 (1st NL shutout)
• 1901 Erve Beck hits American League's 1st home run

• 1901 In last of 9th, Detroit Tigers, trailing by 13-4, score 10 runs to win one of greatest comebacks in baseball (1st game in Detroit)
• 1905 Latest day of 1st-class cricket in an Aust season (NSW v Qld)
• 1920 Magda Julin of Sweden beats teammate Svea Norén for the gold medal in women's singles figure skating at the Antwerp Olympics
• 1933 Philadelphia Phillies' Dick Bartell is 1st MLB player to get 4 consecutive doubles in 9 innings
• 1933 NY Yankee Russ Van Atta shuts out Washington Senators 16-0

Sports History

1947 Lou Thesz beats Whipper Watson in St Louis, to win National Wrestling Association world heavyweight title


Professional WrestlerLou Thesz

• 1950 Chuck Cooper becomes the 1st African American to be drafted into the NBA (for Boston Celtics)
• 1952 6th NBA Championship: Minneapolis Lakers beat NY Knicks, 4 games to 3
• 1964 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: 3-peat for the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 4-0 Game 7 win over Detroit Red Wings for a 4-3 series victory
• 1965 19th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 1
• 1974 NFL moves goal posts & adopts sudden-death playoff
• 1977 Cincinnati Reds tie record of 12 runs in 5th inning beating Braves 23-9
• 1978 Phillie Phanatic makes 1st appearance

Sports History
1980 A's manager Billy Martin restrained by umpires from attacking a fan


Baseball Player and ManagerBilly Martin

• 1981 Seattle Mariners MLB manager Maury Wills is suspended for 2 games after ordering Kingdome grounds crew to enlarge batter's boxes by one foot
• 1982 Yanks fire manager Bob Lemon & replaces him with Gene Michael

Sports History
1985 For 2nd time, Wayne Gretzky, scores 7 points in a Cup game (3 goals, 4 assists)


Ice Hockey GreatWayne Gretzky

• 1989 Penguin Mario Lemuix ties NHL playoff record of 4 goals in 1st period
• 1991 Lisa Olson brings suit against NFL NE Patriots for sexual harassment
• 1993 NFL Draft: Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe first pick by New England Patriots

Sports History
1997 Seattle Mariner Ken Griffey Jr. hits his 250th HR


Baseball Hall of Fame OutfielderKen Griffey Jr.

• 2009 NFL Draft: Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford first pick by Detroit Lions

Indian Premier League
2010 IPL Cricket Final, DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai: Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by 22 runs; Suresh Raina 57 no (35)


CricketerSachin Tendulkar

• 2013 NFL Draft: Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher first pick by Kansas City Chiefs
• 2019 NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray #1 pick by Arizona Cardinals

 

April 26

• 1900 Newly renamed American League opener in Cleveland draws 6,500 (still as a minor league, was Western League)
• 1901 Jimmy Collins, having left the Boston Beaneaters (NL), captains and manages his first game for the Boston Americans (loses 10-6 at Baltimore Orioles)

• 1905 Cubs Jack McCarthy becomes only major league player to throw out 3 runners at plate in 1 game, all were ends of a double play
• 1912 1st homerun hit at Fenway Park (Hugh Bradley, Red Sox)
• 1920 Husband and wife team Ludowika & Walter Jakobsson representing Finland, win the pairs skating gold medal at the Antwerp Olympics; Ludowika is the only German-born athlete at the Games
• 1920 Ice hockey makes its Olympic debut at the Antwerp Games with center Frank Fredrickson scoring 7 goals in Canada's 12-1 drubbing of Sweden in the gold medal match

Baseball Record

1931 Lou Gehrig hits a HR but is called out for passing a runner, mistake costs him AL home run crown; he & Babe Ruth tie for season


Baseball PlayerLou Gehrig

• 1935 Frank Boucher is given NHL's Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship permanently for winning it 7 of 11 years
• 1941 A tradition begins, 1st organ at a baseball stadium (Chicago Cubs)
• 1950 Last horse race at Havre de Grace Track in Md, is run
• 1950 U of Miami ends William & Mary straight tennis match victories at 82
• 1952 Patty Berg scores 64, best competitive round of golf by a woman

Baseball Record
1961 Roger Maris hits 1st of 61 homers in 1961


Baseball PlayerRoger Maris

• 1962 Red Sox Bill Monbouquette no-hits White Sox 1-0
• 1964 18th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat SF Warriors, 4 games to 1

Golf Tournament
1964 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Marilynn Smith retains title; beats Mickey Wright by 1 stroke


LPGA GolferMickey Wright

Sports History
1966 Red Auerbach retires as Boston Celtic's coach


NBA Head CoachRed Auerbach

• 1966 International Olympic Committee votes to award German city of Munich the right to host the 1972 Summer Olympic Games
• 1974 Yankees trade Peterson, Beene, Kline & Buskey to Indians for Chambliss, Tidrow & Upshaw

Baseball Record
1975 Phillies Mike Schmidt's 2 HRs ties NL record of 11 HRs in April


MLB Third BasemanMike Schmidt

• 1980 Gerard Nijboer runs Dutch record marathon (2:09:01)

Sports History
1980 MLB Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton pitches his 6th 1-hitter, in 7-0 win over St. Louis Cardinals, at Veterans Stadium; 1st National League to record 6 1-hitters


Baseball PitcherSteve Carlton

• 1982 Gene Michael becomes NY Yankee manager for 2nd time
• 1983 San Antonio spurs beat Denver Nuggets, 152-133 in NBA playoff game

Sports History
1983 NFL Draft: Stanford quarterback John Elway first pick by Baltimore Colts


NFL QuarterbackJohn Elway

• 1988 NBA approves addition of 3rd referee in 1988-89 season
• 1988 NY Met Davey Johnson becomes 2nd manager to record 400 victory in 1st 4 years (Al López was 1st)

Sports History
1989 Mike Tyson gets a speeding ticket for drag racing his Lamborghini in Albany, New York


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMike Tyson

• 1990 NY court of appeals ends 2½ year legal battle over 1988 America's Cup by refusing jurisdiction of case

Sports History
1990 Nolan Ryan ties Bob Feller's record of pitching 12 1-hitters


MLB Pitching LegendNolan Ryan

Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherBob Feller
Sports History
1991 Soccer star Diego Maradona, suspended for using cocaine, arrested in Argentina for possession & distribution of illegal narcotics


Football LegendDiego Maradona
Baseball Record
1992 Ozzie Smith steals his 500th base


Baseball PlayerOzzie Smith

• 1992 NFL Draft: University of Washington defensive end Steve Emtman from first pick by Indianapolis Colts
• 1995 Baseball season begins after lengthy strike
• 2003 NFL Draft: USC quarterback Carson Palmer first pick by Cincinnati Bengals
• 2008 NFL Draft: University of Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long first pick by Miami Dolphins
• 2012 NFL Draft: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck first pick by Indianapolis Colts

Sports History
2015 35th London Marathon: Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge & Ethiopian Tigist Tufa win


Long Distance RunnerEliud Kipchoge
Sports History
2015 FC Bayern Munich wins the 2014–15 Bundesliga for a 25th time


Football StarThomas Müller

• 2017 Gift Ngoepe becomes 1st black African to play in Major League Baseball, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
• 2018 NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield first pick by Cleveland Browns; 4 QBs taken in top 10 selections for first time in history