- 1889 Players League begins, declaring independence from baseball's NL
- 1924 California legalizes professional boxing (illegal since 1914)
- 1934 After posting 7 straight shutouts to start the NFL season, Detroit Lions beat Pittsburgh, 40-7 at University of Detroit Stadium; scored upon for the first time of the season; rush for NFL single game record 426 yards
- 1951 NY Giants & NY Yanks score back-to-back TDs on kickoff returns
- 1951 Vijay Merchant scores 154 v England in his last Test Cricket innings
- 1953 New baseball balk rule gives the batter option of accepting the outcome of the pitch or the balk
Sports History
1959 Ernie Banks, Cubs shortstop, wins 2nd consecutive NL MVP
- 1972 Kings score 3 goals within 45 seconds against Islanders
Sports History
1973 Chicago centre Stan Mikita registers his 1,000 NHL career point in the Black Hawks 5-3 loss to the Minnesota North Stars at the Met Centre, Bloomington, Minnesota
- 1973 New Orleans Saints 1st shutout victory, 13-0 vs Buffalo Bills
Sports History
1975 Orioles Jim Palmer wins his 2nd Cy Young Award
Sports History
1976 1st mass-market free-agent reentry draft, Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi, Gullett, Tenace, Fingers, Baylor, Grich & McCovey, available
Sports History
1978 3rd annual reentry free-agent draft, Pete Rose, Tommy John, & Darrell Evans, available
- 1978 Islanders start 15 game undefeated streak (12-0-3)
- 1980 Islanders start 15 game undefeated streak (13-0-2)
Sports History
1980 MLB Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton wins 3rd NL Cy Young Award
- 1980 Sadaharu Oh, 40, pro-baseball's all-time HR run king with 868, retires
- 1983 Washington Capitals first NHL overtime victory beating Vancouver 5-4
- 1987 Benito Santiago, Padres catcher, wins NL Rookie of Year
- 1987 NBA announces 4 new franchises; Charlotte & Miami for 1988 & Minneapolis & Orlando for 1989
- 1988 First NBA game at Charlotte Coliseum - Hornets lose to Cavs, 133-93
- 1989 Breeders' Cup Horse Racing, Gulfstream Park; winners: Bayakoa, Dancing Spree, Go for Wand, Prized, Rhythm, Steinlen, Sunday Silence
- 1989 First NBA game at Orlando Arena, Orlando Magic loses to NJ Nets, 111-106
- 1990 20th NYC Women's Marathon won by Wanda Panfil in 2:30:45
- 1990 21st NYC Marathon won by Douglas Wakiihuri in 2:12:39
Sports History
1990 Ayrton Senna retires with gearbox trouble during the season-ending Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide; wins by 7 points from Alain Prost; McLaren-Honda wins Constructors title for 3rd straight year
- 1992 NY Giants announce they will quit WNEW Radio after 32 years for WOR
- 1992 NY Jets announce they are moving from WABC to WFAN radio
- 1994 United Center in Chicago opens - Bulls beat Charlotte Hornets, 89-83
- 1995 1st-class Cricket debut of Paul Adams, W Province v N Transvaal
- 1995 KeyArena opens in Seattle, Supersonics beat the LA Lakers 103-89
- 2000 Breeders' Cup Horse Racing, Churchill Downs; winners: Tiznow, Macho Uno, Spain, Kalanisi, War Chant, Perfect Sting, Kona Gold, Caressing
Sports History
2001 American tennis star Serena Williams wins the WTA Tour Championship in Munich, Germany after Lindsay Davenport defaults the final due to a knee injury; Williams' first season-ending title
- 2001 Baseball World Series: Arizona beats New York Yankees, 3-2 in Game 7 at Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix for Diamondbacks' first title; co-MVP: Arizona pitchers Randy Johnson & Curt Schilling
- 2006 Breeders' Cup Horse Racing, Churchill Downs, winners: Invasor, Street Sense, Round Pond, Ouija Board, Dreaming of Anna, Miesque's Approval, Thor's Echo, Red Rocks
- 2009 Baseball World Series: NY Yankees beat Philadelphia Phillies, 7-3 in Game 6 at Yankee Stadium to win Bronx Bombers' record 27th title; MVP: NY outfielder Hideki Matsui
- 2011 Breeders' Cup Horse Racing, Churchill Downs; Day 1 winners: Secret Circle, Stephanie's Kitten, Musical Romance, My Miss Aurelia, Perfect Shirl, Royal Delta
- 2012 Federation Cup Women's Tennis, Prague, Czech Republic: Lucie Šafářová beats Jelena Janković of Serbia 6-1, 6-1 to give the home team a 3-1 win in the final
- 2016 Breeders' Cup Horse Racing, Santa Anita Racetrack; Day 1 winners: Oscar Performance, Tamarkuz, New Money Honey, Beholder
- 2017 Breeders' Cup Horse Racing, Del Mar Racetrack; Day 2 winners: Caledonia Road, Stormy Liberal, Bar of Gold, Wuheida, Roy H, World Approval, Good Magic, Talismanic, Gunrunner
