US Golf Open
1900 US Open Men's Golf, Chicago GC: Harry Vardon of Jersey wins his only US title; beats Englishman J.H. Taylor by 2 strokes
- 1907 Canadian Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) plays first game; Montreal beats Toronto, 17-8 in Montreal
- 1912 Boston Red Sox beat Philadelphia Athletics, 3 - 0 for their 105th win of the MLB season, an AL record until 1927 NY Yankees (110)
- 1912 NY Highlanders last game at Hilltop stadium; beat Washington, 8-6; Brooklyn Dodgers last game at Washington Park; lose 1-0 v NY Giants
- 1921 First Baseball World Series radio broadcast; all-NY contest, Yankees beat Giants, 3-0 at Polo Grounds; sportswriter Grantland Rice is the caller
- 1921 Writer Grantland Rice does the announcing as the New York Giants-New York Yankees Baseball World Series is broadcast for the first time over radio (WJZ & WGY) - he is not at the game, but in the studio reading updates received by telegraph
- 1922 NY Yankees and NY Giants play out a controversial 3-3 tie in 10 innings in Game 2 of Baseball World Series at Polo Grounds, Manhattan, NYC; Giants win series, 4-0-1
- 1932 With new ownership Detroit Falcons officially change name to Detroit Red Wings, and the Winged Wheel is introduced; previous names Cougars (1926-30), Falcons (1930-32)
- 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Mickey Owen drops a 3rd strike and Tom Hendrick reaches 1st safely for Yankees for a famous Baseball World Series error; would have been last out, instead Yankees score 4 and win 7-4; win series, 4-1
- 1942 Baseball World Series: St Louis Cardinals win club's 4th WS; beat NY Yankees, 4-2 at Yankee Stadium for 4-1 series victory
Gionfriddo robs DiMaggio
1947 Brooklyn outfielder Al Gionfriddo makes famous catch off Joe DiMaggio in Game 6 of Baseball World Series; Dodgers beat Yankees, 8-6; catch inspires "back-back-back" expression
Bobby Jones's Rare Disease
1949 Sportswriter Robert Ruark first reports golfing great Bobby Jones's rare spinal disease (syringomyelia) which prevent him from playing any form of golf again
Knicks Draft Cousy
1950 Boston Celtics owner Walter Brown & coach Red Auerbach draw lots out of hat for 3 members of defunct Chicago Stags franchise; hit jackpot with future 6-time NBA champion, Bob Cousy
The Honeymooners
1951 Jackie Gleason debuts the character of bus-driver Ralph Kramden on 1st "The Honeymooners" skit (Cavalcade of Stars)
- 1952 6th NHL All-Star Game, Detroit Olympia, Detroit, MI: 1st Team ties 2nd Team, 1-1; second year format - 1st v 2nd All-Star Teams, with additional players
Yogi Berra's Grand Slam
1956 Catcher Yogi Berra becomes 4th NY Yankee to hit a Baseball World Series grand slam in Game 2 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn; Dodgers win, 13-8 but lose series, 4-3
NHL All-Star Game
1963 17th NHL All-Star Game, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs tie All Stars, 3-3; MVP: Frank Mahovlich, Toronto, LW
- 1970 MLB Championship Series both end on the same day with same score; (AL) Baltimore Orioles beat Minnesota Twins, 3-0; (NL) Cincinnati Reds down Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-0; Orioles win WS, 4-1
F1 World Champion
1975 Austrian Niki Lauda wins the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen to claim his first Formula 1 World Drivers Championship; wins by 19.5 points from Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil
- 1976 MLB expansion draft: Seattle Mariners & Toronto Blue Jays pick 30 unprotected AL players; Ruppert Jones OF (Seattle) & Bob Bailor OF (Toronto) are first picks
F1 World Champion
1980 Australian Williams driver Alan Jones wins the United States East Grand Prix to claim his first Formula 1 World Drivers Championship; wins by 13 points from Nelson Piquet of Brazil
- 1982 First regular season NHL game is played in New Jersey (Newark; NJ Devils play a 3-3 tie against Pittsburgh Penguins at Brendan Byrne Arena; Don Lever scores first Devils' goal
Cricket History
1982 Pakistan cricket leg-spin bowler Abdul Qadir takes 7-142 as Australia is dismissed for 330 in 2nd Test in Faisalabad; Greg Ritchie scores maiden Test century (106 no) but home side prevails by an innings & 3 runs
NHL Record
1983 Edmonton super star Wayne Gretzky scores a goal and assist in 5-4 win over Toronto in the Oilers season opener; starts NHL record 51-game scoring streak; ends 28/1/84
- 1983 Panamanian jockey Jorge Velasquez wins his 5,000th career race, riding Banquet Scene to victory in the 4th race at Belmont Park
Dickerson's Overtime Record
1986 Rams running back Eric Dickerson runs for an NFL overtime record 42-yard touchdown as LA defeats Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26-20 at Anaheim Stadium
- 1990 Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Kevin Stevens has 2 goals & 4 assists in 7-4 opening-night win against the Washington Capitals at Capital Centre to set NHL record for most points in a season opener (6)
- 1991 Fresno State ties NCAA football record with 49 points in a quarter (2nd), as they route New Mexico, 94-17 at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno
3-Point Line Shortened
1994 NBA shortens the 3-point distance to a uniform 22 feet in attempt to help offensive players score more; Michael Jordan sets career highs in 3-point attempts & converted 3-point field goals, nearly double previous statistics
- 1996 Cleveland Indians strike out 23 Baltimore Orioles in 12 innings in 4-3 ALDS win at Jacobs Field; Orioles win series, 3-1
- 1996 New York centre fielder Bernie Williams homers from each side of the plate as the Yankees beat Texas, 6-4 to win the AL Division Series, 3 - 1
- 1997 Federation Cup Women's Tennis, Den Bosch, Netherlands: Sandrine Testud wins both her singles to lead France to 4-1 win over the Netherlands; France's first title
Baseball Record
2001 Barry Bonds hits his 71st and 72nd home runs in 11-10 loss v LA Dodgers at Pacific Bell Park; breaks Mark McGwire's MLB single season HR record
- 2001 MLB's Atlanta Braves become first pro sports team to win 10 straight division titles after mauling the Marlins, 20-3 to clinch the NL East title; NBA's Boston Celtics (1957-65) & LA Lakers (1982-90) both won 9 in a row
- 2002 For the first time in its 42-year old history, the Anaheim Angels win a post-season series by beating the Yankees, 9-5 to take the ALDS, 3-1
- 2003 Chicago Cubs win their first MLB postseason series since the 1908 World Series with 5-1 win v Atlanta Braves in Game 5 NLDS at Turner Field
- 2003 Kansas City wide receiver Dante Hall scores on game winning 93-yard punt return in Chiefs 24-23 victory v Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium; returns for score in an NFL-record 4th straight game
Scottie Pippen Retires
2004 7-time All-Star and 6-time NBA Champion forward Scottie Pippen announces his retirement from the NBA and the Chicago Bulls
- 2005 NHL great Wayne Gretzky makes his coaching debut for the Phoenix Coyotes in 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena
- 2005 NHL opens regular season after 10-month lockout of entire 2004-05 season; Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson & Dany Heatley first players to score winning goals in a shoot out in NHL history; both score v Toronto goalie Ed Belfour in 3-2 OT victory
Jones Admits Using Steroids
2007 After years of angry denials, triple gold medal winning American sprinter Marion Jones admits she used steroids 2000-01; pleads guilty to lying to federal investigators; announces retirement in tearful apology; medals returned to USOC
- 2009 Australia wins cricket's Champions Trophy at Centurion Park in Gauteng, South Africa by 6 wickets (28 balls remaining) v New Zealand; chasing 200, Shane Watson is 105 not out in Australia's 206/4
- 2010 Injured Indian cricket batsman VVS Laxman is the hero with 73 not out as the home team chases down 216 to beat Australia with just 1 wicket to spare in the 1st Test at Mohali
- 2013 New Zealand beats South Africa, 38-27 in Johannesburg to retain the Rugby Championship with an undefeated record; All Black flanker Liam Messam crosses for 2 tries
Klitschko vs. Povetkin
2013 Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko beats Russian Alexander Povetkin in a 12 round unanimous points decision in Moscow to retain his WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO heavyweight titles
Bianchi's Horror Crash
2014 French F1 driver Jules Bianchi collides with recovery vehicle during Japanese Grand Prix, dies 10 months later; first F1 death due to racing accident in 21 years (Ayrton Senna 1994)
Rabbitohs Win NRL
2014 Russell Crowe owned South Sydney Rabbitohs beat Canterbury Bulldogs, 30-6 to break 43 year drought and win National Rugby League (Australia) Premiership
Contract of Interest
2022 Duhan van der Merwe returns to Edinburgh on a long-term deal after Worcester Warriors contract termination
