Billiards in History

Events in Sport

  • 1722-04-30 Game of Billiards is mentioned in New England Courant
  • 1858-04-12 1st US billiards championship, Michael J Phelan wins in Detroit
  • 1907-07-06 Tom Reece takes 5 weeks to compile the highest recorded billiards break in a match (499,135) in London, his 'cradle' cannon method is soon banned
  • 1922-09-01 NYC law requires all "pool" rooms to change name to "billiards"
  • 1949-03-04 Piet Van de Pol of the Netherlands crowned world champion in billiards

Birthdays in Sport

  • 1887-10-11 William Hoppe, American carom billiards player (51 world titles 1906-52), born in Cornwall on Hudson, New York (d. 1959)
  • 1895-04-15 Clark McConachy, New Zealand billiards player (World Professional C'ships 1951), born in Glenorchy, New Zealand (d. 1980)
  • 1899-11-03 Ralph Greenleaf, American pocket billiards player (20-time world champion), born in Monmouth, Illinois (d. 1950)
  • 1901-04-15 Joe Davis, English snooker player (World Champion 1927-40, 1946), born in Whitwell, Derbyshire (d. 1978)
  • 1912-01-15 Horace Lindrum, Australian snooker and billiards player (World Snooker C'ship 1936, 37, 46 runner-up), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1974)
  • 1913-01-19 Minnesota Fats [Rudolf Wanderone Jr], American billiard player and entertainer, born in New York City (d. 1996)
  • 1913-06-27 Willie Mosconi, American pool player (World C'ship pocket billiards 1941-57), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1993)
  • 1937-07-12 Raymond Ceulemans, Belgian billiards player (21 x UMB three-cushion World C'ships; 6 x UMB World one-cushion C'ships), born in Lier, Belgium
  • 1959-10-04 Tony Meo, English snooker player (British Open 1989; English Pro C’ship 1986-87), born in London, England

Deaths in Sport

  • 1950-03-15 Ralph Greenleaf, American pocket billiards player (20-time world champion), dies from acute internal haemorrhage at 50
  • 1959-02-01 William Hoppe, American carom billiards player (51 world titles 1906-52), dies at 71
  • 1974-06-20 Horace Lindrum, Australian snooker and billiards player (World Snooker C'ship 1936, 37, 46 runner-up), dies at 62
  • 1980-04-12 Clark McConachy, New Zealand billiards player (World Professional C'ships 1951), dies at 84
  • 1993-09-16 Willie Mosconi, American pool player (World C'ship pocket billiards 1941-57), dies of a heart attack at 80