TODAY'S EVENTS IN SPORTS HISTORY 2025

APRIL 26

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April26
Today's Events in Sports History

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• 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 First home run hit at Fenway Park by Hugh Bradley of the 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

Lou Gehrig's Big Mistake

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

Baseball LegendBabe Ruth

• 1935 Frank Boucher is given NHL's Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship permanently for winning it 7 of 11 years
• 1941 A tradition begins with the first 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

Golf History
1952 Patty Berg scores 64, the best competitive round of golf by a woman


GolferPatty Berg
Baseball History
1961 New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris hits 1st of 61 homers in 1961


Baseball PlayerRoger Maris

• 1964 18th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat SF Warriors, 4 games to 1

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


LPGA GolferMickey Wright

• 1966 International Olympic Committee votes to award German city of Munich the right to host the 1972 Summer Olympic Games

Red Auerbach Retires
1966 Red Auerbach retires as Boston Celtic's coach


NBA CoachRed Auerbach

• 1974 Yankees trade Peterson, Beene, Kline & Buskey to Indians for Chambliss, Tidrow & Upshaw

Baseball Record
1975 MLB Philadelphia Phillies slugger Mike Schmidt's 2 home runs in 7-3 win over Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh ties NL record of 11 HRs in April


MLB Third BasemanMike Schmidt

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

Baseball Record
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

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


NFL QuarterbackJohn Elway

• 1983 San Antonio spurs beat Denver Nuggets, 152-133 in NBA playoff game
• 1988 NBA approves addition of 3rd referee in 1988-89 season

Sports History
1988 NY Met Davey Johnson becomes 2nd manager to record 400 victory in 1st 4 years (Al López was 1st)


Baseball PlayerAl López
Mike Tyson' Speeding Ticket
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

Baseball Record
1990 Texas Rangers Nolan Ryan ties Bob Feller's record of pitching 12 one-hitters in 1-0 win over Chicago White Sox at Arlington Stadium


MLB Pitching LegendNolan Ryan

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


Football LegendDiego Maradona
Baseball Record
1992 MLB St. Louis Cardinals 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

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


Long Distance RunnerEliud Kipchoge
FC Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga
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

Pelé Added to Dictionary
2023 Brazilian Portuguese-language Michaelis dictionary adds "pelé" as a new adjective to its online edition, meaning "exceptional, incomparable, unique" [1]


Football LegendPele

 

APRIL 28

World's First Motor Race

1887 "Europe's first motoring competition" is 'won' by The Marquis de Dion on a steam-powered quadricycle built by French toymaker and engineer Georges Bouton; French newspaper Le Velocipede organized the 'test', and Bouton was the only participant


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

• 1901 Cleveland's Bock Baker gives up a record 23 singles as White Sox beat Blues (Cleveland Blues!) 13-1

Capablanca World Chess Champion
1921 Cuban José Raúl Capablanca becomes the world's third chess champion defeating German champion Emanuel Lasker in Havana


Chess GrandmasterJosé Raúl Capablanca

• 1923 Wembley Stadium opens - Bolton Wanderers vs West Ham United (FA Cup)
• 1930 First night of organized baseball is played in Independence, Kansas
• 1931 Program for woman athletes approved for 1932 Olympics track & field
• 1934 Soccer team Blue White '34 forms
• 1952 St Louis Browns lend 2 black minor leaguers to Hankyu Braves of Japan

Baseball Record
1956 Cincinnati Reds outfielder Frank Robinson hits his 1st of 586 HRs


Baseball Outfielder and ManagerFrank Robinson
LPGA Western Open
1957 LPGA Western Open Women's Golf, Montgomery CC: Patty Berg wins her 6th WO by 1 stroke from Wiffi Smith


GolferPatty Berg
Sports History
1961 Milwaukee Braves' future HOF pitcher Warren Spahn throws his second career no hitter at 41; beats SF Giants, 1-0 at County Stadium


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherWarren Spahn

• 1965 Lindsey Nelson broadcasts baseball game at Houston Astrodome from a hanging gondola
• 1966 20th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 3

Sports History
1967 Muhammad Ali refuses induction into army & stripped of boxing title


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMuhammad Ali

• 1972 Courts award 1968 Kentucky Derby prize money to 2nd place winner due to the winner being given drugs before the race

Sports History
1985 Billy Martin named NY Yankee manager for 4th time


Baseball Player and ManagerBilly Martin
Sports History
1985 Fernando Valenzuela sets record of 41 scoreless inn to start season


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherFernando Valenzuela

• 1987 NBA announces expansion to Charlotte NC & Miami Fla in 1988 & Minneapolis Minn & Orlando Fla in 1989
• 1987 NFL Draft: University of Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde first pick by Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 1988 Baltimore Orioles lose AL record 21 games in a row
• 1988 NJ Devils set all time playoff mark for penalty minutes
• 1990 Boston Celtics score most points in a playoff, beat NY Knicks 157-128

Sports History
1993 NY Islanders beat Washington Capitals 4 to 1 in playoffs, Capitals' Dale Hunter attacks Pierre Turgeon after scoring, in hockey's worst cheap shot


NHL StarPierre Turgeon

• 1993 Zambian national football team dies in a plane crash near Libreville, Gabon that kills 30 people [1]
• 2002 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, Superstition Mountain G&CC: Jim Thorpe wins his lone career major title with birdie on first playoff hole against John Jacobs

Sports History
2003 Andre Agassi recaptures the world #1 ranking to become the oldest top-ranked male in the history of the ATP rankings at 33 years and 13 days


Tennis LegendAndre Agassi

• 2007 ICC Men's Cricket ODI World Cup, Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados: Australia 3-peat with 53 run win over Sri Lanka; Player of the Match: Adam Gilchrist (AUS) 149 (104) & 2 catches
• 2007 NFL Draft: LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell first pick by Oakland Raiders
• 2011 NFL Draft: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton first pick by Carolina Panthers
• 2016 NFL Draft: Cal quarterback Jared Goff first pick by Los Angeles Rams
• 2018 Shaquem Griffin is the first one-handed person to be drafted into the NFL; selected by Seattle Seahawks
• 2019 American diver Victor Vescovo makes the deepest dive ever to the bottom of the Mariana trench at 10,927m (35,849ft), and finds a plastic bag

 

APRIL 29

• 1751 The New York Gazette and Post Boy carries first public report of a cricket match played in America; New York XI v London XI on the site of what is today the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan, NYC
• 1892 Charlie Reilly becomes one of baseball's first pinch hitters
• 1901 27th Kentucky Derby: Jimmy Winkfield on His Eminence wins in 2:07.75

Speaker Ties Record

1918 Tris Speaker ties career outfield record of 4 unassisted double plays


Baseball PlayerTris Speaker

• 1922 First official International Weightlifting Federation Championship is held in Tallinn, Estonia
• 1930 123 runs are scored in 7 major league games

Ferrell No-Hits Browns
1931 Cleveland Indians pitcher Wes Ferrell no-hits St Louis Browns, 9-0 at League Park II, Cleveland


Baseball PitcherWes Ferrell

• 1934 Pittsburgh is last major league baseball city to play a home game on a Sunday, as the Pirates host the Cincinnati Reds
• 1936 1st pro baseball game in Japan is played Nagoya defeats Daitokyo, 8-5
• 1953 Milwaukee Braves' Joe Adcock is 1st to homer into New York's Polo Grounds center field bleachers
• 1961 ABC's "Wide World of Sports" debuts

Golf Tournament
1963 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Marilynn Smith beats Mickey Wright by 1 shot in 18-hole playoff


LPGA GolferMickey Wright

• 1980 NFL Draft: Oklahoma running back Billy Sims first pick by Detroit Lions

Baseball Record
1981 MLB Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton is 1st lefty to strike out 3,000 batters


Baseball PitcherSteve Carlton

• 1981 NFL Draft: South Carolina running back George Rogers first pick by New Orleans Saints

Sports History
1985 New York Yankees fire manager Yogi Berra 16 games into season, despite assurance from owner George Steinbrenner that he would be kept for the whole season. Billy Martin named as replacement.


MLB Catcher and ManagerYogi Berra

Baseball Player and ManagerBilly Martin

New York Yankees OwnerGeorge Steinbrenner

• 1985 Tony Tubbs beats defending champion Greg Page by unanimous decision in 15 rounds at Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo for WBA heavyweight boxing title

Baseball Record
1986 Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens strikes out 20 Seattle Mariners


MLB Pitching LegendRoger Clemens
Sports History
1986 NFL Draft: Auburn running back Bo Jackson first pick by Tampa Bay Buccaneers


NFL Running Back and Baseball OutfielderBo Jackson
Sports History
1987 Chicago Cub Andre Dawson hits for cycle


MLB StarAndre Dawson

• 1988 Baltimore Orioles end their record 21-game losing streak by beating the White Sox 9-0
• 1988 Orioles beat White Sox 9-0 for 1st 1988 win after 21 loses

Sports History
1990 Dan Quisenberry (all-time AL save king, 238) announces his retirement


MLB PlayerDan Quisenberry

• 1995 KC Royal John Nonely is 70th to HR on his 1st at bat
• 1997 MLB Kansas City Royals Chili Davis is 75th to hit 300 HRs
• 2006 NFL Draft: North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams first pick from Houston Texans

Sports History
2018 Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal equals his Open-era record for most wins at the same event (11 Monte Carlo) with his 11th Barcelona ATP title


Tennis ChampionRafael Nadal
The Rise and Fall of Boris Becker
2022 London court sentences retired tennis star Boris Becker to 2-1/2 years in prison for hiding assets during bankruptcy proceedings


Golden days: 17-year-old Boris Becker celebrates as Wimbledon men’s singles champion

 

APRIL 30

• 1722 Game of Billiards is mentioned in New England Courant

Chess Master Retires

1859 American Paul Morphy, widely regarded as the world's best chess player, retires after returning from a 10-month chess tour of Europe


Chess PlayerPaul Morphy

• 1887 1st game played at Broad & Huntingdon St Park (Baker Bowl) in Philadelphia; Phillies beat Giants 19-10

Fitzsimmons KOs Dunkhost
1900 Weighing in at 170 lbs British former world heavyweight boxing champion Bob Fitzsimmons KOs 270 lb American Ed Dunkhost in round 2 of a lop-sided bout in Brooklyn, New York


BoxerBob Fitzsimmons

• 1903 NY Highlanders (Yankees) inaugural home opener at Hilltop Park, Manhattan; beat Washington Senators, 6-2
• 1905 First official soccer game between neighboring countries Belgium and the Netherlands; the Dutch win 4-1 at Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
• 1910 Cleveland Naps Addie Joss limits St.Louis Browns to 8 hits in 2-1 victory
• 1918 Orange Nassau soccer team forms in Groningen
• 1919 Phillies beat Brooklyn Dodgers 9-0 in 20 innings
• 1921 1st American Professional Football Association Championship (1920): undefeated Akron Pros awarded inaugural title
• 1921 American Professional Football Association reorganizes in Akron, Ohio
• 1922 Chicago pitcher Charlie Robertson throws a perfect game as the White Sox beat Detroit Tigers, 2-0 at Navin Field

Bradman Scores 258
1938 Bradman scores 258 Aust v Worcs, 293 mins, 33 fours 1 five


Cricket LegendDonald Bradman

• 1938 The first televised FA Cup Final takes place between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End

Gehrig Sets Record
1939 Lou Gehrig sets a MLB record playing his 2,130th consecutive and final game for the New York Yankees.


Baseball PlayerLou Gehrig

• 1940 Brooklyn Dodger Tex Carleton no-hits Cincinnati Reds, 3-0

Ott's Six Run Game
1944 NY Giant, Mel Ott scores 6 runs in 1 game drawing 5 walks for 4th time


Baseball Player and ManagerMel Ott
Feller's 2nd MLB No-Hitter
1946 Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller's 2nd career MLB no-hitter; beats New York Yankees, 1-0


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherBob Feller
Sports History
1953 Little-Bigger League changes its name to Babe Ruth League


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth
Baseball Record
1958 Ted Williams is 10th major league player to get 1,000 extra-base hits


Baseball PlayerTed Williams
Golf Tournament
1961 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Mickey Wright wins her 5th major title by 1 stroke from Patty Berg & Louise Suggs


LPGA GolferMickey Wright

Golfer and Co-Founder of the LPGALouise Suggs

GolferPatty Berg
Baseball Record
1961 MLB San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays becomes just the 9th player in MLB history to hit 4 homers in one game in 14-4 win against the Braves in Milwaukee


MLB LegendWillie Mays

• 1962 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Mickey Wright wins her 8th major title in a playoff with Ruth Jessen
• 1967 MLB Baltimore Orioles' Stu Miller & Steve Barber lose 2-1 despite no-hitting Tigers
• 1968 3 Oriole pitchers walk 14 NY Yankees in a 9 inning game
• 1969 Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney records his second MLB no-hitter in 10-0 rout of Houston Astros
• 1970 Cubs Billy Williams is 1st NLer to play in 1,000 consecutive games
• 1971 25th NBA Championship: Milwaukee beat Baltimore Bullets in 4 games
• 1973 Women's tennis groups end disputes over sanctioning tournaments

Boxing Title Fight
1976 Muhammad Ali beats Jimmy Young in 15 for heavyweight boxing title


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMuhammad Ali

• 1982 Atlanta Braves win record 12th straight from beginning of season
• 1984 Strong winds cause a 30 min delay in Toronto Blue Jays game

Sports History
1985 Dale Murphy drives in record tying 28th & 29th runs of April


Baseball OutfielderDale Murphy

• 1985 NFL Draft: Virginia Tech defensive end Bruce Smith first pick by Buffalo Bills

Sports History
1986 Bill Elliott sets all-time NASCAR qualifying record, winning pole for the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway; 212.809 mph (342.483 km/h; 44.998 seconds)


Auto RacerBill Elliott

• 1987 Lou Lamoriello is named NJ Devils President
• 1988 NJ Devils beat Caps 3-2 taking 7th game of Patrick Division final

Sports History
1988 NY Yank Dave Winfield gets his 29th RBI of April-Sets AL & ties ML Rec


Baseball Hall of Fame OutfielderDave Winfield

• 1989 US beats Costa Rica 1-0, in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup

Sports History
1990 As Met pitcher David Cone argues a call at 1st base, 2 Braves score


Baseball PitcherDavid Cone

• 1997 Atlanta Braves win record 19 games in April
• 2012 Manchester City defeats Manchester United 1-0 in what is claimed to be the biggest match in English Premier League history
• 2015 NFL Draft: Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston first pick by Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mr. Irrelevant
2022 Brock Purdy is selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, becoming Mr. Irrelevant


NFL QuarterbackBrock Purdy

• 2023 Seattle Kraken become first NHL franchise to earn its first-ever playoff series win against reigning Stanley Cup champion, eliminating Colorado Avalanche in 7 games

 

MAY 1

• 1883 Bob Rogers is acknowledged as the first American pro sports trainer when he is hired by the NY Athletic Club
• 1883 First National League baseball game in Philadelphia since 1876, Providence Greys beat Philadelphia Quakers, 4-3
• 1884 Catcher Moses Walker is acknowledged as the first African-American to play major league baseball joining the Toledo Blue Stockings

Young's 1st Cleveland Game

1891 Legendary pitcher Cy Young wins first game played at Cleveland's League Park; Cleveland Spiders 12, Cincinnati Redlegs 3


MLB PitcherCy Young

• 1901 Chicago White Sox outfielder Herm McFarland hits first grand slam in American League history in 19-9 win at home against Detroit; Tigers commit 12 errors
• 1906 Philadelphia Phillies Johnny Lush (20) pitches no-hitter in 6-0 win over Brooklyn Superbas in Washington Park in Brooklyn, New York; the team's last no-hitter until 1964

Ruth's 1st HR for Yankees
1920 Legendary slugger Babe Ruth records his first HR for the New York Yankees in 6-0 win over his former club, the Boston Red Sox


Baseball LegendBabe Ruth

• 1920 Longest MLB game by innings - Brooklyn Robins tie the Boston Braves, 1-1, in 26 innings
• 1920 Roermond Football Club (1936 KNVB Cup) is established in Netherlands

Jimmie Foxx MLB Debut
1925 Future Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Jimmie Foxx makes his MLB debut at 17 for Philadelphia A's; pinch-hits a single in 9-4 loss v Washington


MLB Hall of Fame 1st BasemanJimmie Foxx
Satchel Paige Debut
1926 Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel Paige (19) debuts in the Negro Southern League for Chattanooga


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherSatchel Paige

• 1928 Rotterdam soccer club Black White '28 is established (2000 Women's KNVB Cup); declared bankrupt 2004

Bradman scores 236
1930 Cricket master batsman Don Bradman scores 236 for Australia v Worcestershire in his first 1st class innings in England


Cricket LegendDonald Bradman

• 1940 Summer Olympics (scheduled for Helsinki) are cancelled by the Finnish OC because of WWII

69th Kentucky Derby
1943 69th Kentucky Derby: Johnny Longden wins aboard heavy favourite Count Fleet in the 'street car Derby'


Hall of Fame JockeyJohnny Longden

• 1947 Cleveland Indians abandon League Park (venue for weekday games) to play all MLB games at Municipal Stadium

74th Kentucky Derby
1948 74th Kentucky Derby: Eddie Arcaro wins aboard Citation to become first 4-time Derby winning jockey


Racing Hall of Fame JockeyEddie Arcaro

• 1949 Athletics' Elmer Valo is the first AL baseball player to hit 2 bases-loaded triples in a game

Baseball Record
1951 Future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Mickey Mantle hits first career home run in 8-3 win v White Sox in Chicago; Minnie Miñoso homers in Sox debut


Baseball LegendMickey Mantle

• 1954 80th Kentucky Derby: Raymond York wins aboard Determine, his only Derby success
• 1954 Preston North End defender Joe Marston becomes the first Australian to play in an FA Cup Final, a 3-2 loss to WBA

Golf Tournament
1955 American golfer Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins the Peach Blossom LPGA Tournament in Spartanburg, South Carolina, her final victory before her death the following year


All-Round Athlete and GolferBabe Didrikson Zaharias
Sports History
1955 Future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller tosses his record 12th 1-hitter in Indians' 2-0 win v Boston Red Sox at Cleveland Stadium


Baseball Hall of Fame PitcherBob Feller

• 1957 Flevo Boys Football Club is established in Emmeloord, the Netherlands

Boxing Title Fight
1959 Floyd Patterson scores 11th round KO of Englishman Brian London in Indianapolis; his 4th World Heavyweight Boxing title defence


Boxing ChampionFloyd Patterson

• 1963 First one-day cricket competition is played (Gillette Cup); Lancashire beats Leicestershire by 101 at Old Trafford

Kentucky Derby
1965 91st Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker wins aboard Lucky Debonair, the third of his 4 Derby victories


Racing Hall of Fame JockeyBill Shoemaker

• 1965 Stanley Cup, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Dick Duff has a goal and 2 assists as Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 4-0 in Game 7 to take title 4-3
• 1969 Houston Astros hurler Don Wilson blanks Reds, 4-0 for second career no-hitter, at Crosley Field in Cincinnati
• 1969 Trucking magnate Leonard Tose buys NFL Philadelphia Eagles for a professional sports record $16.15m
• 1971 97th Kentucky Derby: Gustavo Ávila wins aboard Canonero II (wins Preakness May 15)

Kentucky Derby
1976 102nd Kentucky Derby: Puerto Rican jockey Ángel Cordero Jr wins aboard Bold Forbes, the second of 3 Derby successes


JockeyÁngel Cordero Jr.

• 1977 American golfer Debbie Austin wins the Birmingham Classic, the first of 5 LPGA Tour victories in a 4-month span

Sports History
1977 American golfer Gene Littler wins the Houston Open, his 29th and final PGA title


GolferGene Littler

• 1977 French runner Chantal Langlacé sets female world marathon record (2:35:15.4) in Oyarzun, Spain

Sports History
1981 Tennis player Billie Jean King acknowledges a lesbian relationship with Marilyn Barnett - becoming first prominent sportswoman to come out


Tennis LegendBillie Jean King

• 1982 108th Kentucky Derby: Ed Delahoussaye wins aboard Gato Del Sol, the first of consecutive Derby victories (1983 Sunny's Halo)
• 1984 NFL Draft: Nebraska wide receiver Irving Fryar first pick by New England Patriots

Sports History
1988 After scoring 50 points in Game 1, NBA Eastern Conference playoff series, Michael Jordan has 55 in Chicago Bulls 106-101 win vs Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2; first to score 50+ points in consecutive playoff games


Basketball SuperstarMichael Jordan

• 1989 American jockey Chris Antley's record 64-day consecutive winning streak ends when he fails with 5 mounts at Aqueduct, NY; streak includes 147 winners from 486 mounts

Baseball Record
1991 A's outfielder Rickey Henderson steals all time MLB record 939th base in 7-4 win vs New York Yankees in Oakland


MLB OutfielderRickey Henderson
Baseball Record
1991 Texas Rangers starter Nolan Ryan pitches MLB record 7th no hitter; beats Toronto, 3-0; at 44, Ryan is oldest to throw no-hitter


MLB Pitching LegendNolan Ryan

• 1991 West Indian batsman Gordon Greenidge plays his last Test cricket innings, scoring 43 vs Australia in Antigua; 7,558 runs @ 44.72; 19 x 100s

1992 Oakland outfielder Rickey Henderson steals his 1,000th MLB career base in A's 7-6 win at Detroit

• 1993 119th Kentucky Derby: Jerry Bailey wins aboard Sea Hero, the first of 2 Derby victories (1996 on Grindstone)

Sports History
1994 Three-time World Formula 1 Drivers champion Ayrton Senna of Brazil is killed in a 309 kmh crash whilst leading the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola in Italy


Formula 1 DriverAyrton Senna

• 1995 Future Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh scores career best 200 including 231 partnership with brother Mark (126) in 4th Test win over West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica
• 1995 Montreal Canadiens lose 2-0 at Buffalo to miss Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 25 years
• 1996 Miami Heat beaten, 112-91 to Chicago Bulls to be swept 3-0 in round 1 of NBA Eastern Division playoffs; first time in his 14 years as head coach Pat Riley ousted in the opening round
• 1999 125th Kentucky Derby: Chris Antley wins aboard Charismatic for his second Derby victory (1991 on Strike The Gold)

Baseball Record
2000 Barry Bonds is first MLB player to hit a homer into San Francisco Bay as Giants beat Mets, 10-3; hits 35 there during his SF career


MLB LegendBarry Bonds

• 2002 Padres closer Trevor Hoffman sets MLB record for saves for one team (321) in 4-3 win v Chicago Cubs in San Diego
• 2004 130th Kentucky Derby: Stewart Elliott wins aboard Smarty Jones. North American wagering records smashed ($142m on 12-race card)
• 2004 Giants outfielder Barry Bonds sets MLB record for being intentionally walked 4 times in a 9-inning game during 6-3 defeat of Florida in SF

Sports History
2005 17-year old Lionel Messi scores his 1st senior league goal for FC Barcelona in 2-0 win against Albacete Balompié, at the Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona


Football StarLionel Messi
Kentucky Derby
2010 136th Kentucky Derby: Calvin Borel wins aboard Super Saver, his third Derby success in 4 years


Racing Hall of Fame JockeyCalvin Borel

• 2012 Guggenheim Partners make the largest ever purchase of a sports franchise after buying the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2.1 billion
• 2017 World Snooker Championship, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield: Englishman Mark Selby defends title beating John Higgins of Scotland, 18-15; his third world crown

Football History
2018 Liverpool's Egyptian soccer forward Mohamed Salah becomes the first African to be named England Football Writers' Footballer of the Year.


Soccer StarMohamed Salah

• 2019 Argentine forward Lionel Messi scores twice for his 600th goal for FC Barcelona in a 3-0 home win over Liverpool in a Champions League semi final
• 2019 Two-time South African Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya loses appeal against proposed rules to limit her testosterone levels; medically reducing levels the only way to continue competition
• 2021 147th Kentucky Derby: Medina Spirit gives jockey John Velazquez his fourth Derby win and trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh victory in the race

 

MAY 2

• 1876 Ross Barnes hits the first home run in the National League
• 1903 29th Kentucky Derby: Hal Booker riding Judge Himes wins in 2:09
• 1904 30th Kentucky Derby: Shorty Prior riding Elwood wins in 2:08.50

• 1906 32nd Kentucky Derby: Roscoe Troxler aboard Sir Huon wins in 2:08.8

The Flying Dutchman

1909 Honus Wagner steals his way around bases in 1st inning against Cubs


MLB ShortshopHonus Wagner

• 1920 First baseball game of the Negro National League is played in Indianapolis

Johnson's 100th Shutout
1923 MLB Washington Senator Walter Johnson pitches his 100th shutout, beats Yanks 3-0


MLB PitcherWalter Johnson

• 1936 62nd Kentucky Derby: Ira Hanford aboard Bold Venture wins in 2:03.6

Lou Gehrig's Ends his Streak
1939 New York Yankee Lou Gehrig ends 2,130 consecutive game streak when he sits out as the Yankees beat the Tigers 22-2 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan [1]


Baseball PlayerLou Gehrig
Sports History
1941 MLB player Ted Williams' lowest average (.308) in year he hit over .400


Baseball PlayerTed Williams

• 1942 68th Kentucky Derby: Wayne D. Wright aboard Shut Out wins in 2:04.4
• 1953 79th Kentucky Derby: Hank Moreno aboard Dark Star wins in 2:02

Baseball Record
1954 MLB St. Louis Cardinal Stan Musial hits 5 HRs in a doubleheader against the New York Giants at Busch Stadium


MLB LegendStan Musial

• 1958 Yanks threaten to broadcast games nationwide if NL goes ahead with plans to broadcast, games into NYC

Kentucky Derby
1959 85th Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker aboard Tomy Lee wins in 2:02.2


Racing Hall of Fame JockeyBill Shoemaker
The 100-year Football Curse that Appears to be Working
1962 European Cup Final, Amsterdam: Eusébio scores twice as defending champions Benfica beat Real Madrid, 5-3; Puskás, hits all 3 for Madrid. Start of the Benfica curse.


Former S.L. Benfica Coach Béla Guttmann (second from left)

• 1964 90th Kentucky Derby: Bill Hartack aboard Northern Dancer wins in 2:00

Stanley Cup
1967 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Terry Sawchuk makes 40 saves as Toronto Maple Leafs beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 in Game 6 to take title, 4-2


NHL LegendTerry Sawchuk

• 1968 22nd NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 2
• 1970 96th Kentucky Derby: Mike Manganello on Dust Commander wins 2:03.4
• 1970 Diane Crump (21) is the first woman jockey at the Kentucky Derby [1]
• 1978 1978 NFL Draft: Earl Campbell from University of Texas first pick by Houston Oilers
• 1979 -May 10] Vivekananda (Sri Lanka) begins nonstop ride, cycling 187 hrs, 28 min, around Vihara Maha Devi Park, Colombo, Sri Lanka
• 1981 107th Kentucky Derby: Jorge Velásquez on Pleasant Colony wins in 2:02
• 1984 MLB Cleveland Indians' infielder Andre Thornton ties record for most walks (6 in 16 innings)

Baseball Record
1984 New York Yankees Don Mattingly's single breaks up Chicago White Sox pitcher Lamarr Hoyt's perfect game bid, at Comiskey Park


Baseball Player and ManagerDon Mattingly

• 1987 113th Kentucky Derby: Chris McCarron aboard Alysheba wins in 2:03.4

Sports History
1987 NHL New York Islanders Mike Bossy plays his final game, a 5-1 playoff elimination game loss to Philadelphia Flyers at the Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


Ice Hockey GreatMike Bossy

• 1988 Baltimore Orioles sign a 15 year lease to remain in Baltimore and get a new park

Sports History
1988 MLB Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose is suspended for 30 days for pushing an umpire


MLB Player and ManagerPete Rose
Kentucky Derby
1992 118th Kentucky Derby: Pat Day aboard Lil E Tee wins in 2:03


JockeyPat Day
Kentucky Derby
1998 124th Kentucky Derby: Kent Desormeaux aboard Real Quiet wins in 2:02.20


JockeyKent Desormeaux
Sports History
1999 John Elway announces his retirement from the NFL


NFL QuarterbackJohn Elway
Kentucky Derby
2009 135th Kentucky Derby: Calvin Borel wins aboard 50-1 long shot Mine That Bird after running dead last until the final turn


Racing Hall of Fame JockeyCalvin Borel
Messi Sets Goal Scoring Record
2012 Barcelona football player Lionel Messi breaks the European goal-scoring record with 68 goals


Football StarLionel Messi

• 2015 141st Kentucky Derby: American Pharoah ridden by Victor Espinoza wins

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao
2015 Floyd Mayweather Jr. beats Manny Pacquiao on points in 12 rounds in world welterweight unification fight, shatters all financial records for a boxing match


BoxerFloyd Mayweather Jr.

BoxerManny Pacquiao

• 2015 Toulon win the 2015 European Rugby Champions Cup final at Twickenham
• 2016 Leicester City wins the English Premier League title after starting the season at 5,000-1 odds
• 2016 World Snooker Championship, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield: Mark Selby of England beats China's Ding Junhui, 18-14 for his second world crown

World Snooker Championship
2022 World Snooker Championship, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield: Englishman Ronnie O'Sullivan wins his record equalling 7th world title with an 18-13 win over countryman Judd Trump


Snooker PlayerRonnie O'Sullivan
NBA MVP Award
2023 Joel Embiid wins the NBA Most Valuable Player Award


Basketball PlayerJoel Embiid