TODAY'S EVENTS IN SPORTS HISTORY 2025

JUNE 21

Chess Prodigy in Europe

1858 Louisiana chess prodigy Paul Morphy arrives in Europe


Chess PlayerPaul Morphy

• 1879 Infielder William White plays one game for the Providence Grays with conjecture was the first African-American to play MLB even though he appeared Caucasian
• 1900 Dodgers score 7 in top of 11th to go ahead of Phillies, 20-13, In bottom of 11th Phillies stalls so umpire forfeits game to Dodgers
• 1904 Boston Herald tells of Red Sox trade "Dougherty as a Yankee," 1st known reference to NY club as Yankees (became Yankees in 1913)
• 1907 British Open Men's Golf, Royal Liverpool GC: Frenchman Arnaud Massy wins by 2 strokes from J.H. Taylor; first non-Briton to win Open Championship
• 1907 US Open Men's Golf, Philadelphia Cricket Club: Alec Ross of Scotland posts 4 sub-80 rounds to win his only major title, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Gilbert Nicholls
• 1916 Boston Red Sox pitcher Rube Foster no-hits New York Yankees, 2-0 at Fenway Park

Max Schmeling vs Jack Sharkey
1932 German champion Max Schmeling loses NYSAC, NBA and lineal heavyweight boxing titles in controversial split points decision to American Jack Sharkey in NYC, New York


BoxerMax Schmeling

• 1938 Baseball's Pinky Higgins gets 12th straight hit

Bradman's 101*
1938 Bradman scores 101* in 77 minutes, Australia v Lancashire


Cricket LegendDonald Bradman
Lou Gehrig Retires
1939 NY Yankees announce Lou Gehrig's retirement after doctors reveal he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis


Baseball PlayerLou Gehrig
Veeck Buys Cleveland
1946 Bill Veeck buys MLB baseball team Cleveland Indians for $2.2 million


MLB Team Owner and PromoterBill Veeck
DiMaggio's 2,000th Hit
1950 Joe DiMaggio gets his 2,000th hit, a 7th-inning single off Chick Pieretti, in a 8-2 victory over Cleveland


Baseball PlayerJoe DiMaggio
LPGA Western Open
1951 LPGA Western Open Women's Golf, Whitemarsh Valley CC: Patty Berg defeats Pat O'Sullivan, 2-up in the final


GolferPatty Berg
LPGA Western Open
1952 LPGA Western Open Women's Golf, Skokie CC: Betsy Rawls defeats Betty Jameson, 1 up in the final


LPGA GolferBetsy Rawls

• 1954 Australian middle distance runner John Landy runs world record mile (3:58.0) and 1500m (3:41.8+) in Turku, Finland
• 1960 German sprinter Armin Hary runs world record 100m (10.0)

Baseball Record
1964 Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning hurls a perfect game as Philadelphia beats the New York Mets, 6-0 on Fathers Day at Shea Stadium


Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher and SenatorJim Bunning

• 1964 UEFA European Championship Final, Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain: Marcelino scores the winner as Spain beats Soviet Union, 2-1

US Golf Open
1965 US Open Men's Golf, Bellerive CC: Gary Player of South Africa beats Australian Kel Nagle by 3 strokes in an 18-hole playoff to win his only US Open title; completes his career Grand Slam at age 29


GolferGary Player

• 1967 Yanks take 5-3 lead in 11th & lose 6-5, in 2nd game Red Sox lead 3-2 in 9th & Yanks beat them 6-3
• 1969 John Pennel pole vaults world record (5.45 m)

FIFA World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup Final, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City: Brazil and Pelé become the first team and player to win the World Cup three times, defeating Italy 4-1 in front of 107,412 spectators


Football LegendPele

• 1970 US Open Men's Golf Hazeltine National GC: Englishman Tony Jacklin shoots sub-par in all 4 rounds on his way to a 7-stroke win ahead of Dave Hill
• 1971 MLB Cleveland Indians Ken Harrelson retires from baseball to play pro golf

US Golf Open
1971 US Open Men's Golf, Merion GC: Lee Trevino wins his 2nd Open by 3 strokes in a Monday 18-hole playoff with Jack Nicklaus


GolferJack Nicklaus

GolferLee Trevino

• 1975 ICC Men's Cricket ODI World Cup, Lord's: West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs to win inaugural final; Player of the match: Clive Lloyd (WI) 102 (85)
• 1975 Ruffian leads all the way to win the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont and clinch American thoroughbred racing's Triple Tiara for fillies
• 1981 US Open Men's Golf, Merion GC: David Graham wins his second major title and becomes the first Australian to win the US Open, 3 strokes ahead of runners-up George Burns and Bill Rogers

Sports History
1983 Tennis ace Arthur Ashe undergoes double bypass heart surgery


Tennis PlayerArthur Ashe
Contract of Interest
1986 1985 Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson, signs 3-year contract to play baseball with the Kansas City Royals


NFL Running Back and Baseball OutfielderBo Jackson

• 1986 Heike Drechsler of East Germany long jumps 7.45 m (women's record)

Sports History
1987 Mike Tyson sexually harasses a parking lot attendant


Heavyweight Boxing ChampionMike Tyson
US Golf Open
1987 US Open Men's Golf, Olympic Club: Scott Simpson passes and holds off 1982 champion Tom Watson on the Lake Course to win his only major title by 1 stroke


GolferTom Watson

• 1988 42nd NBA Championship: LA Lakers beat Detroit Pistons, 4 games to 3
• 1989 Carlton Fisk becomes AL catcher HR hitter, 307th at Yankee stadium

Baseball Trade
1989 MLB New York Yankees trade outfielder Rickey Henderson to Oakland A's for eric Plunk, Greg Cadaret, and Luis Polonia


MLB OutfielderRickey Henderson

• 1990 At Yankee Stadium rally, Nelson Mandela dons a NY Yankee baseball cap and proclaims "I am a Yankee!"

Hockey Hall of Fame
1991 New York Islanders Denis Potvin and Mike Bossy are elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame

Cricket History
1992 Last day of test cricket for English star players Ian Botham and Allan Lamb

US Golf Open
1992 US Open Men's Golf, Pebble Beach GL: Perennial runner-up Tom Kite breaks through for his only major title, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Jeff Sluman

Sports History
1994 German tennis superstar Steffi Graf becomes first defending champion to lose in the 1st round of a major tournament (Wimbledon to American Lorrie McNeal)

Sports History
1997 NHL Draft: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) center Joe Thornton first pick by Boston Bruins

1997 Women's National Basketball Association begins as NY Liberty beats LA Sparks
US Golf Open
1998 US Open Men's Golf, Olympic Club, SF: Lee Janzen recovers from 7 stroke deficit to win his second Open title, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Payne Stewart


Golfer Payne Stewart

• 2009 ICC Men's Cricket T20 World Cup, Lord's, London: Pakistan wins their first title beating Sri Lanka by 8 wickets; Player of the Series: Sri Lankan all-rounder Tillakaratne Dilshan (317 runs)
• 2009 ICC Women's Cricket T20 World Cup, Lord's: England 86/4 win inaugural event; beat New Zealand 85; England's Katherine Brunt takes 3 for 6

NBA Finals
2012 NBA Finals: Miami Heat win their second NBA title; beat Oklahoma City Thunder, 121-106 in Game 5; MVP: LeBron James

US Golf Open
2015 US Open Men's Golf, Chambers Bay GC: Jordan Spieth (21) becomes youngest winner since 1923 by 1 shot from Dustin Johnson & Louis Oosthuizen
2018 NBA Draft: Arizona center Deandre Ayton first pick by Phoenix Suns

• 2019 NHL Draft: US NTDP center Jack Hughes first pick by New Jersey Devils
• 2021 Carl Nassib becomes the first openly gay player in the NFL in a post on Instagram
• 2021 New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is the first openly transgender athlete to be selected for the Olympics

Sports History
2022 MLB Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani has career high 8 RBI in 11-inning 12-11 loss to Kansas City Royals in Anaheim, California