Year 1894 in Sports History

Events in Sport

World Record

Apr 24 French cyclist Henri Desgrange rides 100km in a world record time of 2:39:18

Cyclist and Founder of the Tour-de-France Henri Desgrange — Cyclist and Founder of the Tour-de-France
Henri Desgrange

Apr 24 Phillies Lave Cross hits for cycle vs Bkln Dodgers
May 15 20th Kentucky Derby: Frank Goodale aboard Chant wins in 2:41
May 16 Fire in Boston destroys the South End Grounds baseball stadium and 200 other buildings
May 17 19th Preakness: Fred Taral aboard Assignee wins in 1:49.25
May 26 German Emanuel Lasker becomes undisputed World Chess Champion by beating Austrian-American defending titleholder Wilhelm Steinitz, 10-5 (4 draws) in Montreal, Canada
May 30 Boston Beaneaters baseball second baseman Bobby Lowe first to hit 4 home runs in one game in win against Cincinnati Reds
Jun 12 British Open Men's Golf, Royal St George's GC: J.H. Taylor wins first Open played outside Scotland; beats Douglas Rolland by 5 strokes
Jun 15 Phillies beat Cincinnati Reds, 21-8
Jun 16 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Helen Hellwig beats defending champion Aline Terry 7-5, 3-6, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3

Jun 19 28th Belmont: Willie Simms aboard Henry of Navarre wins in 1:56.5
Jun 23 The International Olympic Committee is founded at the Sorbonne, Paris, at the initiative of Baron Pierre de Coubertin
Jun 27 American Annie Londonderry [Annie Kopchovsky] sets out from Boston to become first woman to bicycle around the world (completes journey September 1895)
Jul 17 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Blanche Bingley-Hillyard beats Edith Austin 6-1 6-1 for her 3rd of 6 Wimbledon singles titles
Jul 17 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: Joshua Pim retains his title beating 2-time champion Wilfred Baddeley 10-8, 6-2, 8-6
Aug 27 US National Championship Men's Tennis, Newport R.I.: Defending champion Robert Wrenn beats Irishman Manliff Goodbody 6-8, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Aug 31 Phillies Billy Hamilton steals 7 bases

Event of Interest

Sep 8 Employed by Thomas Edison, William K.L. Dickson films first boxing match at West Orange, New Jersey, an exhibition between world heavyweight champion James J. Corbett and Peter Courtney

Inventor Thomas Edison — Inventor
Thomas Edison

Nov 29 3rd Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 18-0 in Montgomery
Dec 14 Day One 1st Test Cricket Aus v Eng Aust 5-346 (Giffen 161, Gregory 85)
Dec 14 Test Cricket debut of Joe Darling, Ernie Jones, Archie MacLaren
Dec 15 Day 2 of first cricket test between Australia and England, Australia 586 runs (Gregory 201) England 3-130
Dec 17 Cricket day 3 1T Australia v Engand; England 325 all out, 261 behind on 1st innings
Dec 18 Cricket day 4, 1st test Australia v England, England following on 4-268, 7 in front
Dec 20 England beat Australia by 10 runs in the 1st six-day Test Cricket, Australia needed 177 to win, all out at 166 on 6th day
Dec 22 United States Golf Association forms in New York

Birthdays in Sport

Jan 12 Georges Carpentier, French boxer (world light heavyweight champion, 1st $1m gate v J Dempsey), born in Lievin, France (d. 1975)
Jan 16 Guy Chamberlin, early NFL end/coach (Canton, Frankford, Cards)
Jan 27 Fritz Pollard, early African American NFL star (1920-26)
Feb 19 Herb Pennock, hall of fame pitcher (Yankees, 243 career wins)
May 11 Florimond Cornellie, Belgian sailor (Olympic gold 1920)
Jun 13 Watson Washburn, American tennis player (runner-up Wimbledon doubles 1924, US Nationals 1921, 23; founder International Tennis Hall of Fame), born in NYC, NY (d. 1973)
Jun 14 Jack Adams, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (Vancouver Millionaires, Toronto St. Patricks; Ottawa Senators) and coach / GM (Detroit Red Wings), born in Fort William, Ontario (d. 1968)
Jun 23 George Weiss, American Baseball Hall of Fame executive (NY Yankees GM 1947-60; NY Mets President 1961-66), born in New Haven, Connecticut (d. 1972)
Jul 4 Henry Carlson, American basketball coach (originated figure 8 play), born in Murray City, Ohio (d. 1964)
Jul 4 Clifford "Doc" Carlson, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Pittsburgh 367–248 [.597]), born in Murray City, Ohio (d. 1964)
Jul 30 Carl Snavely, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Bucknell, North Carolina, Cornell 180–96–16), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 1975)
Jul 31 Fred Keenor, Welsh footballer, born in Cardiff, Wales (d. 1972)
Aug 1 Ottavio Bottecchia, Italian cyclist (the first Italian winner of the Tour de France), born in San Martino di Colle Umberto, Italy (d. 1927)
Aug 3 Harry Heilmann, American baseball hall of famer outfielder (Detroit), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1951)
Sep 9 Bert Oldfield, Australian cricketer (d. 1976)
Sep 17 James Anderson, Australian tennis player (Australasian C'ship 1922, 24, 25), born in Sydney NSW (d. 1973)
Sep 24 Tommy Armour, Scottish-American golfer (US Open 1927, PGA 1930, British Open 1931), born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1968)
Oct 5 Bevil Rudd, South African athlete (Olympic gold 1920), born in Kimberley, Northern Cape (d. 1948)
Oct 23 Rube Bressler, baseball player (d. 1966)
Nov 2 Bill Johnston, American tennis player (US Open 1915, 19; Wimbledon 1923), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1946)
Nov 23 Ture Persson, Swedish sprinter (Olympic silver 1912)
Nov 24 Herbert Sutcliffe, cricketer (all-time great opening batsman for Engl)
Dec 3 Bert Baston, American College Football Hall of Fame end (University of Minnesota), born in St. Louis Park, Minnesota (d. 1979)
Dec 19 Ford C Frick, baseball commissioner (1951-65)
Dec 23 Arthur Gilligan, English cricketer (England captain in 1920's)
Dec 28 Ed Healey, NFL tackle (Rock Island Independents, Chicago Bears)

Weddings in Sport

Wedding of Interest

Jun 20 Basketball inventor James Naismith (32) weds Maude Evelyn Sherman (23) in Springfield, Massachusetts

Deaths in Sport

Mar 3 Ned Williamson, American baseball player (Chicago White Stockings), dies at 36
Mar 11 John Selby, England Test cricket batsman (6 Tests), dies of paralytic stroke at 44