On This Day

April 1908 in Sports History

Events in Sport

  • Apr 3 Frank Gotch wins world heavyweight wrestling championship in 2 hrs
  • Apr 13 Groundbreaking for Philadelphia's Shibe Park, home of MLB Athletics (AL), 1909-54, MLB Phillies (NL), 1938-70, and NFL Eagles, 1940-57

Boxing Title Fight

Apr 18 Canadian champion Tommy Burns KOs Jewey Smith of England in 5th round at Neuilly Bowling Palace, Paris to retain his world heavyweight boxing title

Tommy Burns
Boxer and World Heavyweight Champion Tommy Burns
  • Apr 20 12th Boston Marathon won by Tom Morrissey in 2:25:43.2
  • Apr 20 Opening day of competition of the New South Wales Rugby League.
  • Apr 22 Queensland beat NSW by 171 runs for their 1st cricket win at Gabba
  • Apr 27 IV Summer (Modern) Olympic Games open in London

Birthdays in Sport

  • Apr 21 Louis Hostin, French weightlifter (Olympic gold 1932, 36), born in Saint-Étienne, France (d. 1998)
  • Apr 28 Jack Fingleton, Australian cricket batsman (18 Tests, 1,189 runs @ 42.46, 5 x 100s), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1981)

Deaths in Sport

  • Apr 11 Henry Bird, English Chess player and author (b. 1829)
  • Apr 20 Henry Chadwick, English-American baseball pioneer, developed 1st rule book, dies at 85


1908 in Sport History

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