On This Day

April 1908 in Sports History

Events in Sport

  • Apr 2 Mills Committee declares baseball was invented by in 1839 by future American Civil War general Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, New York; known as 'the Doubleday myth'
  • Apr 3 Frank Gotch wins world heavyweight wrestling championship in 2 hrs
  • Apr 13 Groundbreaking on Philadelphia's Shibe Park (home of A's & Phillies)

Sport defeatBoxing Title Fight

Apr 18 Tommy Burns KOs Jewy Smith in 5 for heavyweight boxing title

Boxer and World Heavyweight Champion 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