On This Day

April 1954 in Sports History

Events in Sport


Event of interestEvent of Interest

Apr 1 Detroit Red Wings right wing Gordie Howe scores 2 goals and an assist, and sets a Stanley Cup playoff record for fastest goal from the start of a game (:09) in a 4-3 2OT win over Toronto in Game 5 of the Semi-Finals

Ice Hockey Legend Gordie Howe
Ice Hockey Legend
Gordie Howe
  • Apr 6 Montreal Canadiens score 3 goals in 56 sec in playoff game against Det
  • Apr 10 108th Grand National: Bryan Marshall wins aboard Royal Tan at 8/1; second consecutive GN victory for both Marshall and trainer Vincent O'Brien
  • Apr 10 Wales beats Scotland, 15-3 at the St. Helen's Ground, Swansea to share Five Nations Rugby Championship with France and England; France's first title

Sport awardUS Masters Golf

Apr 12 18th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Sam Snead wins his 3rd and final Masters by 1 stroke in an 18-hole playoff with Ben Hogan

Golfer Sam Snead
Golfer
Sam Snead
Golfer Ben Hogan
Golfer
Ben Hogan
  • Apr 12 8th NBA Championship: Min Lakers beat Syracuse Nationals, 4 games to 3
  • Apr 13 Baltimore Orioles 1st game, loses to Tigers in Detroit 3-0

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Apr 13 Milwaukee Braves' Hank Aaron's 1st game

Baseball Player Hank Aaron
Baseball Player
Hank Aaron
  • Apr 15 Orioles 1st game in Baltimore beat White Sox 3-1
  • Apr 15 Yankees dedicate a plaque to Edward Barrow
  • Apr 16 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings beat Montreal Canadiens, 2-1 in OT for a 4-3 series victory
  • Apr 19 58th Boston Marathon won by Veikko Karvonen of Finland in 2:20:39

Sport awardBoston Marathon

Apr 19 7-time winner of Boston Marathon, 65-year-old Clarence DeMar, runs his last race at Boston finishing 78th

Marathon Runner Clarence DeMar
Marathon Runner
Clarence DeMar
  • Apr 22 NBA adopts 24-second shot clock & 6 team-foul rule
  • Apr 23 Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits 1st of his 755 homers

Birthdays in Sport

  • Apr 1 Giancarlo Antognoni, Italian soccer midfielder (73 caps; Fiorentina 341 games), born in Marsciano, Italy
  • Apr 7 Donna White, American golfer (US Open runner-up 1982), born in Kinston, North Carolina
  • Apr 7 Tony Dorsett, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back (Heisman Trophy 1976, U of Pittsburgh; Super Bowl 1977; Pro Bowl 1978, 81–83; Dallas Cowboys), born in Rochester, Pennsylvania
  • Apr 8 Gary Carter, American Baseball Hall of Fame catcher (11 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1986; Gold Glove Award 1980–82; Montreal Expos, NY Mets), born in Culver City, California (d. 2012)
  • Apr 12 Marvin Johnson, American middleweight boxer (Olympic bronze 1972), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Apr 16 John Bowe, Australian racing driver, born in Devonport, Tasmania
  • Apr 17 Riccardo Patrese, Italian racing driver (Grand Prix), born in Padua, Italy
  • Apr 19 Trevor Francis, British football player and manager, born in Plymouth, England
  • Apr 20 Peter Toohey, Australian cricketer (NSW & Australian batsman 1977-80), born in Blayney, Australia
  • Apr 20 Gilles Lupien, French Canadian ice hockey player, born in Lachute, Canada
  • Apr 21 Dale Eggeling, American golfer (3 LPGA titles), born in Statesboro, Georgia
  • Apr 24 Vince Ferragamo, American football quarterback (LA Rams, Montreal Alouettes), born in Torrance, California
  • Apr 28 Ron Zook, American Football Coach
  • Apr 29 Jake Burton Carpenter, American snowboarder
  • Apr 30 Gunther Tiersch, German DR, 8 man cox (Olympic gold 1968)

Deaths in Sport

  • Apr 2 Maud Barger-Wallach, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1908), dies at 83
  • Apr 2 Pudge Heffelfinger, American College Football Hall of Fame guard (3 x All American, Yale; first professional player 1892) and coach (Cal, Lehigh, Minnesota), dies at 86
  • Apr 10 Oscar Mathisen, Norwegian speed skater (5-time World Champion all-round), dies at 65
  • Apr 12 Pim [Willem JH] Mulier, Dutch journalist/sports-organizer, dies at 89