Events in Sport
- 1887 International Baseball League disbands; teams in Syracuse, Toronto, Hamilton, and Buffalo form the International Association; those in Newark, Jersey City, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton become the Central League
- 1902 Dutch soccer club Be Quick - later Go Ahead, forms in Deventer; suffix 'Eagles' added in 1971
- 1907 Association of Football Players' and Trainers' Union (English Professional Football Players' Association) is formed by Charlie Roberts and Billy Meredith in Manchester, England
Boxing Title Fight
1907 Canadian world heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Burns retains his title; KOs Englishman Gunner Moir in 10th round at the National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London
Tommy Burns
- 1909 National Hockey Association (NHA) is formed in Montreal; original members include Montreal Wanderers and Montreal Canadiens; becomes NHL after some NHA teams leave due to ownership disagreements, and create their own league
- 1916 National Baseball Commission orders that injured players get full pay for duration of their contracts; injury clause previously let clubs suspend players after 15 days' pay
- 1922 CFL Grey Cup, Richardson Stadium, Kingston: Queen's University win first of 3 straight titles; defeat Edmonton Elks, 13-1
- 1932 Australia ends Day 1 of controversial 'Bodyline' cricket series v England at 290/6 in Sydney; Stan McCabe 127no (finishes at 187no); notorious England fast bowler Harold Larwood takes 4 wickets; England wins by 10 wickets
- 1941 New York Giants name Mel Ott as player-manager; replaces another future Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Terry, who heads Giants' farm system
- 1944 10th Heisman Trophy Award: Les Horvath, Ohio State (QB)
Event of Interest
1946 In rain affected 1st Test in Brisbane, Australia compiles 1st innings total 645 on Day 3 v India (Bradman 187, Hassett 128); Australia wins by an innings and 332
Donald Bradman
- 1947 13th Heisman Trophy Award: Johnny Lujack, Notre Dame (QB)
Baseball Record
1948 After one of the best seasons in baseball history, St Louis Cardinals utility Stan Musial is named NL MVP; leads NL in batting average (.365), runs (135), RBI (131), hits (230), doubles (46), triples (18) & slugging (.702), with 39 HRs
Stan Musial
- 1950 South African world bantamweight boxing champion Vic Toweel sets a record for knockdowns in a title fight against Englishman Danny Sullivan in Johannesburg; Sullivan floored 14 times in 10 rounds before fight stopped
- 1950 15th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 34-0 in Birmingham
- 1951 Philadelphia Eagles set NFL record of 25 1st-downs rushing in 35-21 win over Washington Redskins at Griffith Stadium
Event of Interest
1951 Future Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Don Hutson's has his #14 jersey retired by the Green Bay Packers; first number retired in the history of the franchise
Don Hutson
- 1951 16th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 25-7 in Birmingham
- 1952 18th Heisman Trophy Award: Billy Vessels, Oklahoma (HB)
- 1954 Milwaukee Hawks shooting guard Frank Selvey sets then NBA record of 24 of 26 free throws as he scores 42 points in 117-108 win over the Minneapolis Lakers at Milwaukee Arena
- 1957 NFL Draft: Rice quarterback King Hill #1 pick by Chicago Cardinals
- 1957 Pacific Coast League franchises forced to relocate when Dodgers and Giants confirm their move to California for 1958 MLB season; Hollywood Stars move from LA to Salt Lake City; LA Angels move to Spokane, and San Francisco Seals transfer to Phoenix
- 1958 24th Heisman Trophy Award: Pete Dawkins, Army (HB)
- 1958 1959 NFL Draft: Randy Duncan from University of Iowa first pick by Green Bay Packers
- 1961 26th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 34-0 in Birmingham
- 1961 CFL Grey Cup, CNE Stadium, Toronto: A 6th title for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers; beat Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 21-14
- 1962 50th Grey Cup, Exhibition Stadium, Toronto: Winnipeg Blue Bombers edge Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 28-27; play starts 1 December; only final ever suspended during play (fog), and first to be finished on a Sunday
- 1963 MLB Rules Committee bans oversized catcher's mitts; rule effective only in 1965
- 1963 1964 NFL Draft: Dave Parks from Texas Tech first pick by San Francisco 49ers
- 1967 CFL Grey Cup, Landsdowne Park, Ottawa: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeat Saskatchewan Roughriders, 24-1; Alan Ford's 87 yard punt, on a quick kick, is the longest in Grey Cup history
- 1967 32nd Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 7-3 in Birmingham
- 1969 Two years after doubling its size from six to 12, the NHL announces 2 new teams would be joining the League the following year; Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks
Event of Interest
1971 Frank Robinson is traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Frank Robinson
Event of Interest
1972 Romanian tennis star Ilie Năstase successfully defends his ATP Masters Grand Prix title with a 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 6–3 win over American Stan Smith in Barcelona, Spain
Ilie Năstase
- 1973 Capital Centre (USAir Arena) opens in Landover Maryland; NBA's Washington Bullets beat Seattle SuperSonics, 98-96 in opening game; arena demolished 2002
- 1974 MLB Rules Committee changes long time philosophy to permit the use of cowhide, rather than just horsehide in the manufacture of baseballs
- 1975 Greg Chappell in his debut as Australian cricket captain completes a fine double in 8 wicket win in 1st Test v West Indies in Brisbane; scores 109no in 2nd innings to follow his 1st innings 123
- 1977 First day of World Series Cricket at VFL Park in Melbourne; barely 200 people see Australia dismissed for 256 by West Indies; Ray Bright top scores with 69; Michael Holding captures 4 wickets & Andy Roberts 3; WI go on to win 1st WSC 'Test' by 3 wickets
- 1978 Sunil Gavaskar scores his second double century (205) in Test cricket (as well as 73 on the final day) to guide India to a draw against the West Indies in the 1st Test in Bombay
- 1978 43rd Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 34-16 in Birmingham
- 1978 The Sporting News announces Baltimore Orioles shortstop Mark Belanger winner of his 8th (and final) MLB Gold Glove Award
Event of Interest
1981 Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela becomes 3rd consecutive LA Dodgers player to be named National League Rookie of the Year; Rick Sutcliffe 1979, Steve Howe 1980
Fernando Valenzuela
- 1981 American 1,500m record holder Steve Scott sets record for fastest round of golf played on a regulation course; posts a 92, completing 18 holes in 29:33.05s at Miller GC in Anaheim, California
- 1984 Australian Test cricket spin bowler Bob Holland takes a career best 9-83 for NSW in the Sheffield Shield match against South Australia in Sydney
Event of Interest
1984 Miami quarterback Dan Marino breaks NFL single-season touchdown pass record when he throws his 37th in the Dolphins' 45-34 loss to the Raiders; finishes season with 48 TD passes
Dan Marino
- 1985 NFL quarterback legends Dan Marino and John Elway (Denver Broncos) face each other for the first time, a 30-26 win for Marino's Miami Dolphins (390 yards and 3 TDs)
Event of Interest
1985 Chicago Bears' head coach Mike Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan almost come to blows at halftime in a 38-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins at the Orange Bowl, Miami; Chicago's only loss of the NFL season
Mike Ditka
- 1987 "334" club forms as 334 brave Devil fans journey through 20" of snow to attend New Jersey Devils 7-5 NHL victory over Calgary at Meadowlands
- 1989 55th Heisman Trophy Award: Andre Ware, Houston (QB)
- 1989 54th Iron Bowl: Auburn beats Alabama 30-20 in Auburn
- 1991 Former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bobby Bonilla becomes highest paid player in MLB when he agrees to record $29 million-5 year deal with New York Mets
- 1991 Australia routs India by 10 wickets in the 1st cricket Test in Brisbane; first Test to be officiated by a match referee; former England captain MJK Smith does the honours
- 1992 Kiwi opening batsman John Wright becomes first New Zealander to make 5,000 runs in Test cricket when he scores 14 in the 2nd innings of the drawn 1st Test against Sri Lanka in Moratuwa
NBA Record
1993 Houston Rockets score a 94-85 win over the Knicks at New York’s Madison Square Garden, recording their 15th straight win to start the season; tie Washington Capitols' all-time NBA record 1948-49; streak ends next game
Hakeem Olajuwon
Event of Interest
1995 Montreal Canadiens coach Mario Tremblay leaves goaltender Patrick Roy in the game too long, allowing an embarrassing 9 goals in 11-1 rout by Detroit Red Wings; Roy demands trade; moves to Colorado Avalanche and wins Stanley Cup that season
Patrick Roy
- 1995 4th SEC Championship Game: #2 Florida beats #23 Arkansas, 34-3
- 1997 MCI Center opens in Washington, D.C., Wizards vs SuperSonics
- 2000 England holds off a determined comeback by South Africa to notch up their 3rd Southern Hemisphere rugby scalp of the autumn with a 25-17 win at Twickenham; previously beat Australia, 22-19 and Argentina, 19-0
- 2000 9th SEC Championship Game: #7 Florida beats #18 Auburn, 28-6
- 2000 5th Big 12 Championship Game: #1 Oklahoma beats #8 Kansas State, 27-24
- 2001 Davis Cup Tennis, Melbourne: Nicolas Escudé defeats Wayne Arthurs of Australia 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 to give France a 3-2 victory; 9th French title, despite not playing a single match on home soil
- 2006 15th SEC Championship Game: #4 Florida beats #8 Arkansas, 38-28
- 2006 2nd ACC Championship Game: #16 Wake Forest beats #23 Georgia Tech, 9-6
- 2006 11th Big 12 Championship Game: #8 Oklahoma beats #19 Nebraska, 21-7
Football Awards
2008 Ballon d'Or: Manchester United's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo wins his first award as best football player in the world; Barcelona forward Lionel Messi 2nd, Liverpool striker Fernando Torres 3rd
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
- 2014 After featuring in a magazine article with long-time life partner, veteran MLB umpire and crew chief Dale Scott openly acknowledges his homosexuality; overwhelmingly positive reaction from baseball circles
- 2016 For 6th time in 7 years, Cincinnati Reds 1st baseman Joey Votto wins Tip O'Neill Award as best Canadian MLB player; hit .326 with NL-leading .434 OBP, 29 HRs & 97 RBIs in an outstanding all-around season for last-place club
Football Awards
2019 FIFA Ballon d'Or: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi wins his record 6th award from Liverpool's Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk; American midfielder Megan Rapinoe is Women's World Player of the Year
Lionel Messi
Megan Rapinoe
Birthdays in Sport
- 1847 Deacon White, American Baseball Hall of Fame catcher (NL batting champion, RBI leader 1877); Boston Red Stockings), born in Caton, New York (d. 1939)
- 1860 Charles Studd, English cricket all-rounder (5 Tests; Middlesex) and missionary (Cambridge Seven), born in Spratton, England (d. 1931)
- 1886 Earl Cooper, American auto racer (AAA National Championship 1913, 15, 17; Indianapolis 500 1924 runner-up), born in Broken Bow, Nebraska (d. 1965)
- 1899 John Cobb, British speed record holder (World Land Speed Record 1938-39, 47), born in Esher, Surrey, England (d. 1952)
- 1901 Raimundo Orsi, Argentine-born Italian soccer winger (13 caps Argentina, 35 Italy; Independiente, Juventus), born in (d. 1986)
- 1906 Eric Dalton, South African cricket batsman (15 Tests, top score 117), born in Durban, Natal, South Africa (d. 1981)
- 1910 Taisto Mäki, Finnish athlete (WR 2 miles, 5,000m and 10,000m simultaneously 1939-42), born in Rekola, Finland (d. 1979)
- 1927 Ralph Beard, American basketball guard (Olympic gold 1948; NBA All Star 1951; life ban point shaving scandal 1951), born in Hardinsburg, Kentucky (d. 2007)
- 1927 Jim David, American NFL defensive back (Pro Bowl 1954-59; NFL Champion 1952-53, 57; Detroit Lions), born in Florence, South Carolina (d. 2007)
- 1929 Lowell North, American yachtsman (Olympic Gold 1968) and sailmaker (North Sails), born in Springfield, Massachusetts (d. 2019)
- 1933 Michael Larrabee, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4x400m relay 1964), born in Hollywood, California (d. 2003)
- 1934 Andre Rodgers, Bahamian baseball shortstop (first Bahamian to play in MLB; NY/SF Giants; Chicago Cubs), born in Nassau, Bahamas (d. 2004)
- 1938 Luis Artime, Argentine soccer striker and manager (25 caps; River Plate), born in Parque Civit, Argentina
- 1940 Gerry Cheevers, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame goalie and broadcaster (longest undefeated streak-32 games 1972; Boston Bruins), born in St. Catharines, Ontario
- 1940 Willie Brown, American Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback, coach and executive (Super Bowl 1976, 80, 84; Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders), born in Yazoo City, Mississippi (d. 2019)
- 1941 Mike England, Welsh soccer defender and manager (44 caps, Tottenham Hotspur; mgr Wales), born in Holywell, Flintshire, Wales
- 1941 Sugar Ramos [Ultiminio Ramos], Cuban-Mexican boxer (World Featherweight champion 1963-64), born in Matanzas, Cuba (d. 2017)
- 1945 Alan "Froggy" Thomson, Australian cricket fast bowler (4 Tests, 12 wickets), born in Melbourne, Australia
- 1946 Pedro Borbón, Dominican baseball pitcher (World Series 1975, 76; Cincinnati Reds), born in Santa Cruz de Mao, Dominican Republic (d. 2012)
- 1947 Dhiraj Parsana, Indian cricket all-rounder (2 Tests), born in Rajkot, Gujarat, India
- 1947 Andy Rouse, British auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1981; British Saloon Car C'ship 1975, 83-85; Britcar 1985), born in Dymock, Gloucestershire, England
- 1948 Antonín Panenka, Czech soccer midfielder (59 caps; Bohemians Praha, Rapid Vienna), born in Prague, Czech Republic
- 1953 Jay Haas, American golfer (Senior PGA C'ship 2006, 08; Senior Players C'ship 2009; 9 PGA Tour titles), born in St Louis, Missouri
- 1955 Paul Holmgren, American NHL right wing, coach and executive (Philadelphia Flyers), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota
- 1958 Vladimir Parfenovich, Soviet canoeist, Olympic gold K1-500, K-2 500, K-2 1,000 1980; 9 gold World C'ships 1979-83), born in Minsk, Belarus
- 1958 Randy Gardner, American pairs figure skater (World C'ships gold [with Tai Babilonia] 1979; US C'ships 1976–1980), born in Los Angeles, California
- 1959 Greg Barton, American kayaker (Olympics gold K-1 1,000, K-2 1,000 1988), born in Jackson, Michigan
- 1963 Rich Sutter, Canadian NHL right wing and broadcaster (Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues; Rogers Sportsnet), born in Viking, Alberta, Canada
- 1964 Chip Hale, American baseball infielder, coach and manager (Minnesota Twins; Arizona Diamondbacks; Washington Nationals), born in Santa Clara, California
- 1965 Shane Flanagan, Australian rugby league coach (Cronulla Sutherland Sharks NRL premiers 2016), born in Sydney, Australia
- 1966 Clive Eksteen, South African cricket spin bowler (7 Tests; ex-commercial manager Cricket SA), born in Johannesburg, South Africa
- 1966 Kelly Buchberger, Canadian NHL right wing and coach (World C'ship gold 1994; Stanley Cup 1987, 90; Edmonton Oilers), born in Langenburg, Saskatchewan
- 1968 Darryl Kile, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1993, 97, 2000; no-hitter 1993; Houston Astros), born in Garden Grove, California (d. 2002)
- 1968 Elna Reinach, South African tennis player (US Open mixed doubles [with Patrick Galbraith] 1994), born in Pretoria, South Africa
- 1968 Jiri Dopita, Czech ice hockey center (World C'ship gold 1996, 2000-01; Philadelphia Flyers), born in Šumperk, Czech Republic
- 1968 David Batty, English soccer midfielder (42 caps; Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United), born in Leeds, England
- 1969 O. J. McDuffie, American NFL wide receiver (NFL receptions leader 1998; Miami Dolphins), born in Marion, Ohio
- 1969 Pavel Loskutov, Estonian long distance athlete (Frankfurt Marathon 1999, 2001; JoongAng Seoul Marathon 2003-04), born in Valka, Latvia
- 1969 Paul Stankowski, American golfer (World Open 1996; Hawaiian Open 1997), born in Oxnard, California
- 1970 Maksim Tarasov, Russian pole vaulter (Olympic gold 1992; World C'ship gold 1999), born in Yaroslavl, Russia
- 1970 Alex Čejka, Czech-German golfer (Volvo Masters 1995), born in Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic
- 1971 Rachel McQuillan, Australian tennis player (5 WTA, 21 ITF titles), born in Newcastle, Australia
- 1971 Francesco Toldo, Italian soccer goalkeeper (28 caps; Fiorentina, Internazionale), born in Padua, Italy
- 1972 Alan Henderson, American basketball forward (NBA Most Improved Player 1998; Atlanta Hawks), born in Morgantown, West Virginia
Monica Seles
1973 Monica Seles, Yugoslavian-American tennis player (9-time Grand Slam title champion), born in Novi Sad, Serbia
Monica Seles
- 1973 Jan Ullrich, German road cyclist (Olympic gold road race 2000; Tour de France 1997; Vuelta a España 1999), born in Rostock, Germany
- 1973 Graham Kavanagh, Irish soccer midfielder (16 caps, Rep of Ireland; Stoke City, Cardiff City), born in Dublin, Ireland
- 1975 Mark Kotsay, American baseball outfielder and coach (1,914 MLB games; Florida Marlins, Oakland A's), born in Whittier, California
- 1977 Siyabonga Nomvethe, South African soccer forward (81 caps; Moroka Swallows, AmaZulu), born in Durban, South Africa
- 1978 Jason Collins, American basketball canter (first openly gay athlete to play in any major North American pro sports league), born in Northridge, California
- 1978 Jarron Collins, American basketball center (Utah Jazz; assistant coach GS Warriors NBA C'ships 2015, 17-18), born in Northridge, California
- 1978 Maëlle Ricker, Canadian snowboarder (Olympic gold snowboard cross 2010; World C'ship gold 2005, 13), born in North Vancouver, British Columbia
- 1979 Abdul Razzaq, Pakistan cricket all-rounder (46 Tests, top score 134, 100 wickets; 265 ODIs), born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
- 1980 Adam Kreek, Canadian rower (Olympic gold eights 2008; World C'ship gold 2002-3, 07), born in London, Ontario
- 1981 Danijel Pranjić, Croatian soccer wingback (58 caps; SC Heerenveen), born in Našice, Croatia
- 1983 Chris Burke, Scottish soccer winger (7 caps; Rangers F.C., Kilmarnock), born in Glasgow, Scotland
Aaron Rodgers
1983 Aaron Rodgers, American NFL quarterback (NFL MVP 2011, 14; Super Bowl MVP 2010; Green Bay Packers), born in Chico, California
Aaron Rodgers
- 1985 Amaury Leveaux, French swimmer (Olympic gold 4x100m freestyle relay 2012; WR 100m freestyle short course – 44.94s), born in Belfort, France
- 1986 Claudiu Keșerü, Romanian soccer forward (37 caps; FC Nantes, Steaua București), born in Oradea, Romania
- 1989 Matteo Darmian, Italian soccer full-back (36 caps; Torino, Manchester United), born in Legnano, Milan, Italy
- 1990 Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Ghanaian soccer midfielder (78 caps; Udinese), born in Berekum, Brong-Ahafo, Ghana
- 1990 Gastón Ramírez, Uruguayan soccer midfielder (43 caps; Sampdoria), born in Fray Bentos, Uruguay
- 1992 Gary Sánchez, Dominican baseball catcher (MLB All Star 2017, 19; NY Yankees), born in Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
- 1993 Kostas Stafylidis, Greek soccer left back (30 caps; 1899 Hoffenheim), born in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece
Deaths in Sport
- 1944 Eiji Sawamura, Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (first no-hitter in Japanese pro baseball 1936), dies in battle when his ship torpedoed, at 27
- 1953 Ernie Hayes MBE, English cricket all-rounder (5 Tests; Surrey, Leicestershire), dies at 77
- 1953 Reginald "Snowy" Baker, Australian boxer (Olympic silver middleweight 1908), rugby union halfback (2 caps) and actor (The Sword of Valor), dies at 69
- 1953 Walter "Doc" Meanwell, English Basketball Hall of Fame coach (University of Wisconsin 1911–1917, 1920–1934), dies at 69
- 1965 Maharajkumar of Vizianagram "Vizzy", Indian cricket batsman, captain, administrator, broadcaster and politician (3 Tests) dies at 59
- 1973 Watson Washburn, American tennis player (runner-up Wimbledon doubles 1924, US Nationals 1921, 23; founder International Tennis Hall of Fame), dies at 79
- 1976 Danny Murtaugh, American baseball infielder and manager (World Series 1960, 71; Pittsburgh Pirates), dies from a stroke at 59
- 1981 Hershy Kay, American composer (Olympic Hymn, A Chorus Line), dies at 62
- 1982 Giovanni Ferrari, Italian soccer midfielder and manager (44 caps; Juventus, Internazionale; mgr Italy), dies at 74
- 1983 Atholl Mckinnon, South African cricket spin bowler (8 Tests, 26 wickets), dies from a heart attack at 51
- 1991 George Lott, American tennis player (12 Grand Slam doubles titles), dies at 85
- 1997 Steve Hamilton, American baseball pitcher (New York Yankees) and basketball forward (Minneapolis Lakers), dies of cancer at 63
- 2000 Chris Antley, American Racing Hall of Fame jockey (Kentucky Derby 1991, 1999; Preakness 1999), dies of drug overdose at 34
- 2008 Ted Rogers OC, Canadian entrepreneur and MLB team owner (Toronto Blue Jays), dies of heart failure at 75
- 2009 Foge Fazio, American college football coach (University of Pittsburgh), dies of leukemia at 71
- 2010 Ron Santo, American Baseball Hall of Fame third baseman (9-time MLB All Star; 5-time Gold Glove; Chicago Cubs), dies from bladder cancer at 70
- 2013 Pedro Rocha, Uruguayan soccer midfielder and manager (52 caps; Peñarol, São Paulo F.C.), dies from mesencephalic atrophy at 70
Jean Béliveau
2014 Jean Béliveau, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (Hart Trophy 1956, 64; Art Ross Trophy 1956; Conn Smythe Trophy 1965; record 17 Stanley Cups), dies at 83
Jean Béliveau
- 2014 Josie Cichockyj, British wheelchair athlete (wheelchair racing [WR 5,000m], basketball, tennis, table tennis), dies from cancer at 49
- 2014 Don Laws, American figure skater and coach (Scott Hamilton, Patrick Chan, Tiffany Chin), dies from heart failure at 85
- 2016 Sammy Lee, American diver (Olympic Gold 10m platform 1948, 52), dies from pneumonia at 96
- 2019 Francesco Janich, Italian soccer defender (6 caps; Bologna), dies at 82
- 2020 Rafer Johnson, American decathlete (Olympic gold 1960), dies from stroke complications at 86