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: John 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 1958 NFL Draft: King Hill from Rice first 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
- 1972 37th Iron Bowl: Auburn beats Alabama 17-16 in Birmingham
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 US Air Arena opens in Landover Maryland; NBA's Washington Bullets beat Seattle SuperSonics, 98-96; 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 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
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
Birthdays in Sport
- 1847 Deacon White, American baseball player and a star during the first two decades of the sport's professional era, born in Caton, New York (d. 1939)
- 1860 C T Studd, cricketer (brother of G B, five Tests for England)
- 1899 John Cobb, British racing driver (d. 1952)
- 1899 Ray Morehart, American baseball player (d. 1989)
- 1901 Raimundo Orsi, Argentine-born footballer (d. 1986)
- 1906 Eric Dalton, cricketer (2 centuries in 15 Tests for South Africa 1929-39)
- 1919 Robin Lee, American figure skater, born in Saint Paul, Minnesota (d. 1997)
- 1929 Lowell North, American yachtsman (Olympic Gold 1968) and sailmaker (North Sails), born in Springfield, Massachusetts (d. 2019)
- 1933 Michael Larrabee, American athlete (d. 2003)
- 1934 Andre Rodgers, baseball player (d. 2004)
- 1940 Gerry Cheevers, NHL goalie (Bruin, longest undefeated streak-32 games)
- 1940 Willie Brown, NFL defensive back (Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders)
- 1941 Sugar Ramos [Ultiminio Ramos], Cuban-Mexican boxer (World Featherweight champion), born in Matanzas, Cuba (d. 2017)
- 1945 Alan "Froggy" Thomson, cricketer (Australian quickie 1970-71)
- 1947 Dhiraj Parsana, cricket pace bowler (Indian v WI 1978-79)
- 1947 Tommy Jenkins, English football player
- 1951 Adrian Devine, American baseball pitcher
- 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
- 1958 Vladimir Parfenovich, USSR, 500m kayaker (Olympic gold 1980)
- 1959 Greg Barton, kayaker (Olympics 2 gold-88)
- 1964 Brian Habib, NFL guard (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl 32)
- 1964 Chip Hale, infielder (Minnesota Twins), born in Santa Clara, California
- 1964 Yolanda Henry, high jumper, born in Houston, Texas
- 1966 Anita Jokiel, Polish gymnast (Olympic-1980)
- 1966 Clive Eksteen, cricketer (South African slow left-armer 1993)
- 1966 Kelly Buchberger, Langenburg, NHL left wing (Edmonton Oilers)
- 1967 Naeem Akhtar, Rawalpindi cricket medium-pacer (10-28 vs Peshawar 1995)
- 1968 Darryl Kile, pitcher (Houston Astros), born in Garden Grove, California
- 1968 Elna Reinach, Pretoria South Africa, tennis star
- 1968 Jiri Dopita, Sumperk CZE, hockey forward (Team Czech Olympic gold 1998)
- 1969 Lewis Bush, NFL outside linebacker (San Diego Chargers)
- 1969 O J McDuffie, NFL wide receiver (Miami Dolphins)
- 1970 Rene Pucher, Presov CZE, hockey forward (Team Slovakia)
- 1971 Jessie Hicks, WNBA forward/center (Utah Starzz)
- 1971 Rachel McQuillan, Merewether NSW Aust, tennis star (1989 Futures ITA)
- 1971 Roy van de Hill, soccer player (Roda JC)
- 1971 Francesco Toldo, Italian Football Player (Inter Milan)
- 1972 Alan Henderson, NBA forward (Atlanta Hawks)
- 1972 Chris Burns, Canadian CFL tackle (Calgary Stampeders, Hamilton Tiger-Cats & Ottawa Renegades), born in Greenwich, Connecticut
- 1972 James Willis, linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles)
- 1972 Sunjith Somasunder, cricketer (Karnataka & India ODI opening bat 1996)
- 1972 Zack Crockett, NFL running back (Indianapolis Colts)
Monica Seles
1973 Monica Seles, Yugoslavian-American tennis player (9-time Grand Slam titles), born in Novi Sad, Serbia
Monica Seles
- 1973 Jan Ullrich, German cyclist
- 1975 Brett Lindros, NHL right wing (NY Islanders), born in London, England
- 1975 Mark Kotsay, baseball outfielder (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Whittier, California
- 1976 Eddy Garabito, professional baseball player
- 1977 Siyabonga Nomvethe, South African footballer plays for Aalborg BK
- 1978 David Rivas, Spanish Footballer plays for Real Betis
- 1978 Jason Collins, American NBA player (New Jersey Nets), 1st NBA to come out as gay, born in Northridge, California
- 1978 Jarron Collins, American basketball player for Utah Jazz
- 1978 Peter Moylan, Australian Major League Baseball Pitcher for the Atlanta Braves
- 1979 Michael McIndoe, Scottish professional footballer (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
- 1981 Danijel Pranjić, Croatian football player plays for SC Heerenveen
- 1982 Matt Ware, American football player
- 1983 Bibiana Candelas, Mexican volleyball player
- 1983 Chris Burke (footballer), Scottish footballer plays for Rangers F.C.
Aaron Rodgers
1983 Aaron Rodgers, American NFL player (Green Bay Packers), born in Chico, California
Aaron Rodgers
Deaths in Sport
- 1953 Ernest Hayes, cricketer (Surrey bat played 5 Tests for England), dies
- 1953 Reginald "Snowy" Baker, Australian athlete and actor (The Sword of Valor), dies at 69
- 1963 Thomas J. Hicks, British-born runner (b. 1875)
- 1965 "Vizzy" Maharajkumar of Vizianagram [Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Vijay Ananda Gajapathi Raju], Indian cricketer, cricket administrator and politician, dies at 59
- 1976 Danny Murtaugh, American baseball manager (Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 59
- 1983 Atholl Mckinnon, cricketer (South African lefty spinner in 8 Tests), dies
- 2000 Chris Antley, Racing Hall of Fame jockey (Kentucky Derby 1991, 1999), dies of drug overdose at 34
- 2009 Foge Fazio, American college football coach (b. 1938)
- 2010 Ron Santo, American MLB player (Chicago Cubs) and broadcaster, dies at 70
Jean Beliveau
2014 Jean Marc Beliveau, Canadian NHL player NHL, dies at 83
Jean Beliveau
- 2016 Sammy Lee, American doctor and platform diver, 1st Asian American to win Olympic Gold (1948, 1952), dies at 96
December in History
![How the First Sherlock Holmes Story was Sold for a Song]()
How the First Sherlock Holmes Story was Sold for a Song
How did an English publisher most famous for giving the world Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management come to publish the first Sherlock Holmes story?
December 1, 1887![Fish Dish Finishes Off a King]()
Fish Dish Finishes Off a King
Doctors warned King Henry I against eating lampreys. But he enjoyed the slippery fish and happily devoured a plateful of them leading to his death on this day.
December 1, 1135![Mozart, the Incomparable Musical Genius]()
Mozart, the Incomparable Musical Genius
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a musical genius who composed over 600 works in his short lifetime, died mysteriously on this day and was buried unceremoniously.
December 5, 1791![Real-life Tragedy for Theatrical Family]()
Real-life Tragedy for Theatrical Family
On this day a tragedy engulfed one of Britain’s noted theatrical families of the early 20th century.
December 8, 1926
