On This Day in Sport for July 8
Events in Sport
- 1889 John L. Sullivan successfully defends last officially sanctioned, bare-knuckle world heavyweight prizefighting championship; Jake Kilrain's trainer throws in towel after 75 x 1-minute rounds near Hattiesburg, Mississippi
- 1889 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: William Renshaw wins his 7th Wimbledon singles title; beats twin brother Ernest Renshaw 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0
- 1898 Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Red Donahue no-hits Boston Beaneaters, 5-0 at the Baker Bowl
- 1902 Baltimore manager John McGraw is accused by AL President Ban Johnson of trying to wreck the Orioles & Washington Senators; negotiates his release from the Orioles, having already signed with NY Giants
- 1905 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: May Sutton becomes first American player to win the singles title at Wimbledon; beats Dorothea Chambers 6-3, 6-4
- 1905 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: Home town favourite Laurence Doherty wins his 4th consecutive Wimbledon singles title; beats Norman Brookes of Australia 8-6 6-2 6-4
- 1909 1st pro baseball game (minor league) played under lights
- 1911 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: Anthony Wilding of New Zealand wins 2nd of 4 consecutive Wimbledon singles titles beating Herbert Roper-Barrett 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-2 ret
- More Events in Sport
Weddings in Sport
- 1968 Major League Baseball player Reggie Jackson (22) weds his college sweetheart Jennie Campos
- 1977 NFL coach Mike Ditka (37) weds Diana Trantham in Dallas County, Texas
- 2000 Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi (28) weds Carolina Hurricanes ice hockey player Bret Hedican (29) at the Mauna Lani Resort in Kona, Hawaii
More Weddings & Divorces in Sport
Deaths in Sport
- 1948 Dave Nourse, South African cricket all-rounder (45 Tests, 1 x 100, 41 wickets; Natal, Transvaal, Western Province), dies at 69
- 1948 George Mehnert, American wrestler (Olympic gold flyweight 1904, bantamweight 1908), dies at 66
- 1973 Wilfred Rhodes, English cricketer (4187 1st-class wickets, most ever), dies at 95
- 1973 Harry F. V. Edward, British 100m/200m runner (Olympic bronze 1920), dies at 75
July in Sport History
1st US Olympic Games
Poster promoting the 1904 Summer Olympic Games in St. Louis
July 1, 1904The Rise and Fall of Boris Becker
Boris Becker stunned the tennis world on this day by becoming the youngest player to win Wimbledon at just 17. But financial ruin lay ahead for the young star.
July 7, 1985Cricket's Most Prolific Run-Scorer Of All Time
A world record was set up on this day when Graham Gooch, captain of England, stepped up to the crease at Lord’s, the legendary home of cricket.
July 31, 1990