Events in Sport on April 12

  • April
  • 1858 1st US billiards championship, Michael J Phelan wins in Detroit
  • 1877 Catcher's mask 1st used in a baseball game
  • 1896 Stamasia Portrisi is 1st woman to win a marathon (5:30 in Athens)
  • 1930 4th Test Cricket WI v England ends in a draw after nine days
  • 1930 Wilfred Rhodes ends Test Cricket career aged 52 years 165 days
  • 1931 Joe McCarthy debuts as NY Yankee manager
  • 1937 Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft at Rugby, England.
  • 1938 Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Chicago Black Hawks beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-1 for a 3-1 series win; only team to win Cup with losing regular season record
  • 1940 NFL cuts clipping penalty from 25 yards to 15 yards
  • 1941 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Boston Bruins defeat Detroit Red Wings, 3-1 for a 4-0 series sweep

Sport awardGolf Tournament

1946 LPGA Titleholders Championship, Augusta CC: Louise Suggs wins her first major title by 2 strokes from Eileen Stulb

Golfer and Co-Founder of the LPGA Louise Suggs
Golfer and Co-Founder of the LPGA
Louise Suggs

Sport awardUS Masters Golf

1953 17th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ben Hogan shatters the Masters scoring record by 5 strokes with a 274 (−14) to finish 5 strokes ahead of runner-up Ed Oliver; Hogan's second Masters

Golfer Ben Hogan
Golfer
Ben Hogan

Sport awardUS Masters Golf

1954 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
  • 1954 8th NBA Championship: Min Lakers beat Syracuse Nationals, 4 games to 3
  • 1955 1st game in KC, KC A's beat Detroit Tigers, 6-2
  • 1958 12th NBA Championship: St Louis Hawks beat Bost Celtics, 4 games to 2

Event of interestEvent of Interest

1961 Douglas MacArthur declines offer to become baseball commissioner

US WWII General Douglas MacArthur
US WWII General
Douglas MacArthur

Sport awardUS Masters Golf

1964 28th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Arnold Palmer wins by 6 shots from Dave Marr and Jack Nicklaus to become the first 4-time winner of the Masters; his 7th and final major victory

Golfer Arnold Palmer
Golfer
Arnold Palmer
Golfer Jack Nicklaus
Golfer
Jack Nicklaus
  • 1965 1st NL game at Houston's Astrodome (Phillies beat Astros 2-0)
  • 1966 Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium opens; Pirates beat Braves 3-2
  • 1969 Simon & Garfunkel releases "Boxer"
  • 1969 Wales beats England, 30-9 at the National Stadium, Cardiff to clinch their 16th Five Nations Rugby Championship and 11th Triple Crown

Event of interestEvent of Interest

1970 Yankees dedicate plaques to Mickey Mantle & Joe DiMaggio

Baseball Legend Mickey Mantle
Baseball Legend
Mickey Mantle
Baseball Player Joe DiMaggio
Baseball Player
Joe DiMaggio
  • 1980 Milwaukee beats Boston Red Sox, 18-1 (Cooper & Money hit grand slams)
  • 1980 US Olympic Committee endorses a boycott of the Moscow Olympic games
  • 1980 Terry Fox begins his "Marathon of Hope" at St. John's, Newfoundland

Sport awardUS Masters Golf

1981 45th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tom Watson wins his second green jacket and 5th major title by 2 strokes over Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller

Golfer Tom Watson
Golfer
Tom Watson
Golfer Jack Nicklaus
Golfer
Jack Nicklaus

Sport awardUS Masters Golf

1987 51st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Larry Mize chips-in from 140 feet for an improbable birdie 3 on the 2nd playoff hole to beat Greg Norman for his only major title

Golfer Greg Norman
Golfer
Greg Norman
  • 1987 Ahmed Salah wins 2nd World Cup marathon (2:10:55)
  • 1988 Devils 4-2 over Islanders-Devils lead 3-2 in 1st round
  • 1988 Frank Robinson replaces Cal Ripkin as manager of Baltimore Orioles
  • 1992 2nd lowest NBA scoring game - Detroit Piston 72, NY Knicks 61

Sport awardUS Masters Golf

1992 56th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Fred Couples wins his only major title, 2 strokes ahead of 1976 champion Raymond Floyd

Golfer and Masters Champion Fred Couples
Golfer and Masters Champion
Fred Couples
Golfer and Four-Time Major Championship Winner Ray Floyd
Golfer and Four-Time Major Championship Winner
Ray Floyd
  • 1992 NY Mets lose 1st 3 home games for 1st time since 1962
  • 1998 62nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Mark O'Meara claims his first major title with a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win by 1 stroke from David Duval and Fred Couples
  • 2009 73rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ángel Cabrera wins his 2nd major title in a playoff with Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry; Cabrera, first Masters champion from Argentina and South America
  • 2015 79th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jordan Spieth leads wire-to-wire to win his 1st major title by 4 strokes from Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose
  • 2019 Melbourne captain Cameron Smith becomes highest point scorer in Australian Rugby League history; 49th minute penalty in Storm's 18-12 win over North Queensland in Townsville takes him to 2,420; Hazem El Masri, 2,418

April in History