Today in Sports History:
In 2012, Usain Bolt of Jamaica secured his place in Olympic history by winning his second consecutive gold medal in the men’s 100-meter final at the Summer Games in London. Despite being one of the slower runners at the halfway point, Bolt powered past his competitors to finish in a record time of 9.63 seconds, making him only the second man to win this event twice, alongside Carl Lewis.
On this date:
In 1921, radio station KDKA and announcer Harold Arlin made history by broadcasting the first major league baseball game, where the Pittsburgh Pirates triumphed over the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-5.
In 1936, Jesse Owens achieved his third gold medal at the Berlin Olympics, winning the 200-meter race with an Olympic-record time of 20.7 seconds.
In 1954, the inaugural election for the Boxing Hall of Fame took place, electing 24 boxers, among them modern-era legends Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Henry Armstrong, as well as pioneer-era stars like John L. Sullivan and Jack Johnson.
In 1967, the Denver Broncos recorded the first American Football League (AFL) victory over a National Football League (NFL) team by defeating the Detroit Lions, 13-7, in a preseason matchup.
In 1984, American runner Joan Benoit made history by winning the first Olympic marathon for women in 2:24:52, finishing significantly ahead of Norway’s Grete Waitz.
In 1991, Sergei Bubka became the first pole vaulter to clear 20 feet outdoors, setting a new world record of 20 feet, half an inch at the Galan track meet in Malmo, Sweden.
In 1997, Michael Johnson claimed his third consecutive 400-meter title at the world championships in Athens, Greece, with a time of 44.12 seconds.
In 2005, Jason Gore shot a remarkable 12-under 59 in the second round of the Nationwide Tour’s Cox Classic in Omaha, Nebraska.
In 2006, Warren Moon made history by becoming the first black quarterback inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, alongside fellow inductees Troy Aikman, John Madden, Rayfield Wright, Harry Carson, and Reggie White.
In 2007, Tom Glavine notched his 300th career victory with an 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Also in 2007, Lorena Ochoa won the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews, marking her first major title and making it the first women’s professional tournament at that iconic venue.
In 2012, Andy Murray of Great Britain won the Olympic tennis singles final at Wimbledon against Roger Federer with a decisive score of 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. In doubles, Serena and Venus Williams claimed the gold medal, with Serena becoming the first player to win two Olympic golds in tennis since Venus at the 2000 Sydney Games. Ben Ainslie also added to his legacy by winning gold in the Finn sailing class, solidifying his status as the most decorated sailor in Olympic history.
In 2013, Major League Baseball announced suspensions for 13 players linked to a drug scandal, with Alex Rodriguez receiving a 211-game ban and others like Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta, and Everth Cabrera facing 50-game suspensions.
In 2014, the San Antonio Spurs made headlines by hiring WNBA star Becky Hammon as an assistant coach, making her the first woman to join an NBA coaching staff.
In 2017, Justin Gatlin denied Usain Bolt a farewell victory by winning the 100 meters at the world track championships in London, finishing in 9.92 seconds, just ahead of Bolt’s bronze performance of 9.95 seconds.
In 2018, the Springfield Lasers clinched their first World TeamTennis title by narrowly beating the Philadelphia Freedoms, 19-18, after a challenging season.
Also in 2018, England’s Georgia Hall triumphed over Pornanong Phatlum in a thrilling final round at Royal Lytham & St. Annes to win the Women’s British Open, marking her first major title.