1954 – The 24 second shot clock is used in pro basketball for the first time, in a game between Boston and Rochester.
1966 – Johnny Unitas becomes the NFL’s leader in career passing yards, breaking YA Tittle’s record.
1973 – Mets pitcher Tom Seaver becomes the first Cy Young Award winner in baseball history that didn’t win 20 games.
1974 – Nolan Ryan, then with the Angels, records the fastest pitcher ever in MLB history at the time, throwing a fastball at 100.9 mph.
1974 – Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in the eighth round in the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” bout in Zaire.
1997 – Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona announces his retirement.
2013 – The Boston Red Sox beat the St Louis Cardinals 6-1 in game 6 of the world series. David Ortiz won the MVP.
2016 – The Oakland Raiders set an NFL record for penalties in a game after being flagged 23 times in a win over the Buccaneers.
2019 – The Washington Nationals win the first World Series championship in franchise history (counting both Washington and Montreal), defeating the Astros in seven games.
Related Topicsthis day in sports history