1875 – Harvard and Yale square off in football for the first time, with Harvard winning 4-0.
1945 – Jim Benton of the Cleveland Rams is the first player in NFL history to have more than 300 receiving yards in a game.
1950 – The lowest scoring game in NBA history takes place with the Fort Wayne Pistons beating the Minneapolis Lakers 19-18. George Mikan scored 15 of the Lakers’ 18 points.
1956 – The Summer Olympics open in Melbourne, Australia. They are the first Olympic games held in the Southern Hemisphere.
1959 – The American Football League (AFL) holds its first draft.
1965 – Muhammad Ali knocks out Floyd Patterson in the 12th round to retain the world heavyweight title.
1966 – University of Florida QB Steve Spurrier wins the Heisman Trophy.
1986 – Mike Tyson becomes the youngest heavyweight champion ever, beating Trevor Berbick to win the WBC title.
1986 – Wayne Gretzky scores career goal #500, playing in just his 575th career game.
1998 – John Elway becomes the second QB in NFL history to throw for 50,000 career yards.
2008 – The Montreal Canadiens retire Patrick Roy’s #33.
2014 – University of Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine sets the Division I football record for rushing yards in a game, totaling 427 yards in a win over Kansas.
2014 – Lionel Messi sets the La Liga record for most career goals scored in club play with 253.
2016 – The “Las Vegas Golden Knights” is the name chosen for the NHL’s newest expansion team.
Related Topicsthis day in sports history