1878 – Harvard’s Frederick Thayer receives and official US patent number for the invention of the catcher’s mask. 1908 – An auto race from New York to Paris (through Alaska and Siberia) begins. George Schuster wins the race, which takes him 88 days. 1909 – American...

1920 – Baseball outlaws all pitches that involve tampering with the baseball. 1949 – Joe Fulks of Philadelphia scores 63 points in a 108-87 win over Indianapolis to set an NBA scoring record that would last for nearly a decade. 1952 – The Baltimore Bullets play a 48...

1895 – The sport of volleyball is invented by WG Morgan in Massachusetts. 1942 – The Philadelphia Phillies temporarily change their name to the “Phils”. 1960 – The AFL and NFL agree to a no tampering pact. 1966 – The NHL expands to double the size of the league,...

1936 – Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago is the first player ever selected in the NFL Draft. Berwanger is drafted by the Eagles and then traded to the Bears. 1945 – Paul Brown agrees to coach the new expansion football team in Cleveland, which would later...

1949 – Joe DiMaggio signs a new contract with the Yankees, making him the first player in MLB history to earn over $100,000 per season. 1959 – The Chicago White Sox are sold to Bill Veeck for $27 million. 1976 – Darryl Sittler of the Toronto Maple Leafs sets an NHL...

1958 – Ted Williams signs a contract with the Boston Red Sox for $135,000 making him the highest paid player in baseball history at the time. 1970 – The NBA expands to 18 teams by adding franchises in Buffalo, Cleveland, Houston, and Portland. 1990 – Brett Hull of the...

1919 – Charges against Cincinnati’s Hal Chase of throwing games and betting against his team are dismissed by National League president John Heydler. 1921 – The Yankees purchase 20 acres in the Bronx to build Yankee Stadium.  1960 – Bill Russell grabs 51 rebounds in...