This Day in Sports History: June 19
Big sports in June include MLB, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Final, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open Golf Championship, the Canadian Grand Prix, and track and field. June 19 has…
CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 17: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to pass while under pressure from Tobias Harris #34 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half of the NBA Eastern Conference Q2uarterfinals at Quicken Loans Arena on April 17, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons 106-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Big sports in June include MLB, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Final, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open Golf Championship, the Canadian Grand Prix, and track and field. June 19 has seen many significant events and achievements in various sports. Read on to discover some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sport that occurred on June 19 include:
- 1867: Gilbert Gilpatrick rode Ruthless to victory in the first edition of the Belmont Stakes with a time of 3:05.
- 1897: Wee Willie Keeler's 44-game hitting streak ended.
- 1908: James Braid won the British Open golf tournament for the fourth time.
- 1922: Paavo Nurmi ran a 5000-meter world record time of 14:28:2
- 1936: Max Schmeling knocked out Joe Louis in the 12th round of the first fight for the world heavyweight championship title.
- 1937: Helen Hicks won the LPGA Women's Western Open, the first of her two major titles.
- 1938: Italy beat Hungary 4-1 in the final of the FIFA World Cup.
- 1942: Paul Waner became the seventh MLB player to record 3,000 hits.
- 1952: The Brooklyn Dodgers' Carl Erskine pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs.
- 1955: Mickey Mantle hit the 100th home run of his career.
- 1973: Pete Rose and Willie Davis joined the 2,000-hit club.
- 1974: Steve Busby pitched his second career no-hitter.
- 1985: Reggie Jackson hit his 513th career home run, moving into 10th place on the all-time home run list.
- 1987: Gay Kelleway became the first female jockey to ride a winner at England's Royal Ascot.
- 1989: Dwight Gooden won his 100th career game.
- 1990: Gary Carter caught his 1,862nd career game, setting an NL record.
- 1992: Evander Holyfield beat Larry Holmes in the 12th round to secure the heavyweight boxing title.
- 1999: The Dallas Stars beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 to win the Stanley Cup.
- 2000: The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 4-2, securing the NBA Championship. The Finals Most Valuable Player award went to Shaquille O'Neal.
- 2011: Rory McIlroy won the U.S. Open Golf Championship. He set 11 records at the tournament.
- 2016: The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors 4-3 to win their first NBA Championship. They were the first team to overcome a three-to-one deficit, and Lebron James was named Finals MVP.
Looking back on these June 19 statistics, the outstanding athletes are Maris, Holyfield, and McIlroy.
Maris was famous for hitting 61 home runs in the 1961 season, breaking Babe Ruth's MLB record. Holyfield is the only boxer to reign as the undisputed champion in two weight classes (cruiserweight and heavyweight) and the only four-time heavyweight champion in history. McIlroy is a five-time major champion, a former world number one, and a career Grand Slam achiever.
