TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1743 The earliest boxing code of rules is formulated in England (Jack Broughton). 1870 Fred Goldsmith demonstrates that a curve ball thrown in baseball isn’t an optical illusion. 1936 The Games of the XI Olympiad close in Berlin, Germany. 1954 Sports Illustrated publishes its first issue. 1965 The AFL awards its first expansion franchise (Miami Dolphins). 1976 The St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Chargers, 20-10, in Tokyo (NFL exhibition). 1977 The New York Yankees blow a 9-4 lead in the top of the ninth but beat the Chicago White Sox, 11-10, in the bottom of the inning. 1981 The highest score in a World Cup soccer match (New Zealand 13, Fiji 0) is recorded. 1984 The largest harness racing purse (US$2,161,000 ) is handed out — Nihilator wins US$1,080,500. 1989 Roger Kingdom of the USA sets the 110-metre hurdles record (12.92) in Zurich, Switzerland. 2002 The Major League Baseball Players Association announces a voting result of 57-0 to set an Aug. 30 strike date. 2006 Home plate umpire Bruce Froemming is honoured in a ceremony at Fenway Park for working the 5,000th major-league game of his 36-year career, second only to Bill Klem, who arbitrated 5,374 games from 1905 to ’40. 2008 At the Beijing Olympics, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt wins the men’s 100 metres in a world-record time of 9.69 seconds. American Michael Phelps equals Mark Spitz’s 36-year record of winning seven golds in one Olympic Games, winning the 100-metre butterfly. Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry wins the women’s 200 backstroke, in a world record time. Britain’s Rebecca Adlington also breaks a world record to take gold in the women’s 800 freestyle. 2009 At the Athletics World Championships in Berlin, Germany, Usain Bolt of Jamaica sets a world record in the 100-metre dash with a time of 9.58 seconds.