TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1901 — Ground is broken for Boston’s first American League ballpark (Huntington Avenue Grounds).
1903 — The New York Highlanders (later New York Yankees) are approved as members of the American League.
1908 — Stanley Cup hockey: Montreal Wanderers sweep Winnipeg Maple Leafs in two games.
1910 — Stanley Cup: Montreal Wanderers beat Berlin (Kitchener), 7-3.
1951 — Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler loses fight (9-7) to stay in office.
1966 — Bobby Hull’s 51st goal of season, sets record.
1966 — Jockey Johnny Longden retires after 40 years and 6,032 wins.
1967 — Austria’s Reinhold Bachler ski jumps 505 feet.
1972 — NHL great Gordie Howe retires after 26 seasons.
1978 — Eric Heiden skates world record 1,000 metres in 1:14.99. 1984 — British ice dancing team, Torvill and Dean, become first skaters to receive nine perfect 6.0 scores in world championships. 1985 — Larry Bird scores Boston Celtics’ record 60 points.
1986 — Susan Butcher wins 1,158mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. 1987 — David Robinson scores 50 points in a NCAA basketball game. 1987 — World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Cincinnati won by Katarina Witt (German Democratic Republic).
1987 — World Men’s Figure Skating Championship in Cincinnati won by Brian Orser (Canada). 1990 — Los Angeles Raiders announce they are returning to Oakland.
1995 — Dottie Mochrie wins LPGA PING/Welch’s Golf Championship. 1995 — World Men’s Figure Skating Championship in Birmingham, United Kingdom, won by Elvis Stojko (Canada).