ON THIS DATE

1961: The Cincinnati Royals’ 22-year-old rookie sensation, Oscar Robertson, becomes the youngest player to receive NBA All-star MVP honors. Robertson has 23 points and 14 assists in a 153-131 victory for the West at Syracuse.

1971: The first Super Bowl under the NFL-AFL merger ends with Baltimore rookie Jim O’brien kicking a 32-yard field goal for a 16-13 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

1988: The Denver Broncos beat the Cleveland Browns for the second straight year in the AFC Championship Game. Defensive back Jeremiah Castille strips running back Earnest Byner at the Denver 3-yard line with 65 seconds left in the game to preserve a 38-33 victory.

1995: The NFL Rams announce they’re leaving Southern California after 49 years and moving to St. Louis.

1996: Detroit’s Steve Yzerman becomes the 22nd player in NHL history to score 500 goals as the Red Wings beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2.

2003: Joe Nieuwendyk scores his 500th career goal in New Jersey’s 2-1 victory over Carolina.

2004: New Jersey’s Patrik Elias ties an NHL record by scoring his fourth overtime goal of the season in a 2-1 win over Washington.

2010: Jeremy Abbott earns a trip to the Olympics by winning his second national figure skating title.

2011: West Virginia of the Big East moves into the men’s poll for the first time this season to tie the record of nine teams from one conference in the Top 25. There were nine Big East teams ranked for one week in January 2009.

2011: No. 5 Pittsburgh scores the first 19 points only to lose the lead, then comes back behind Nasir Robinson’s 21 points to hand No. 3 Syracuse its first loss with a 74-66 victory.

2014: Five-time champion Serena Williams becomes the winningest woman at the Australian Open, notching career win No. 61 with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Daniela Hantuchova to reach the fourth round.

2016: The Carolina Panthers surge to a 31-0 halftime lead before barely holding off Seattle’s relentless comeback, beating the Seahawks 31-24 to advance to the NFC Championship Game.