This Day in Sports History

June 17

1954 — Rocky Marciano scores a 15-round unanimous decision over Ezzard Charles in New York to retain the world heavyweight title.

1961 — Gene Littler shoots a 68 in the final round to edge Doug Sanders and Bob Goalby in the U.S. Open.

1962 — Jack Nicklaus beats Arnold Palmer by three strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open.

1962 — Brazil beats Czechoslovakia 3-1 in Santiago, Chile, to win its second straight World Cup.

1973 — John Miller shoots a 63 in the final round to win the U.S. Open by one stroke over John Schlee at Oakmont, Pa.. Miller’s 8-under 63 is the first ever carded in a major championship.

1976 — The 18-team NBA absorbs four of the six remaining ABA teams: the New York Nets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.

1979 — Hale Irwin wins the U.S. Open by two strokes over Gary Player and Jerry Pate.

1990 — Harry Gant, 50, becomes the oldest driver to win a NASCAR race, capturing the Miller 500 at Pocono International Raceway.

1991 — Payne Stewart escapes with a two-stroke victory over Scott Simpson in the highest-scoring U.S. Open playoff in 64 years.

2007 — Angel Cabrera holds off Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by a stroke to capture the U.S. Open.

2007 — Kate Ziegler breaks swimming’s oldest world record, shattering the 1,500meter freestyle mark by 9 1/2 seconds in Mission Viejo, Calif. Ziegler wins the 30-lap race in 15:42.54, easily erasing Janet Evans’ 1988 mark of 15:52.10 . At the time, Evans was the first woman to break 16 minutes.

2008 — The Boston Celtics win their 17th NBA title with a 13192 blowout of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

2010 — The Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston for the first time in a Game 7 to repeat as NBA champions. Kobe Bryant scores 23 points despite 6-of-24 shooting, and the Lakers win their 16th NBA championship, rallying from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat the Celtics 83-79.

2011 — Rory McIlroy becomes the first player in the 111-year history of the U.S. Open to reach 13-under par. He overcomes a double bogey into the water on the final hole for a 5-under 66 to set the 36-hole scoring record at 131.

2012 — Webb Simpson wins the U.S. Open, outlasting former U.S. Open champions Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell.