ON THIS DATE

1918: Pee Wee Reese is born in a small town in Kentucky — which makes his remarkable act of kindness toward Jackie Robinson on that ugly afternoon in Cincinnati in May 1947 even more meaningful.

1925: Lou Gehrig hits the first of his 23 grand slams, a major league record that stood for 75 years. (Alex “Dirty Al” Rodriguez*.)

1930: Pie Traynor wins both ends of a doubleheader for the Pittsburgh Pirates with home runs.

1960: Jack Nicklaus marries Barbara Bash, and today is their 60th wedding anniversary.

1964: Bert Campaneris of the Kansas City A’s hits two home runs in his first major league game. Over the next 19 years, he hits 77.

1968: Gary Payton, born in Oakland, turns 52 today and still could shut down half of the shooting guards in the NBA.

1974: Steve Garvey of the Los Angeles Dodgers goes from write-in starter to MVP in leading the National League to a 7-2 win in the All-Star Game at Pittsburgh.

1976: In the last-ever game pitting the reigning NFL champs against a team of college all stars — yes, they happened annually! — the Pittsburgh Steelers pounded the kids like hamburger, winning 24-0.

1995: In a mismatch of the highest order, John Daly wins the British Open at St. Andrews.

1995:: Miguel Indurain of Spain wins his record fifth consecutive Tour de France. (Yes, in the rain.)

2000: Tiger Woods, 24, becomes the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam, closing the deal with a recordbreaking performance in the British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

2002: Nomar Garciaparra homers three times on his 29th birthday, connecting twice in a 10-run third inning and then hitting a grand slam in the fourth inning of Boston’s 22-2 win over Tampa Bay.

2006: Woods, one month after missing the cut for the first time in a major, becomes the first player since Tom Watson in 1982-83 to win consecutive British Open titles.

2006: Floyd Landis cruises to victory in the Tour de France, keeping cycling’s most prestigious title in America’s (dirty) hands for the eighth straight year.

2009: Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitches the 18th perfect game in major league history, and his second no-hitter.