This Day in Sports History: April 24
Sports in April include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, the first month of baseball, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand Prix…
Sports in April include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, the first month of baseball, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand Prix events. Over the years, April 24 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from April 24 included:
- 1894: French cyclist Henri Desgrange rode 100km in a world record time of 2:39:18.
- 1917: New York Yankees left-handed pitcher George Mogridge no-hits Boston Red Sox, 2-1 at Fenway Park.
- 1931: Lightweight champion and boxing legend Tony Canzoneri knocked out Jack Berg to become a three-division champion and the first boxer ever to hold two belts from different weight classes simultaneously.
- 1946: 11 players were named to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1962: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax got his second career 18-strikeout game.
- 1963: The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to win their fifth straight NBA Championship. Hall of Famer Bob Cousy retired after the victory, marking the end of an illustrious 13-year career.
- 1967: The Philadelphia 76ers won their second championship in NBA franchise history, beating the San Francisco Warriors in six games.
- 1978: The Angels' Nolan Ryan struck out 15 players in a game for the 20th time.
- 1981: Bill Shoemaker won his 8,000th horse race.
- 1994: San Antonio Spurs legend David Robinson scored 71 points in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers, securing the NBA scoring title over Shaquille O'Neal.
- 2004: With the first pick in the NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers selected quarterback Eli Manning. He was traded to the New York Giants three draft picks later, starting a legendary career that included two Super Bowl victories for New York.
- 2015: Anthony Dirrell faced Badou Jack for the WBC Super Middleweight title in Chicago, Illinois. Jack won by majority decision, handing Dirrell his first career loss.
- 2021: UFC 261 featured three title fights. Valentina Shevchenko defended her flyweight title by knocking out Jéssica Andrade, while Rose Namajunas pulled off a remarkable upset by knocking out strawweight queen Weili Zhang to claim the championship. In the main event, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman knocked out Jorge Masvidal to secure his fourth straight title.
- 2023: In a Game 4 showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat, Heat forward Jimmy Butler scored 56 points in a 119-114 overtime victory. Miami was the eighth seed pitted against the first-seeded Bucks, and this win pushed the Heat to a 3-1 series lead.
Three athletes who stood out on April 24 were Nolan Ryan, David Robinson, and Eli Manning.
Ryan is known as the "Ryan Express." He dominated with an elite fastball, leading his league in strikeouts 11 times and throwing 12 one-hitters. Robinson is famous for his 7'1" stature, immense athletic agility, and two NBA championships. He was a 10-time All-Star, 1995 MVP, and 1992 Defensive Player of the Year. Manning is primarily known for winning two Super Bowls (XLII, XLVI) with the New York Giants, both against the New England Patriots, earning Super Bowl MVP honors both times.
