Take a journey back in sports history, as cllct looks at major anniversaries that occurred on this date:
October 31, 1950: Earl Lloyd becomes the first African-American to play in an NBA game, scoring six points for the Washington Capitols.
October 30, 1974: Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in "The Rumble in the Jungle."
October 29, 2003: LeBron James makes his NBA debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 25 points against the Sacramento Kings.
October 28, 1995: The Atlanta Braves top the Cleveland Indians in the World Series to win the franchise's third title.
October 27, 2013: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel clinches his fourth straight and final F1 Drivers Championship.
October 26, 2000: New York Yankees beat the New York Mets to win the "Subway Series" and the team's third straight World Series.
October 25, 2015: Lewis Hamilton clinches his second straight Drivers Championship and the second of six total.
October 24, 2021: Tom Brady connects with Mike Evans for his 600th touchdown pass.
October 23, 2019: Kyrie Irving scores 50 points for the Brooklyn Nets, setting a record for most points in a debut with a new team.
October 22, 1975: The Cincinnati Reds beat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series behind MVP Pete Rose.
October 21, 1980: The Philadelphia Phillies win the first title in franchise history after topping the Kansas City Royals in the World Series.
October 20, 1996: Andruw Jones hits a home run in the World Series at just 19 years old.
October 19, 1966: Bobby Orr makes his NHL debut for the Boston Bruins — he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.
October 18, 1977: Reggie Jackson hits three consecutive home runs as the Yankees top the Dodgers, 4-2, in the World Series.
October 17, 2015: Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo becomes Real Madrid's all-time leading scorer with his 324th goal.
October 16, 2004: Lionel Messi makes his debut for FC Barcelona at just 17 years old.
October 15, 1988: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder hits two-run, walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series with two injured legs.
October 14, 1979: Wayne Gretzky scores his first NHL goal — he'd finish his career with an NHL-record 894.
October 13, 2019: Simone Biles wins her 25th medal at the World Championships, making her the most decorated gymnast of all time.
October 12, 1979: Future Hall of Famer Magic Johnson makes his NBA debut with the Los Angeles Lakers.
October 11, 2020: Rafael Nadal beats Novak Đjoković to win his 20th Grand Slam and record 13th French Open title.
October 10, 2004: Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher wins a record 13th race of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix.
October 9, 2022: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen secures his second straight F1 Drivers' Championship.
October 8, 2018: Drew Brees passes Peyton Manning to become NFL's all-time passing leader — Brees would finish with 80,358 yards.
October 7, 1984: Walter Payton passes Jim Brown to become the NFL's all-time rushing leader.
October 6, 1993: Michael Jordan retires from the NBA, but later returns in 1995 to lead the Chicago Bulls to three more NBA championships.
October 5, 2004: Scottie Pippen retires from the NBA as a seven-time All-Star and six-time NBA champion.
October 4, 2001: Barry Bonds hits this 70th home run, tying Mark McGwire for the most in a single season.
October 3, 1974: Frank Robinson breaks MLB's managerial color barrier, becoming the first Black manager after signing with the Cleveland Indians.
October 2, 2017: Iconic broadcaster Vin Scully calls his final game for the Los Angeles Dodgers after 67 MLB seasons.
October 1, 1975: Muhammad Ali fights Joe Frazier in the "Thrilla in Manila," widley considered one of the greatest fights of all time.
September 30, 1972: Pittsburgh Pirates star Roberto Clemente doubles to record his 3,000th and final hit.
September 29, 1954: Willie Mays makes "The Catch," one of the most iconic plays in sports history, in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.
September 28, 2022: New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hits home run No. 61, tying Roger Maris' American League single-season record.
September 27, 2008: Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux wins his 355th game in the final start of his career.
September 26, 1981: Nolan Ryan throws his fifth career no-hitter as the Astros top the Dodgers.
September 24, 1979: Pete Rose records his 200th hit in a season for the 10th time.
September 23, 2018: Drew Brees completes a pass to break Brett Favre's record of 6,300 completions.
September 22, 1969: Willie Mays becomes second player to hit 600 career home runs.
September 21, 1955: Rocky Marciano knocks out Archie Moore in his final fight to finish his career undefeated.
September 20, 1968: New York Yankees star Mickey Mantle hits the final home run of his career — No. 536.
September 19, 1947: Jackie Robinson wins the inaugural Rookie of the Year award.
September 18, 1996: Roger Clemens strikes out 20 batters in a single game, tying his own record.
September 17, 2004: San Francisco Giants superstar Barry Bonds hits career home run No. 700.
September 16, 1973: OJ Simpson rushes for a then-record 250 yards against the New England Patriots.
September 15, 2022: Roger Federer announces his retirement from tennis at age 41 with 20 Grand Slam titles.
September 14, 1986: Walter Payton scores 100th rushing touchdown in overtime win over Philadelphia.
September 13, 1965: Willie Mays hits home run No. 500 — he'd finish his career with 660.
September 12, 2004: Roger Federer beats Lleyton Hewitt to win first US Open title.
September 11, 1999: Serena Williams beats Martina Hingis to win her first Grand Slam title.
September 10, 2023: Novak Đoković wins the US Open, tying the record for 24 major singles titles.
September 9, 1965: Sandy Koufax throws his fourth no-hitter and first perfect game.
September 8, 2019: Rafael Nadal beats Daniil Medvedev to win the US Open and his 19th overall Grand Slam title.
September 7, 1986: Dan Marino throws 100th career touchdown pass, becoming the fastest ever to do so.
September 6, 1995: Cal Ripken Jr. plays in his 2,131th straight game, breaking Lou Gehrig's record.
September 5, 1994: Jerry Rice scores three touchdowns, setting the new all-time NFL touchdown record with 127.
September 4, 2005: Kyle Busch wins the Sony HD 500 to become the youngest driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race.
September 3, 2022: Serena Williams plays her final match at the US Open, losing to Ajla Tomljanovic, 7-5, 6-7, 6-1.
September 2, 1962: Stan Musial records his 3,516th career hit, moving into second place all-time behind only Ty Cobb.
September 1, 1987: At just 15, Michael Chang becomes the youngest tennis player to win a match at the US Open.
August 31, 1990: Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr. become first father and son pair to play on the same team.
August 30, 1905: Ty Cobb makes his debut for the Detroit Tigers. Cobb would go on to be part of the inaugural ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
August 29, 2022: Albert Pujols launches career home run No. 694 off a record 450th different pitcher.
August 28, 1981: British runner Sebastian Coe finishes a one-mile run in 3:47.33 to set a new world record.
August 27, 1982: Rickey Henderson steals his 119th base of the season, breaking Lou Brock's single season record.
August 26, 1971: Bobby Orr signs a five-year, $1 million deal with the Boston Bruins, the first million-dollar contract in NHL history.
August 25, 1986: Oakland Athletics rookie Mark McGwire hits the first of 583 home runs.
August 24, 2023: Magnus Carlsen wins his first Chess World Cup championship after beating Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in a tiebreak.
August 23, 2008: Team USA wins gold in women's basketball behind stars like Lisa Leslie and Sue Bird.
August 22, 1961: Roger Maris hits home run No. 50 in his iconic 61-homer season.
August 21, 1931: Babe Ruth hits home run No. 600, becoming the first player to hit the milestone.
August 20, 2000: Tiger Woods wins back-to-back PSA titles and becomes first golfer to win three majors in a calendar year since 1953.
August 19, 2001: Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher wins the Hungarian Grand prix to secure his fourth F1 World Drivers Championship.
August 18, 1973: Hank Aaron records his 1,378th extra-base hit, passing Stan Musial for the most all-time.
August 17, 1966: Willie Mays hits home run No. 535, moving into second place all-time ahead of Jimmie Foxx.
August 16, 2003: Cristiano Ronaldo makes his debut with Manchester United. He'd later help the club win both Premier League and Champions League titles.
August 15, 2008: American Ryan Lochte sets the world record in the 200m backstroke while edging out teammate Aaron Peirsol.
August 14, 2016: Usain Bolt wins gold in the 100m at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, becoming the first man to win the event three times.
August 13, 2008: Michael Phelps wins three gold medals in one day with wolrd records in 200m individual medley, 200m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle.
August 12, 1974: Nolan Ryan strikes out 19 Red Sox batters in a 4-2 Angels win.
August 11, 1929: Babe Ruth becomes the first player to hit 500 career home runs.
August 10, 2008: Michael Phelps sets world record in the 400m individual medley.
August 9, 1988: The Edmonton Oilers trade Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings.
August 8, 1992: The original United States "Dream Team" wins gold at the Barcelona Olympics.
August 7, 2004: Chicago Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux wins his 300th career game. Maddux would finish his career with 355 total.
August 6, 1988: Oakland Athletics star Jose Canseco becomes the 11th player in MLB history to hit 11 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season.
August 5, 1999: St. Louis Cardinals tar Mark McGwire hits his 500th career home run, becoming just the 16th player to do so.
August 4, 1984: Carl Lewis wins gold in the 100m at the Los Angeles Olympics, his first of nine career golds.
August 3, 1936: Jesse Owens wins gold in the 100m in front of Adolf Hitler at the Berlin Olympics.
August 2, 1982: Rickey Henderson steals his 100th base of the season, becoming the first player to do it twice in the modern era.
August 1, 1945: New York Giants star Mel Ott hits his 500th career home run, becoming only the third player to do it at the time.
July 31, 2012: Michael Phelps wins his 19th medal to become the most decorated Olympian ever. He'd finish his career with 28 total.
July 30, 2005: The Pittsburgh Penguins draft Sidney Crosby with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft.
July 29, 1974: Lou Brock steals his 700th career stolen base.
July 28, 1993: Seattle Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr. homers in his eighth straight game.
July 27, 1984: Pete Rose collects his 3,053rd single, breaking Ty Cobb's record.
July 26, 2010: Matt Garza throws the first no-hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history.
July 25, 1980: Beloved comedy Caddyshack is released in North America.
July 24, 2004: Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez start a benches-clearing brawl between the Red Sox and Yankees.
July 23, 1996: Gymnast Kerri Strug lands her vault on an injured ankle to secure the U.S. the gold medal over Russia in the 1996 Olympics.
July 22, 1990: American cyclist Greg LeMond wins the Tour de France despite not winning any individual stages.
July 21, 1957: Althea Gibson becomes the first African-American to win a major U.S. tennis tournament.
July 20, 1996: Hank Aaron hits home run No. 755, the last of his career.
July 19, 1996: Muhammad Ali makes a surprise appearance to light the Olympic torch in Atlanta amid his battle with Parkinson's disease.
July 18, 2018: The San Antonio Spurs trade superstar Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. Later that season, Leonard would lead the Raptors to the franchises to its first and only title.
July 17, 1994: Brazil beats Italy to win the World Cup, the first final decided on penalties.
July 16, 1941: Joe DiMaggio records a hit in a record 56th consecutive game.
July 15, 1999: Outdoor baseball in Seattle! The Mariners hosted their first game at Safeco Field, falling to the Padres 3-2.
July 14, 1985: The Baltimore Stars defeated the Oakland Invaders 28-24 in the USFL Championship Game that came down to the final play. It was the final USFL game and 49,263 attended at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands in the pouring rain.
July 13, 1972: Baltimore Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom trades his franchise to new Rams owner Robert Irsay. Rosenbloom had wanted to buy the Rams after the team's previous owner passed away, but arranged a trade with Irsay to avoid paying capital gains taxes.
July 12, 1901: Cy Young wins his 300th game. Young's milestone win comes with a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics.
July 11, 1989: Today marks the 35th anniversary of the 1989 MLB All-Star Game. President Reagan teamed up with Vin Scully to announce the first inning of the game for NBC. Four of the game's eight runs came in that inning, including back-to-back home runs by Bo Jackson and Wade Boggs to lead off for the American League in the bottom of the first. Less than 60 tickets (full or stub) have been graded by PSA for this game and several autographed by the game's MVP, Bo Jackson, are currently on ebay.
July 10, 1999: Brandi Chastain hits the fifth kick in a penalty shootout at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final to give the United States the victory over China. The game was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. and it was the U.S. women's second World Cup title. Several Chastain autographed sports bras are available on ebay.
July 9, 2016: Serena Williams ties Steffi Graf's record of 22 Grand Slam Single titles. Willams defeats Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-3 to win Wimbledon.
July 8, 2011: 19-year-old Mike Trout makes his MLB Debut against the Seattle Mariners. He bats ninth for the Angels and goes 0-3 after being called up to replace the injured Peter Bourjos in centerfield. He was sent back down after 12 starts where he hit .163 with one home run. Lelands had the jersey Trout wore in that game up for auction in 2021, but the reserve was not met.
July 7, 1948: 42-year-old veteran Negro Leagues pitcher Satchel Paige signs with the Cleveland Indians. Paige wins six games after signing mid-season. He becomes the first black player to pitch in the World Series and the Indians win the title.
July 6, 1933: The American League wins the first MLB All-Star Game 4-2. Ruth hits the first home run in the history of the "Midsummer Classic" with his blast at Comiskey Park. The event was part of the 1933 World's Fair and was the idea of Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward.
July 5, 1980: Björn Borg wins his fifth straight Wimbledon. He beats John McEnroe 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6 in one of the greatest Wimbledon matches of all time. The match is highlighted by the 22-minute, 34-point, fourth-set tiebreak.
July 4, 1939: 61,808 fans fill Yankee Stadium for Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day. Gehrig had played his last game a few days earlier and delivered his famous "Luckiest Man on Earth" speech.
July 3, 1966: Atlanta Braves pitcher Tony Cloninger became the first NL player to hit two grand slams in one game. Cloninger drove in nine RBIs for an MLB record for pitchers.
July 2, 2019: The only privately-owned medieval chess piece from the 1831 Lewis chessmen discovery is sold by Sotheby's for £735,000. Seventy-nine chess pieces were found in a sandbank on Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The pieces were mainly carved from walrus ivory with only a few being made from whale teeth. The record sale was for a "warder" (rook) that was acquired for £5 in 1964 by an antiques dealer in Edinburgh and passed down through the same family.
July 1, 1904: The Games of the III Olympiad are held outside of Europe for the first time. The event runs from July 1 to November 23, 1904 on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. The Olympics were originally scheduled for Chicago, but moved to Missouri when officials decided to pair the event with The Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the U.S. acquisition of the Louisiana Territory. Of the 650 athletes in the 1904 Olympics, 580 were American. Two medals and a program from the 1904 Games are currently available by RR Auction.
June 30, 1965: The Atlanta Falcons become the 15th franchise in the NFL after league commissioner Pete Rozelle awards Rankin Smith an expansion franchise. Smith pays a then-record $8.5 million in a move that Rozelle makes to prevent Smith from joining the rival AFL league. Smith's son, Taylor, sells the team to Arthur Blank in 2002 for $545 million.
June 29, 1905: Thanks to W.P. Kinsella's novel "Shoeless Joe," (which the movie "Field of Dreams" was based on) we all know the story of Graham's one game in the majors. Giants manager John McGraw put Graham into right field for one inning. Graham didn't get to bat and retired to become a doctor in his hometown of Chisholm, Minn. Hunt Auctions sold an autographed Graham yearbook for $9,400.
June 28, 1957: Commissioner Ford Frick added Hank Aaron, WIlly Mays and Stan Musial to the All-Star ballot to combat ballot-stuffing by the Cincinnati Redlegs fans. All but one of the Redlegs starting positon players were elected to the game.
June 27, 1999: Tony Hawk makes a 2-½ revolution aerial spin at ESPN's X-Games in San Francisco -- the first "900" in the competition's history.
June 26, 1996: Allen Iverson (1), Ray Allen (5), Kobe Bryant (13) and Steve Nash (15) highlight the 1996 NBA Draft Class.
June 26, 2003: LeBron James (1), Carmelo Anthony (3), Chris Bosh (4) and Dwyane Wade (5) highlight the 2003 NBA Draft Class.
June 25, 1997: The San Antonio Spurs select Wake Forest's Tim Duncan with the first pick in the NBA Draft. Two years later to the day, Duncan leads the Spurs past the Knicks in a 78-77 Game 5 win. It is the franchise's first NBA title and Duncan is named the Finals MVP.
June 24, 1979: Forty-five years ago, 20-year-old Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics steals his first base in his MLB debut. He stole the base off Texas Rangers lefty John Henry Johnson. Only four tickets from this game (3 stubs/1 full) have been submitted to PSA. The "Man of Steal" goes on to shatter Lou Brock's career record for MLB steals and Henderson finishes his career with 1,406 steals.
June 23, 2003: The Giants' Barry Bonds becomes the first player in MLB history to steal 500 bases and hit 500 home runs. Bonds steals second base against the LA Dodgers to earn the milestone. PSA has received 75 submissions for this ticket (73 full/2 stubs).
June 22, 1981: 21-year-old John McEnroe claims the first of his three Wimbledon titles by upsetting Björn Borg. McEnroe prevented Borg from tying William Renshaw's record of six consecutive Wimbledon titles and Roy Emerson's record of 12 major titles.
June 21, 1986: After winning the Heisman Trophy and being chosen first overall by Tampa Bay in the NFL Draft, Auburn's Bo Jackson signed a three-year contract with the Royals for just more than $1 million. Jackson had vowed not to sign with the Bucs, but they drafted him anyway. The Royals had selected Jackson in the fourth round (105th overall) of the MLB Draft and he decided to sign with them instead of the Buccaneers.
June 20, 1980: Sugar Ray Leonard suffered his first defeat and lost his WBC welterweight title to Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán. The "Brawl in Montreal" took place at Olympic Stadium and Durán won by unanimous points decision.
June 19, 1989: Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden notches his 100th career win in a 5-3 win over the Expos at Shea Stadium. He becomes the third-youngest pitcher to hit 100 wins at the age of 24 years and seven months, trailing only Bob Feller and Frank Hahn.
June 18, 2000: Tiger Woods wins the 100th U.S. Open. Woods led wire-to-wire and finished 12-under par to claim his first U.S. Open title. His 15-stroke victory sets a new record for largest margin of victory in major championship history.
June 17, 1994: It was a big day on the calendar for sports fans as the following events took place: the New York Rangers Stanley Cup Parade, the World Cup started, the U.S. Open was on and Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and the Rockets at MSG. But all the events faded into the background when the NBA Finals game was interrupted by news of the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase in Los Angeles. Al Cowlings' Bronco has become a rather valuable piece of sports memorabilia.
June 16, 1975: After telling Bucks management that he didn't want to continue playing in Milwaukee, the Bucks trade Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley to the Lakers. The Bucks receive Elmore Smith and Brian Winters plus the No. 2 and No. 8 picks in the NBA Draft. The Bucks drafted Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman with those picks.
June 15, 2019: Hunt Auctions partners with Ruth's family to auction a collection of artifacts at Yankee Stadium. The $5.64 million auction price for the 1928-30 jersey makes it the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold, according to the auction house. The previous record was a 1920 Babe Ruth jersey that sold for $4.4 million.
June 14, 1998: Jordan hits a game-winning jumper against the Utah Jazz with seconds left on the clock to give the Bulls their second three-peat of the 90's. The shot ended up being the last MJ took as a member of the Chicago Bulls. Goldin Auctions sold an autographed stub from this game for $21,600 in 2020.
June 13, 1948: A frail cancer-battling Babe Ruth, who used his bat as a cane, made his final appearance at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees retired his No. 3 -- only the second number to be retired after Lou Gehrig's No. 4. A crowd of 49,641 was there for the event which New York Tribune's Nat Fein captured beautifully with his Pulitzer-winning photo of Ruth standing in front of the current Yankees team and the crowd in his iconic No. 3 jersey.
June 12, 1970: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Doc Ellis no-hits the Padres, 2-0 at San Diego Stadium. In 1984, Ellis admitted that he had been under the influence of LSD when he walked eight and hit one while throwing his no-no. PSA has not graded one ticket from this game.
June 11, 1990: Nolan Ryan pitches the sixth no-hitter of his career as the Rangers down the Athletics. Ryan finishes off the ninth inning by retiring Rickey Henderson, Ken Phelps and Willie Randolph.
June 10, 1996: The Colorado Avalanche won a thrilling 3 OT 1-0 game to sweep the Florida Panthers and win the Stanley Cup. Patrick Roy stopped all 63 shots in the game and finished with a series save percentage of .974, stopping 147 of 151 shots.
June 9, 1945: Shortly after beating the Phillies 8-7 at Ebbets Field, Dodger manager Leo Durocher is arrested for punching a fan. Charges were dropped after fan says the Dodgers paid him $6,750 for his injuries.
June 8, 2002: Serena Williams beats her older sister Venus 7-5, 6-3 to claim her first French Open title. The title would be the first of four straight majors wins, which became known as the 'Serena Slam' (all four majors in a row but not during one season) - across 2002 and 2003.
June 7, 1989: Wayne Gretzky wins his 9th Hart Trophy in the past ten years. The award came in his first year with the Los Angeles Kings after Gretzky tallied 54 goals and 114 assists for 168 points. His string of eight straight MVP awards was snapped the previous season by Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux.
June 6, 1969: A few months after being named MVP of Super Bowl III, Joe Namath held a press conference to announce he was retiring from the NFL. Commissioner Pete Rozelle had demanded Namath sell his stake in Bachelors III, a NYC night club that the NFL believed was used by mobsters that were running gambling rackets. Namath cried during the press conference and said he was retiring because he had done nothing wrong. Namath eventually sold his stake and was back with the Jets by July.
June 5, 1974: Oakland teammates Reggie Jackson and Bill North fought in the visiting clubhouse at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Reggie took offense to something North said and the two game to blows twice before the game before being broken up by Vida Blue and Ray Fosse.
June 4, 1974: The Cleveland Indians drew their second-largest crowd of the season (25,134) at Municipal Stadium for the ten-cent beer night. Streakers, a father & son mooning and even an appearance by Morganna, "The Kissing Bandit", were some of the night's highlights. But it ended in a riot after a fan tried to swipe Rangers outfielder Jeff Burrough's hat and the Rangers ended up escaping the field and claiming the forfeit win.
June 3, 1980: 18-year-old Darryl Strawberry is selected by the New York Mets with the first pick in the MLB Draft. His signing bonus was for $152,500. In 2002, Lelands sold a lot of his game-worn gear (bat, helmet, glove, cleats and hat) for $1,355.84. Only two tickets from his MLB debut on May 6, 1983 have been graded by PSA.
June 2, 1991: Magic Johnson had a triple-double (19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds) as the Lakers stunned the Bulls 93-91 in Game 1 of the 1991 NBA FInals in Chicago, spoiling Michael Jordan's first career Finals game. MJ's Bulls would win the next four games to capture Chicago's first NBA championship.
June 1, 1979: The Sonics beat the Washington Bullets 97-93 in the NBA Finals to beat the defending champ in five games. Gus Williams led the way with 23 points in Game 5, while the 1979 Finals MVP Dennis Johnson chipped in 21.
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