99 Fun Facts About Sports History

Which country won the FIFA World Cup five times between 1958 and 2002?

Brazil won in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, and is the only nation to have played at every World Cup since 1930.

The NBA championship trophy is named after which former commissioner?

The Larry O'Brien Trophy, introduced for the 1977 Finals after the ABA merger, was renamed in 1984 for Larry O'Brien, NBA commissioner from 1975 to 1984.

In which year did Jackie Robinson break Major League Baseball's color barrier?

Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers at first base on April 15, 1947; MLB retired his number 42 across every team in 1997.

Muhammad Ali's 1974 'Rumble in the Jungle' title fight against George Foreman took place in which African country?

Zaire's President Mobutu Sese Seko was persuaded that hosting the fight in Kinshasa would boost his regime's image; the country is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

How many gold medals did Michael Phelps win across his entire Olympic career?

Phelps' 23 golds are an all-time Olympic record; his eight at Beijing 2008 broke Mark Spitz's single-Games record of seven.

Who won the first Super Bowl, in January 1967?

Vince Lombardi's Packers, the NFL champions, beat the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 on January 15, 1967.

What was Babe Ruth's career home run record that stood until 1974?

Babe Ruth retired in 1935 with 714 home runs, a record that stood for 39 years until it was broken on April 8, 1974.

The ancient Olympic Games were held in which Greek city?

The ancient Olympic Games were held at Olympia in the western Peloponnese from 776 BC to 393 AD, a span of over 1,000 years.

In the 1980 'Miracle on Ice', the US Olympic hockey team upset which four-time defending gold medallist?

The US beat the Soviet Union 4-3 in the Lake Placid medal round on February 22, 1980, then beat Finland 4-2 to clinch the gold.

Which sport did Michael Jordan famously leave basketball to play professionally?

Michael Jordan retired from basketball in 1993 and played minor league baseball for the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox affiliate) in 1994 before returning to the NBA.

What is the back-first high jump technique that won gold at the 1968 Olympics called?

Dick Fosbury's Fosbury Flop, a diagonal run-up and backward arch over the bar, won gold at Mexico City 1968 with an Olympic-record 2.24 m.

Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal occurred during which World Cup?

Maradona punched the ball past Peter Shilton in Argentina's 1986 quarter-final against England at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, then scored the 'Goal of the Century' four minutes later.

How many points did Wilt Chamberlain score against the Knicks on March 2, 1962?

Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 win over the Knicks in Hershey, Pennsylvania; no film of the game survives, only radio.

Which boxer bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear during a 1997 bout?

Mike Tyson bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield's right ear during their WBA Heavyweight Championship rematch on June 28, 1997, resulting in Tyson's disqualification.

Which tennis player has won the most Grand Slam singles titles in men's history?

Novak Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam singles title at the 2023 US Open, passing Rafael Nadal (22) and Roger Federer (20) for the most in men's tennis.

In which year were the first modern Olympic Games held?

The first modern Olympics opened in Athens on April 6, 1896, with 241 competitors, all men, from 14 nations by the IOC's count.

Which baseball player broke Babe Ruth's career home run record in 1974?

Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run on April 8, 1974, playing for the Atlanta Braves against the Los Angeles Dodgers, breaking Babe Ruth's long-standing record of 714.

Pelé is the only player to have won how many World Cup winners' medals?

Pelé won three World Cups with Brazil, in 1958, 1962 and 1970; injury kept him out of the 1962 final, but FIFA later awarded winners' medals to every squad member.

Which city hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics, controversially used as propaganda by the Nazi regime?

Berlin was awarded the 1936 Games in 1931, before Hitler took power; the regime turned them into a showcase, commissioning Leni Riefenstahl's film Olympia.

What was the original name of the NBA when it was founded in 1946?

The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by owners of the major ice hockey arenas, and took the NBA name after merging with the National Basketball League in 1949.

Which sprinter was stripped of his 1988 Olympic 100m gold medal after testing positive for stanozolol?

Ben Johnson ran 9.79 seconds in the Seoul final on September 24, 1988, but his sample showed stanozolol and the IOC stripped his gold three days later.

In which event did Al Oerter win the same individual title at four straight Olympics?

Al Oerter won the discus throw at four straight Olympics, 1956 to 1968, setting an Olympic record each time despite never arriving as the favourite.

Charlotte Cooper became the first individual female Olympic champion in which sport?

Charlotte Cooper won the women's tennis singles at Paris 1900, the first individual Olympic title won by a woman; sailor Hélène de Pourtalès had won gold earlier as part of a crew.

Which team completed the first perfect season in NFL history, going 17-0 in 1972?

The Miami Dolphins went 14-0 in the 1972 regular season and 3-0 in the playoffs, beating Washington 14-7 in Super Bowl VII under coach Don Shula.

Which cyclist was stripped of seven Tour de France titles due to doping?

Lance Armstrong was stripped of all seven Tour de France titles (1999-2005) in 2012 after the USADA found overwhelming evidence of his systematic doping program, the most extensive in cycling history.

What is the modern Mexican form of the Mesoamerican ballgame, played since at least 1650 BCE?

Ulama, played with a solid rubber ball struck with the hip, survives in Sinaloa; rubber balls dated to about 1600 BCE were found at the Olmec site of El Manatí.

Which country led the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics in protest at the invasion of Afghanistan?

The United States stayed home after President Carter announced in January 1980 that the team would not go unless Soviet troops left Afghanistan.

How many gold medals did Jesse Owens win at the 1936 Summer Olympics?

Jesse Owens won four gold medals at Berlin 1936: the 100 m, 200 m, long jump and 4x100 m relay.

Which player's 56-game hitting streak in 1941 set the MLB record?

Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak for the New York Yankees in 1941 is one of baseball's most unbreakable records. He got at least one hit in every game from May 15 to July 16.

Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the famous "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match in which year?

The 1973 match, played on September 20 in the Houston Astrodome, went to King in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, for a winner-takes-all purse of $100,000.

Which ancient Olympic event mixed wrestling and boxing under just two rules?

Pankration's only two rules were no eye gouging and no biting; referees carried stout rods to enforce them, and only Sparta allowed both.

Which player holds the MLB career home run record of 762, shadowed by the BALCO steroid investigation?

Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run on August 7, 2007, and finished that season with 762; he was indicted in November 2007 for perjury over BALCO grand-jury testimony.

In which year did women first compete in the Olympic marathon?

Joan Benoit won the first women's Olympic marathon at Los Angeles 1984, breaking away in the third mile and finishing 1 minute 26 seconds ahead of Grete Waitz.

Which race is the third and final leg of the US Triple Crown?

The Belmont Stakes, nicknamed the Test of the Champion, is run over 1.5 miles at Belmont Park after the Kentucky Derby and Preakness; Secretariat ran it in 2:24 in 1973.

What sport was removed from the Olympics after the 1936 Berlin Games and has never returned?

Polo was contested at five Games between 1900 and 1936; Argentina won the last Olympic polo gold in Berlin.

Which college football rivalry, first played in 1897, did ESPN rank in 2000 as North America's greatest sports rivalry?

Ohio State and Michigan first met in 1897, a 34-0 Michigan win in Ann Arbor; ESPN ranked 'The Game' the greatest North American sports rivalry in 2000.

Which boxer refused the draft in 1967, was convicted and stripped of his titles?

Muhammad Ali refused induction in April 1967, was convicted and stripped of his titles; he stayed free on appeal and the Supreme Court overturned the conviction 8-0 in June 1971.

What was the first sport to be played on the moon?

Alan Shepard hit two golf balls with a makeshift six-iron on the Moon during Apollo 14 in February 1971, the only Mercury Seven astronaut to walk there.

Which country has won the most Rugby World Cup titles?

The Springboks' 12-11 win over New Zealand in 2023 made them the first nation to lift the trophy four times.

Who beat Carl Lewis at the 1991 Tokyo Worlds with an 8.95 m long jump world record?

Mike Powell's 8.95 m on August 30, 1991, broke a 23-year-old world record; Carl Lewis produced the best six-jump series in history that day and lost anyway.

Which ancient Olympic footrace was run wearing a helmet and carrying a shield?

The hoplitodromos, added in 520 BC, was run over two stadion lengths in helmet and greaves carrying a shield, the only Olympic race not run nude.

Who was the first African American to win a Grand Slam tennis title?

Althea Gibson won the 1956 French Championships, then Wimbledon and the US Championships in both 1957 and 1958; in 1964 she also became the LPGA's first Black player.

Which city was chosen to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, its third time as host?

Los Angeles, host in 1932 and 1984, was awarded the 2028 Games in 2017, joining London and Paris as three-time hosts; it is the fifth Summer Olympics in the United States.

Before the shot clock was introduced in 1954, what was the lowest-scoring NBA game ever played?

The Fort Wayne Pistons beat the Minneapolis Lakers 19-18 on November 22, 1950, with a 3-1 fourth quarter; Syracuse owner Danny Biasone's 24-second clock arrived in 1954.

Whose world record in the long jump at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics stood for 23 years?

Bob Beamon's 8.90 m in Mexico City on October 18, 1968, beat the existing record by 55 cm and stood until the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo.

Live pigeon shooting was an event at which Olympic Games?

Live pigeon shooting was held at Paris 1900, the only time at an Olympics; Belgium's Léon de Lunden won after shooting 21 birds.

Which first-round match at Wimbledon 2010 lasted 11 hours 5 minutes over three days?

John Isner beat Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set on June 24, 2010, after 11 hours 5 minutes of play spread across three days on Court 18.

Which Ethiopian runner won the 1960 Olympic marathon while running barefoot through the streets of Rome?

Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia won the 1960 Rome Olympic marathon barefoot in a world-record time of 2:15:16.2. He became the first Black African Olympic gold medalist and successfully defended his title in 1964 (wearing shoes).

Which team won the first Cricket World Cup, in 1975?

The West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs in the 1975 final at Lord's, with captain Clive Lloyd scoring 102.

Who won the very first Tour de France in 1903?

Maurice Garin, a chimney sweep turned cyclist, won the 1903 Tour, a six-stage 2,428 km race created as a promotion for the newspaper L'Auto.

Which country hosted and won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930?

Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2 in the 1930 final at Montevideo's Estadio Centenario, a stadium named for the centenary of the country's first constitution.

The first Winter Olympics, in 1924, were held in which French resort?

Chamonix's 1924 event was billed as an 'International Winter Sports Week' and only later recognised by the IOC as the first Olympic Winter Games.

Who scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics, aged 14, in 1976?

Nadia Comăneci's 10.0 on the uneven bars at Montreal 1976 showed as '1.00' because the scoreboard had only three digits; she earned six more perfect 10s at those Games.

What time did Usain Bolt clock in his 2009 100 m world record?

Bolt's 9.58 improved his own 9.69 by 0.11 seconds, the biggest jump in the record since electronic timing began.

What was Don Bradman’s career Test batting average?

Don Bradman finished with a Test average of 99.94; he needed just four runs in his final innings at The Oval in 1948 to average 100, but was bowled for a duck.

Who won the first Wimbledon Championship, in 1877?

Spencer Gore, a rackets player, beat William Marshall in the 1877 final of the first Wimbledon, staged by a club founded for croquet.

Which city’s marathon, first held in 1897, is the world’s oldest annual one?

The Boston Marathon, first run on April 19, 1897, was inspired by the marathon at the 1896 Athens Olympics and takes place on Patriots' Day each April.

Which woman did race manager Jock Semple try to shove off the course of a 1967 marathon?

Kathrine Switzer ran the 1967 Boston Marathon with bib 261; Jock Semple tried to tear it off and was shoved away by her boyfriend Tom Miller. Women were officially admitted in 1972.

In which sport did Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards represent Britain at the 1988 Olympics?

Eddie the Eagle was the first to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping; he finished last in both events yet held the British record until 2001.

Which engineer came out of retirement to win the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911?

Ray Harroun, a Marmon engineer, came out of retirement to drive the Marmon Wasp, fitted with a rear-view mirror, to victory in 1911 and then retired again.

How many consecutive games did Cal Ripken Jr. play to set the MLB record?

Cal Ripken Jr. played 2,632 straight games for Baltimore from 1982 to 1998, passing Lou Gehrig's 2,130 on September 6, 1995.

The 1919 ‘Black Sox’ were accused of throwing the World Series to which team?

The Chicago White Sox lost the 1919 Series to the Cincinnati Reds five games to three; in 1921 commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned eight players for life despite their acquittal.

By how many lengths did Secretariat win the 1973 Belmont Stakes?

Secretariat won the 1973 Belmont by 31 lengths in 2:24, completing the first Triple Crown in 25 years and setting a record for the 1.5-mile race.

Which 1912 double Olympic champion lost his golds for having played semi-pro baseball?

Jim Thorpe had been paid to play minor-league baseball in the Eastern Carolina League in 1909-10; the IOC restored him as co-champion in 1982 and as sole champion in 2022.

What odds did bookmakers offer on Leicester City winning the 2015–16 Premier League?

Bookmakers had offered 5,000-1 on Leicester in August 2015; the title was clinched on May 2, 2016, when Chelsea held Tottenham to a 2-2 draw.

Which group carried out the attack on the Israeli team at the 1972 Munich Olympics?

Black September, a Palestinian group, killed eleven Israeli team members on September 5-6, 1972; West Germany founded its GSG 9 counter-terror unit that same month.

How many gold medals did Mark Spitz win at the 1972 Munich Olympics?

Mark Spitz won seven golds at Munich 1972, every one in world-record time; the single-Games record stood for 36 years until Michael Phelps won eight in 2008.

Who invented basketball in 1891 as an indoor winter game for a rowdy YMCA class?

James Naismith was given 14 days to devise an indoor game for his YMCA class and nailed a peach basket to a balcony; he later became Kansas's first basketball coach.

Which nation won the first FIFA Women’s World Cup, held in China in 1991?

Matches lasted only 80 minutes at that first edition; Michelle Akers's ten goals won the Golden Boot.

Who became the first Black world heavyweight boxing champion in 1908?

Jack Johnson beat Canadian champion Tommy Burns in Sydney on December 26, 1908, after following him around the world for two years to force the bout.

Rocky Marciano retired in 1956 with how many professional wins and no defeats?

Rocky Marciano retired in 1956 with a 49-0 record, 43 wins by knockout, after beating Archie Moore in his final fight in September 1955.

Who scored the first hat-trick in a World Cup final, for England in 1966?

Geoff Hurst's controversial second goal was awarded after referee Gottfried Dienst consulted linesman Tofiq Bahramov; his third sealed a 4-2 win over West Germany.

The 1882 mock obituary for English cricket that spawned the Ashes appeared in which paper?

The Sporting Times ran the mock obituary after Australia's first Test win in England, at The Oval in August 1882, saying the body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.

Which Olympics fixed the marathon at 26 miles plus a 385-yard lap?

At London 1908 the course ran from Windsor Castle to White City Stadium, 26 miles 385 yards; the IAAF made that the official distance in 1921.

What is Florence Griffith Joyner’s women’s 100 m world record, set in 1988?

Florence Griffith Joyner ran 10.49 at the 1988 US Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, then set the 200 m record of 21.34 at the Seoul Games that September.

Who won the 5,000 m, 10,000 m and marathon at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics?

Emil Zátopek, the 'Czech Locomotive', entered the marathon at the last minute and won it in his first attempt at the distance, completing the 1952 triple.

The first official Ryder Cup, in 1927, was played in which US state?

Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts hosted the 1927 match, won 9½-2½ by the US; the home side won each of the first five Ryder Cups.

Who wore the first Tour de France yellow jersey, in 1919?

Eugène Christophe was handed the first yellow jersey at Grenoble in July 1919 and hated it, saying spectators imitated canaries; Firmin Lambot won that Tour.

Which ‘Flying Finn’ won nine Olympic gold medals in distance running in the 1920s?

Paavo Nurmi won nine golds across the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Games, five of them in Paris in 1924, and set 22 official world records.

Who was the last MLB player to bat over .400 for a season, hitting .406 in 1941?

Ted Williams entered the final day of 1941 at .3996, refused to sit out the doubleheader, went 6-for-8 and finished at .406.

Whose 18 Olympic medals stood as the all-time record for 48 years until 2012?

Larisa Latynina, a Soviet gymnast, won 18 medals including nine golds between 1956 and 1964; Michael Phelps passed her total at London 2012.

Who completed tennis’s only ‘Golden Slam’ of four majors plus Olympic gold in 1988?

Steffi Graf won all four majors in 1988 and then Olympic gold in Seoul, beating Gabriela Sabatini in the final; she spent a women's-record 377 weeks at No. 1.

Which Australian is the only tennis player to win two calendar-year Grand Slams?

Rod Laver swept all four majors in 1962 as an amateur and again in 1969 as a professional, after five years barred from the majors.

Which 400 m runner lit the cauldron at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, then won gold there?

Cathy Freeman lit the cauldron on September 15, 2000, then won the 400 m ten days later, carrying both the Australian and Aboriginal flags on her lap of honour.

Who skipped the Sunday 100 m heats at the 1924 Olympics and won the 400 m?

Eric Liddell's story became the film Chariots of Fire; he later served as a missionary in China and died in a Japanese internment camp in 1945.

Which five-time Olympic swimming champion went on to play Tarzan in twelve films?

Johnny Weissmuller beat Duke Kahanamoku for the 100 m freestyle title in 1924, then played Tarzan in twelve films from 1932 to 1948 before starring as Jungle Jim.

Which Norwegian cross-country skier holds the record of 15 Winter Olympic medals?

Marit Bjørgen's five medals at Pyeongchang 2018 took her to 15, passing Ole Einar Bjørndalen's 13 for the most at the Winter Olympics.

Which NASCAR champion died in a last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500?

Dale Earnhardt died of a basilar skull fracture on the final lap on February 18, 2001; Michael Waltrip, driving for Earnhardt's own team, won the race.

Which Argentine won five F1 world titles in the 1950s, a record that stood 46 years?

Juan Manuel Fangio won his five titles between 1951 and 1957 with Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari; Michael Schumacher passed him in 2003.

The first Formula One World Championship race, in May 1950, was held at which circuit?

The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone on May 13 opened the championship; Ferrari skipped it in a dispute over appearance money and debuted at Monaco.

Who pitched the only perfect game in World Series history, in Game 5 of 1956?

Don Larsen of the Yankees retired all 27 Dodgers on October 8, 1956, the sixth perfect game in MLB history; it won him the Series MVP and the Babe Ruth Award.

Who hit the 1951 ‘Shot Heard ’Round the World’ to win the pennant for the Giants?

Bobby Thomson's three-run homer off Brooklyn's Ralph Branca in the ninth inning on October 3, 1951, turned a game the Giants had trailed 4-1 into a 5-4 win.

Who scored the winner in the 1950 ‘Maracanazo’ upset of Brazil?

Alcides Ghiggia scored in the 79th minute to give Uruguay a 2-1 win before about 200,000 at the Maracanã on July 16, 1950; Brazil abandoned its white kit for yellow afterwards.

Who received the first Ballon d’Or, in 1956?

Stanley Matthews, the Blackpool and England winger, was 41 when he collected the 1956 award and played in the First Division for Stoke until he was 50.

Which 42-to-1 underdog knocked out Mike Tyson in Tokyo in 1990?

Buster Douglas knocked Tyson out in the tenth round on February 11, 1990, then lost the belts eight months later in his only defense, against Evander Holyfield.

Who in 1960 became the first American woman to win three golds at a single Olympics?

Wilma Rudolph swept the 100 m, 200 m and 4 x 100 m relay at Rome 1960, having worn a leg brace as a child after polio.

Which amateur won golf’s four majors of his era in 1930, then retired at 28?

Bobby Jones won the US and British Opens and Amateurs in 1930, retired at 28, and co-founded Augusta National and the Masters without ever turning professional.

At which Scottish club was the first Open Championship played in 1860?

Prestwick hosted the first Open in October 1860, when eight golfers played three rounds of its 12-hole course to find a successor to the late Allan Robertson; Willie Park Sr. won.

Which club won the first FA Cup final in 1872, beating Royal Engineers 1–0?

Wanderers beat Royal Engineers 1-0 at Kennington Oval on March 16, 1872; scorer Morton Betts played under the alias 'A. H. Chequer'.