This Day in Sports History: August 3
August is filled with exciting sporting events. Across the years, Aug. 3 has seen notable sports moments and stories from legends of the game. Let’s take a closer look at…
August is filled with exciting sporting events. Across the years, Aug. 3 has seen notable sports moments and stories from legends of the game. Let's take a closer look at some of these sports history facts.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history that occurred on Aug. 3 include:
- 1852: The first college sporting event took place. The Harvard rowing crew beat Yale in a two-mile race.
- 1906: Tom Hughes became the first MLB pitcher to win a 1-0 extra-inning game, driving in the only run with a home run.
- 1914: Yankees catcher Les Nunamaker threw out three runners in a single game.
- 1921: Eight White Sox players received lifetime bans from the MLB because of the Black Sox scandal.
- 1924: Piet Moeskops won his fourth straight Union Cycliste Internationale world sprint championship.
- 1930: Chuck Klein's hitting streak reached 26 games and ended during the second game of the doubleheader.
- 1936: Jesse Owens won the 100-meter race with a time of 10.3 seconds in front of Adolf Hitler. It was the first of four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics.
- 1941: Joe DiMaggio's on-base streak ended at 74 games.
- 1948: At the age of 42, Satchel Paige made his MLB debut.
- 1949: The Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League merged to form the NBA.
- 1952: Alberto Ascari won the German Grand Prix and clinched the Formula 1 World Drivers Championship.
- 1956: Sprinter Willie Williams completed the 100-meter race in 10.1 seconds and set a world record.
- 1979: At 67 years old, Sam Snead became the oldest golfer to make the cut in a major tournament.
- 1984: Jon Sieben achieved an upset win in the 200-meter butterfly race and accomplished a world record time of 1:57.04.
- 1996: At the Tour de France, five-time winner Miguel Indurain won the 52.2-kilometer time trial in 1:04:05.
- 1996: Andre Agassi won the gold medal in men's singles tennis at the Atlanta Olympics.
- 1999: Thierry Henry signed with Arsenal F.C.
- 2006: Barry Bonds hit his 715th career home run, topping Babe Ruth.
- 2012: Michael Phelps received his 17th gold medal at the London Olympics.
- 2023: Diana Taurasi became the first WNBA player to achieve 10,000 career points.
Looking back on the events of Aug. 3, the athletes who stand out are Jesse Owens, Sam Snead, and Barry Bonds.
Owens was famous for his athletic achievements, defying expectations during a time of racial prejudice. Bonds is one of the greatest baseball players of all time, holding the MLB records for career home runs and walks. Snead is widely known for his impressive career spanning several decades. Aug. 3 definitely witnessed many events from athletes that altered sports history as we know it.
