This Day in Sports History: August 12
August is an exciting month for sports fans, with Major League Baseball action, the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, World Wrestling Entertainment events, NASCAR Cup Series races, track and field meets,…
August is an exciting month for sports fans, with Major League Baseball action, the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, World Wrestling Entertainment events, NASCAR Cup Series races, track and field meets, and the first week of the College Football season. Over the years, Aug. 12 has seen many notable sports moments and legendary performances. Read on to explore some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history that occurred on Aug. 12 include:
- 1879: The first National Archery Association tournament was held.
- 1928: The IX Summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, concluded.
- 1936: At the Berlin Olympics, diver Marjorie Gestring won the 3-meter springboard event at the age of 13, becoming the youngest Olympic gold medalist in history.
- 1936: The German gymnastics team won six out of the nine gold medals in the men's events at the Berlin Olympics.
- 1948: The Cleveland Indians got 29 hits in an MLB game.
- 1950: In the first international game between an NFL and CFL team, the New York Giants defeated the Ottawa Roughriders 27-6.
- 1960: Ralph Boston set a long jump world record of 26 feet, 11.25 inches (8.21 meters) at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
- 1964: For the 10th time in his MLB career, Mickey Mantle achieved a switch-hit home run.
- 1969: The Boston Celtics were sold for an NBA record $6 million.
- 1973: Jack Nicklaus won the third of his five PGA Championships.
- 1974: Nolan Ryan struck out 19 batters in a game.
- 1981: Swimmer Jon Erikson became the first person to complete a three-way crossing of the English Channel. He did it in 38 hours and 27 minutes.
- 1984: Carlos Lopes won the men's marathon at the Los Angeles Olympics with a time of 2:09:21.
- 1985: The Orioles became the sixth team in MLB history to get consecutive pinch-hit home runs in the same inning.
- 1988: The Red Sox achieved their 23rd consecutive home victory, tying the American League record.
- 1990: Wayne Grady won the PGA Championship at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama, by three strokes, securing his only major title.
- 2007: Tiger Woods defended his title and won his fourth PGA Championship.
- 2008: Michael Phelps won the third of eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.
- 2008: Aaron Peirsol swam a world record time of 52.54 seconds in the 100-meter backstroke.
- 2012: Rory McIlroy won the PGA Championship by eight strokes.
- 2016: At the Rio Olympics, swimmer Katie Ledecky set a world record in the 800-meter freestyle with a time of 8:04:79. She won five medals at the meet and became the most decorated U.S. female athlete at a single Olympics.
Looking back on the events of Aug. 12, the athletes who stand out are Jack Nicklaus, Nolan Ryan, and Katie Ledecky. Nicklaus holds the record for the most major championship wins (18) and is known for his exceptional ball striking and performance under pressure. Ryan holds the MLB record for career strikeouts (5,714) and no-hitters (7) and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. Ledecky is renowned for her dominance in freestyle swimming, specifically the 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter events, and has broken numerous world records.
