Few days on the sports calendar have more individual achievements than May 4. From cemented MLB legends to combat-sport highlights, May 4 holds some of the most inspiring record-breaking moments in history from across the sports world.
Remarkable Individual Achievements and Records
Here’s proof of how action-packed May 4 has been for sport through the years:
- 1929: Legendary first baseman Lou Gehrig hit three home runs in a single game against the Chicago White Sox, leading his New York Yankees to an 11-9 win.
- 1966: San Francisco Giants center fielder Willie Mays hit his 512th career home run in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, breaking the previous National League home run record, set by Mel Ott.
- 1975: Houston Astros’ two-time All-Star Bob Watson scored MLB’s millionth run in history in a game against the San Francisco Giants.
- 2013: Boxer Floyd Mayweather defeated challenger Robert Guerrero to reclaim the WBC welterweight championship title and gain the vacant The Ring title , with a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.
- 2015: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry won his first Most Valuable Player award.
- 2018: Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols cemented himself as one of the best to ever play his position by collecting the 3,000th hit of his MLB career.
- 2019: In one of the biggest middleweight boxing fights ever, Canelo Alvarez faced Daniel Jacobs with the chance to become the undisputed middleweight champion of the world, uniting every promotional belt with a win. Alvarez earned a unanimous decision victory to unify his belts and cement himself as one of the greatest Mexican boxers ever.
- 2024: UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defended his belt against Steve Erceg in his home country of Brazil. Pantoja hung on through a competitive, gritty fight to earn his second title defense by unanimous decision.
Championship Wins and A Historical Disqualification
- 1969: The Montreal Canadiens completed their sweep of the St. Louis Blues in hockey’s Stanley Cup Finals, securing their 17th title and their second consecutive sweep of the Blues in the championship.
- 1994: England’s Arsenal team captured the European Cup Winners’ Cup through a 1-0 victory against Parma of Italy.
- 2019: During the Kentucky Derby’s 145th iteration, leading horse Maximum Security was disqualified for interference, marking the first instance of disqualification in the race’s storied history.
May 4 is a rich day in the history of almost all major American sports leagues, with an incredible performance from Lou Gehrig, stamps on the Hall of Fame careers of Willie Mays, Bob Watson, and Albert Pujols, and a first NBA MVP award for perhaps the greatest point guard to step on the hardwood, Stephen Curry. Several excellent boxing champions also earned and defended their belts on this day, including two of the greatest boxers of all time, Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez.
