Featured sports and events in May include MLB, the NBA and NHL playoffs, lacrosse, the PGA Championship Tour, and the French Open tennis tournament. The sports world has produced standout moments on May 9. Read on to learn more about some of these legendary performances.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Outstanding occurrences on May 9 over the years include:
- 1905: Tom Jenkins defeated Frank Gotcha for the heavyweight wrestling championship.
- 1909: Jack Johnson fought Jack O’ O’Brien and won with a no-decision in six rounds to retain his world heavyweight crown.
- 1923: Earl Sande won the Kentucky Derby riding Zev to secure his first victory in this race.
- 1965: West Ham United beat 1860 Munchen 2-0 to win the European Cup Winner’s Cup.
- 1974: The Philadelphia Flyers became the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Boston Bruins 4-2 in the best-of-seven series.
- 1984: Pat LaFontaine scored two goals in just 22 seconds during an NHL playoff game.
- 1984: The Edmonton Oilers won their first Stanley Cup. Edmonton won the series 4-1, and Wayne Gretzky scored two goals in the final game.
- 2001: Manchester United won the English Premier League title for the third consecutive season.
- 2007: Chelsea beat Manchester United to win the English FA Cup Final.
- 2019: Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship
- 2024: Xander Schauffele secured his first major title, winning the PGA Championship.
MLB History
May 19 featured some great plays on the diamond:
- 1912: The American League president, Ban Johnson, threatened to ban the Detroit Tigers from baseball if they continued to protest Ty Cobb’s suspension.
- 1942: The Braves’ Paul Waner became the third National Leaguer to get 3,000 hits.
- 1960: San Francisco Giants rookie Juan Marichal pitched a one-hitter in his MLB debut.
- 1962: Stan Musial broke Honus Wagner’s National League hit record with 3,431 hits.
- 1988: The Boston Red Sox retired Bobby Doerr’s No. 1 jersey.
The Preakness Stakes
Some of the biggest names in the field came up on May 19:
- 1951: Eddie Arcaro won riding Bold with a time of 1:56:4.
- 1973: Ron Turcotte won riding Secretariat with a time of 1:54 — the fastest time to date.
- 1984: Angel Cordero Jr. won riding Gate Dancer, securing his second victory at Pimlico Race Course.
- 1990: Pat Day won riding Summer Squall with a time of 1:53:6.
- 2018: Mike Smith won the race, the second leg of the Triple Crown, riding Justify in foggy conditions.
Reviewing these May 19 moments, those that stand out are the Oilers winning their first Stanley Cup, Waner joining the 3,000 hits club, and Secretariat breaking the Preakness Stakes record.
The Oilers 1984 win started their 80’s dynasty. They were recognized as one of the greatest NHL teams of all time during the NHL Centennial Season celebrations. In MLB, 33 players have reached the 3,000-hit mark. Miguel Cabrera was the most recent player to join the club. Secretariat set records that are still in place today.
