MLB, the NBA and NHL playoffs, and the PGA Championship are just some sports events featured in May. Historically, May 25 has hosted many memorable sports moments and outstanding achievements. Read on to discover more.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports that occurred on May 25 include:
- 1895: Fred Taral rode Belmar to victory in the Preakness Stakes in 1:50:5.
- 1904: George Odom won the Belmont Stakes aboard Delhi with a time of 2:06:6.
- 1922: Babe Ruth threw dirt on an umpire, earning a one-day suspension and a $200 fine.
- 1935: Babe Ruth hit the final three home runs of his career. At the time, he led the American League in home runs with 714.
- 1935: Runner Jesse Owens set five world records in just 45 minutes at the Big Ten Conference.
- 1941: Ted Williams got his batting average over 0.400.
- 1948: Ben Hogan won his second PGA Championship.
- 1951: Willie Mays made his MLB debut and went 0-for-5.
- 1953: The Braves’ Max Surkont struck out a record eight batters in a row.
- 1957: Colin Meads made his rugby debut as New Zealand beat Australia 25-11.
- 1965: Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in the first round of their world heavyweight title rematch.
- 1970: The Indiana Pacers beat the LA Stars 4-2 to win the ABA Championship.
- 1972: Joe Frazier knocked out Ron Stander to retain his world heavyweight boxing title.
- 1975: The Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Bullets 4-0 to secure the NBA Championship.
- 1975: Bobby Unser won a rain-shortened Indy 500.
- 1977: Liverpool beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 to secure the European Cup.
- 1978: The Montreal Canadiens won their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship.
- 1981: Carl Yastrzemski became the fourth player ever to play 3,000 MLB games.
- 1982: Ferguson Jenkins was the seventh pitcher to get 3,000 strikeouts.
- 1986: Kansas City Royals legend George Brett got his 2,000th hit.
- 1994: Mark Messier recorded a hat trick against the New Jersey Devils.
- 1997: Todd and Mel Stottlemyre became the first father and son to win 100 games in the MLB.
- 2000: Tiger Woods won Sportsman of the Year at the Laureus Awards.
- 2013: Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League final.
- 2014: Colin Montgomerie won the Senior PGA Championship, the first of his three major titles on the Champions Tour.
From these May 25 statistics, the moments that stand out are Ruth’s career home run record, Owens’ record-breaking 45 minutes, and Ali’s KO of Liston.
Ruth’s record of 714 career home runs stood for almost 40 years until Hank Aaron surpassed him in 1974. Owen’s accomplishment was dubbed the “greatest 45 minutes in sport,” and involved events such as the 100-yard dash, long jump, 220-yard dash, and 220-yard low hurdles. The Ali KO of Liston is known for the “phantom punch,” a controversial referee’s count, and it produced an iconic photo of Ali standing over Liston.
