April is an exciting month for sports fans. It features NBA and NHL playoffs, the start of MLB, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand Prix events. April 18 has seen many memorable moments in sports history.
In 1908, boxer Tommy Burns knocked out Jewey Smith in the fifth round to keep his world heavyweight title. The original Yankee Stadium opened on April 18, 1923, with the New York Yankees defeating the Boston Red Sox, thanks to a home run from Babe Ruth. Jackie Robinson made his debut for the Montreal Royals in 1946, breaking barriers in baseball.
In 1950, the Philadelphia Phillies won their season opener against the Brooklyn Dodgers, marking their first win in five years. The Boston Celtics triumphed over the Los Angeles Lakers in a thrilling Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 1962, with Bill Russell grabbing an incredible 40 rebounds.
Sandy Koufax struck out the side on nine pitches for the third time in 1964. Russell became the player-coach for the Celtics in 1966, leading them to two more championships. In 1987, Mike Schmidt hit his 500th career home run, solidifying his Hall of Fame status.
The closest Boston Marathon took place in 1988, with Ibrahim Hussein winning by just one second. John Stockton set an NBA record with 1,164 assists in 1991. Joe Montana retired in 1995, and Peyton Manning was the first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.
Wayne Gretzky played his final NHL game in 1999, with the league retiring his number 99. A.C. Green set a record for consecutive NBA games in 2001. In 2009, UFC 97 featured Anderson Silva defending his title and breaking ticket sale records.
