June is an exciting month for sports fans, featuring the Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, the MLB season, NBA Draft, US Open, Wimbledon, Belmont Stakes, and various Grand Prix events. Over the years, June 12 has seen many memorable moments in sports history.
In 1875, Bobby Swim rode Calvin to victory in the Belmont Stakes, finishing in 2:42:25. Five years later, Lee Richmond pitched the first perfect game in MLB history. In 1894, golfer J.H. Taylor won the British Open. The New York Yankees made headlines in 1907 by committing 11 errors in a game against the Detroit Tigers.
Walter Hagen won his second U.S. Open title in 1919, while in 1922, Hub Pruett struck out Babe Ruth three times in a row. Lou Gehrig had a standout game in 1928, collecting 14 total bases against the Chicago White Sox. Max Schmeling defeated Jack Sharkey in 1930, claiming multiple heavyweight titles.
The Baseball Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown in 1939. In 1950, Connie Mack was named Honorary Manager of the MLB All-Star Game after retiring from managing the Philadelphia Athletics. Jim Wilson pitched a no-hitter for the Milwaukee Braves in 1954, and Stan Musial played his 823rd consecutive game in 1957.
Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970. Larry Holmes defended his WBC heavyweight title in 1981, and the Boston Celtics beat the Lakers for the NBA Championship in 1984.
In 1991, Michael Jordan won his first NBA title with the Bulls. The Lakers swept the Nets in 2002, and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks to their first NBA title in 2011, and in 2019, the St. Louis Blues won their first Stanley Cup.
