June is an exciting month for sports fans, featuring the Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, MLB season, NBA Draft, US Open, Wimbledon, Belmont Stakes, and Grand Prix events. Over the years, June 24 has seen many memorable moments in sports history.
In 1899, Marion Jones won the U.S. Women’s National Singles Championship, later earning a spot in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Elisabeth Moore claimed her fourth US singles title in 1905. James Braid made history in 1910 by winning the British Open for the fifth time. In 1928, Johnny Farrell triumphed over Bobby Jones in the U.S. Open, eventually joining the PGA and World Golf Halls of Fame.
Joe DiMaggio hit two home runs in one inning in 1936, a rare achievement in MLB. Jackie Robinson stole home for the first time in 1947, while Babe Didrikson Zaharias won her fourth Women’s Western Open in 1950. Harmon Killebrew hit his first career home run in 1955, and in 1958, 17-year-old Pelé scored a hat-trick in Brazil’s World Cup semifinal win.
The excitement continued in 1968 with Jim Northrup hitting two grand slams in one game and Joe Frazier defending his heavyweight title. Bobby Murcer hit four consecutive home runs in 1970, and Rickey Henderson made his MLB debut in 1979.
In 1992, Shaquille O’Neal was the first pick in the NBA Draft. The New Jersey Devils won their first Stanley Cup in 1995, and Randy Johnson struck out 19 batters in 1997. John Isner’s epic match at Wimbledon in 2010 and the Chicago Blackhawks’ victory in 2013 added to the June 24 legacy. Most recently, Katie Ledecky won gold in 2022, and the Los Angeles Angels hit three back-to-back home runs in 2023.
