June is an exciting month for sports fans with MLB action, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Final, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open Golf Championship, the Canadian Grand Prix, and various track and field meets. Over the years, many notable sports moments and legendary performances have happened on June 12, and these are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Momentous events in sport that occurred on June 12 include:
- 1875: Bobby Swim rode Calvin to victory in the Belmont Stakes with a time of 2:42:25
- 1880: Lee Richmond pitched the first perfect game in MLB history.
- 1894: Golfer J.H. Taylor won the British Open.
- 1907: The New York Yankees committed 11 errors in a game against the Detroit Tigers.
- 1919: Golfing great Walter Hagen won his second and final U.S. Open title.
- 1922: Hub Pruett struck out Babe Ruth three consecutive times.
- 1928: Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees collected 14 total bases in a game against the Chicago White Sox.
- 1930: Max Schmeling beat Jack Sharkey in four rounds by disqualification, securing the NBA, NYSAC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles.
- 1936: Opal Hill won the LPGA Western Open, her second consecutive major title.
- 1939: The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum officially opened in Cooperstown, New York.
- 1950: Connie Mack was named Honorary Manager of the MLB All-Star Game. This was shortly after he announced his retirement after 49 years as manager with the Philadelphia Athletics.
- 1954: Milwaukee Braves’ Jim Wilson pitched a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies.
- 1957: Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals played in his 823rd consecutive game.
- 1970: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Doc Ellis pitched a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres.
- 1981: Larry Holmes successfully defended his WBC heavyweight boxing title, beating Leon Spinks by technical knockout in the third round.
- 1983: Golfer Miller Barber won the Senior Players Championship.
- 1984: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 to secure the NBA Championship.
- 1990: Rickey Henderson became the second player to steal 900 bases.
- 1990: Cal Ripken played in his 1,308th consecutive game and moved into second on the all-time list.
- 2002: The Los Angeles Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets and won their third straight NBA Championship. Shaq won his third consecutive Finals MVP award.
- 2008: Patrick Kane received the NHL’s Rookie Of The Year award.
- 2009: The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3, winning their third Stanley Cup title.
- 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo became the first footballer to make the Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes list.
- 2023: The Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 4-1 to win their first NBA Championship. Nikola Jokic was named Finals MVP.
The three athletes that stand out in this list of June 12 events are Lee Richmond, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Nikola Jokic. There have been 24 perfect games thrown in MLB history, and Richmond can say he was the first to do it.
Ronaldo was recently named the world’s highest-paid athlete for the third consecutive year, earning an estimated $275 million. Jokic, known for his exceptional passing ability and court vision, is widely regarded as one of the greatest centers of all time and a top 20 player in NBA history.
