Sports in June are all about MLB, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Final, Wimbledon, the U.S. and Canadian Open golf tournaments, and various track and field events. There were numerous notable moments and stories from sporting legends on June 13 in past years.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sport that occurred on June 13 include:
- 1889: W. Hayward won the Belmont Stakes riding the horse Eric, with a time of 2:47:25.
- 1895: J.H. Taylor successfully defended his men’s title at the British Open golf tournament.
- 1905: Christy Mathewson pitched his second no-hitter in a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs.
- 1908: Tommy Burns knocked out Bill Squires in the eighth round to retain his world heavyweight boxing champion title.
- 1912: Christy Mathewson won his 300th baseball game.
- 1914: Mary Browne won her third consecutive U.S. Women’s National Singles Championship tennis title.
- 1935: James J. Braddock defeated the defending world heavyweight boxing champion Max Baer. Despite being a 10-1 underdog, Braddock won unanimously.
- 1937: Joe DiMaggio hit three consecutive home runs.
- 1948: Babe Ruth said goodbye to baseball at Yankee Stadium.
- 1953: Jim Peters ran a world record marathon time of 2:18:40.2.
- 1953: Ben Hogan won a record-tying fourth title in the U.S. Open golf championship.
- 1956: Real Madrid beat Stade de Reims in the first-ever European Cup Final.
- 1957: Ted Williams became the first American Leaguer to have two three-home-run games in a season.
- 1971: Kathy Whitworth won the LPGA Championship.
- 1976: Donna Caponi won the Canadian Women’s Open golf tournament.
- 1976: Sue Barker won the women’s singles tennis title at the French Open, her only major title.
- 1989: The Detroit Pistons swept the Los Angeles Lakers and won the NBA Championship.
- 1995: Dennis Martinez pitched a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles.
- 2002: The Detroit Red Wings beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 and won their 10th Stanley Cup.
- 2012: Matt Cain pitched the first perfect game in the San Francisco Giants’ franchise history.
- 2017: The Golden State Warriors won their second NBA title in three years, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- 2019: The Toronto Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors 4-2 and won their first NBA Championship. It was the last game to be played at the Oracle Arena. Kawhi Leonard won the Finals Most Valuable Player award.
- 2021: Novak Djokovic won the men’s tennis title at the French Open, his 19th Grand Slam singles title.
- 2023: The Vegas Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers 4-2 to win their first Stanley Cup in only their sixth year in the NHL.
Looking back on these June 13 statistics, the athletes that stand out are Mathewson, Braddock, and Hogan.
Mathewson is widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, renowned for his performances, sportsmanship, and character. Braddock, nicknamed “Cinderella Man,” achieved fame for his unlikely rise from poverty to become a world champion heavyweight boxer. Hogan is one of only four golfers to share the record for the most U.S. Open titles, along with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, and Jack Nicklaus, each with four wins.
