June is a big 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 several track and field meets. Many notable sporting moments and outstanding achievements occurred on June 15. Read on to discover some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Memorable moments in sport from June 15 over the years include:
- 1888: Bertha Townsend defeated the defending champ Ellen Hansell in the women’s singles final at the U.S. Championships.
- 1906: Golfer James Braid defended his British Open title.
- 1928: Ty Cobb stole home for the 54th time in his career.
- 1931: Eddie Collins and Harry Heilmann retired from baseball.
- 1947: Lew Worsham won the U.S. Open Golf Championship, his only major title.
- 1951: Joe Louis scored his last knockout win.
- 1953: Johnny Mize became the 93rd MLB player to record 2,000 hits.
- 1957: Bill Shoemaker won the Belmont Stakes aboard Gallant Man with a time of 2:26:6.
- 1960: Jockey Angel Cordero Jr. rode his first winner.
- 1963: Leonard “Buddy” Edelen ran a world record men’s marathon time of 2:14:28.
- 1963: Juan Marichal pitched a no-hitter.
- 1970: Shirley Englehorn won the LPGA Championship, securing her only major title.
- 1974: Chris Evert won the women’s singles event at the French Open — her first major title.
- 1975: Tennis legend Bjorn Borg defended his French Open title.
- 1980: Jack Nicklaus set a new tournament scoring record at the U.S. Open Golf Championship
- 1984: Thomas Hearns defended his WBC light middleweight title, knocking out Roberto Duran in the second round.
- 1985: Pinklon Thomas knocked out Mike Weaver in the eighth round to win the WBC Heavyweight title.
- 1992: Jeff Reardon earned his 342nd save in the MLB.
- 2001: The Los Angeles Lakers won back-to-back NBA championships, and Shaquille O’Neal was awarded the Finals MVP for the second straight year.
- 2003: The San Antonio Spurs beat the New Jersey Nets 4-2 to win their second NBA Championship. Tim Duncan was named the Finals MVP.
- 2004: The Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 to win the NBA Championship. It was one of the greatest upsets in NBA history.
- 2011: The Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 and secured the Stanley Cup. It was their first Cup win in 39 years.
- 2018: Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup game.
- 2019: Babe Ruth’s jersey sold for $5.64 million, becoming the most expensive sports memorabilia ever sold.
The moments that stand out among these June 15 events are Cobb’s stealing home record, Nicklaus’ domination at the U.S. Open, and Ronaldo’s success in the FIFA World Cup.
Cobb holds the MLB record for most steals of home in a single season (8) and the career record with 54, while Nicklaus holds the record for winning the U.S. Open in three different decades — the ’60s (1962), ’70s (19720, and ’80s (1980). Ronaldo was the first player to score in five different World Cups.
