This Day in Sports History: December 1
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, F1, UFC Fight Nights, and college basketball tournaments….
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, F1, UFC Fight Nights, and college basketball tournaments. Over the years, Dec. 1 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from Dec. 1 included:
- 1923: Queen's University beat the Regina Rugby Club 54-0 to retain their Grey Cup title.
- 1928: The Hamilton Tigers beat the Regina Roughriders 30-0 to win their third CFL Grey Cup.
- 1934: The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the St. Louis Eagles 4-3, setting an NHL record for the most wins to start the season with eight.
- 1936: Larry Kelley of Yale won the second-ever Heisman Trophy Award.
- 1940: Four sets of brothers played in one NHL game. Lynn and Muzz Patrick and Neil and Mac Colville played for the New York Rangers. Max and Doug Bentley and Bob and Bill Carse played for the Chicago Blackhawks.
- 1951: Princeton halfback Dick Kazmaier won the Heisman Trophy Award.
- 1956: Auburn beat Alabama 34-7 in the 21st Iron Bowl.
- 1956: Frank Robinson won the National League Rookie of the Year Award and Luis Aparicio won the equivalent American League honor.
- 1956: Bill Russell led the U.S. basketball team to their fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
- 1967: Wilt Chamberlain scored 52 points in a game and set an NBA record for 22 missed free throws.
- 1973: Australia won its 23rd Davis Cup title.
- 1973: Jack Nicklaus became the first golfer to reach $2 million in PGA Tour career earnings.
- 1981: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the NBA's second all-time leading scorer.
- 1984: Tennis star Chris Evert won her 1,000th career professional match.
- 1990: The U.S. won the Davis Cup.
- 1991: Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino set an NFL record as he reached 3,000 passing yards for the eighth time.
- 1996: Wayne Gretzky became the first and only player to reach 3,000 points in NHL history.
- 2006: Jockey Russell Baze became the North American horse racing all-time win leader.
- 2009: FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi won his first Ballon d'Or as the best football player in the world.
- 2018: Tyson Fury survived two knockdowns and forced a split decision draw with defending WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.
- 2019: Lewis Hamilton won the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP and claimed his sixth F1 World Drivers' Championship by 87 points.
Three athletes who stood out on Dec. 1 were Jack Nicklaus, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wayne Gretzky.
Nicklaus won a record 18 professional major championships and 73 PGA Tour victories. Abdul-Jabbar held the NBA's all-time scoring record for many years and won six championships. Gretzky achieved 61 NHL records, including the most goals, assists, and points, and won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers.
