This Day in Sports History: March 5
Historically, March 5 has seen major college basketball tournaments, baseball achievements, skating feats, and unforgettable sporting moments, including notable performances and stories from legends of their game. Let’s take a look at some of these.
Conference Tournaments
March 5 featured numerous ACC tournaments and significant Caitlin Clark moments:
- 1955: At the second ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament, North Carolina State beat Duke University, 87-77.
- 1960: Duke University defeated Wake Forest 63-59 at the seventh ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament.
- 1966: The 13th ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament saw Duke University beat North Carolina State, 71-66.
- 1977: North Carolina State defeated Virginia 75-69 at the 24th ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament.
- 2023: Caitlin Clark recorded 30 points, 17 assists, and 10 rebounds in the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament final for Iowa against Ohio State.
Baseball Moments and the Hall of Fame
Baseball transactions and new Hall of Fame inductees on March 5 included:
- 1964: Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. announced a baseball team was moving to the city.
- 1966: Player representatives elected Marvin Miller as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association.
- 1982: MLB pitcher Gaylord Perry, who had 297 career wins, signed with the Seattle Mariners.
- 1996: Earl Weaver and Jim Bunning were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1997: Tommy Lasorda, Nellie Fox, and Willie Wells were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Skating Accomplishments
Several skaters became champions on March 5:
- 1960: Alain Giletti of France won the men’s event at the World Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver.
- 1960: Carol Heiss of the United States won gold in the ladies’ event at the World Figure Skating Champions in Vancouver.
- 1972: Dutch speed skater Atje Keulen-Deelstra became the Women’s Allround World Champion at Heerenveen, Netherlands. It was her second title in three years.
- 1981: Scott Hamilton of the United States was the men’s gold medalist at the Figure Skating Champions in Hartford.
Sports History
There were remarkable moments and sporting accomplishments on March 5:
- 1981: Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean of Great Britain won the Ice Dance Championship at Hartford.
- 1985: New York Islanders legend Mike Bossy was the first to score 50 goals in eight straight seasons.
- 1993: Boston Celtic Larry Bird underwent spinal fusion surgery.
Many of these March 5 statistics involve Duke University basketball and one of baseball’s oldest teams. Duke University is renowned for its successes, passionate fans, and numerous NBA players. The Blue Devils have won five national and 15 ACC championships and appeared in 11 championship games. Known for their intensity, the Cameron Crazies are considered among the most energetic and intimidating fan bases in all sports.
In baseball, the team moving to Atlanta was the Braves. As one of the only two remaining National League charter franchises that debuted in 1876, the Braves are the oldest continuously operating professional sports franchise in North America. Over the years, they won four World Series titles, 18 National League pennants, and multiple National League East division titles.
