This Day in Sports History: April 15
Some notable sports moments and stories from legends of the game occurred on April 15. Let’s take a closer look at some of these events: Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records…
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 13: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a backhand during a practice session ahead of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 13, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Some notable sports moments and stories from legends of the game occurred on April 15. Let's take a closer look at some of these events:
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sport that occurred on April 15 include:
- 1896: The Summer Olympics conclude in Athens, Greece, with the U.S. leading the gold medal count with 11.
- 1937: The Detroit Red Wings defeat the New York Rangers 3-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, clinching the series 3-2 and securing back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
- 1961: France wins its second outright Five Nations Championship rugby tournament with a 15–3 victory over Ireland.
- 1991: Magic Johnson sets an NBA record for career assists with 9,898.
- 2015: At the Laureus World Sports Awards, Novak Djokovic and Genzebe Dibaba win Sportsman of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year, respectively.
MLB History
Some remarkable moments in baseball from April 15 include:
- 1911: Walter Johnson pitches a record-tying four strikeouts in one innings.
- 1915: New York Giants pitcher Rube Marquard throws a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
- 1927: Yankees slugger Babe Ruth hits an MLB-record 60 home runs in a season.
- 1947: Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to play in the MLB.
- 1968: The Houston Astros beat the New York Mets 1-0 in 24 innings. The game lasted over 6 hours, and Tom Seaver pitched 10 innings.
Sports History
Some of the biggest names in sport came up on April 15:
- 1979: Fuzzy Zoeller wins his only Masters with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff against Ed Sneed and Tom Watson.
- 1990: Gary Player wins his third Senior PGA Championship title by two strokes over Chi-Chi Rodriguez.
- 1992: New York Islander Al Arbour coaches a record 1,438 NHL games, the most in league history.
- 2000: At the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Penn State defensive end Courtney Brown with the first overall pick.
Looking back on these April 15 statistics, the standout athletes were Magic Johnson, Jackie Robinson, and Al Arbour. Magic Johnson ranks seventh on the all-time assists list with 10,141. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, known for his exceptional court vision, passing abilities, and leadership.
Jackie Robinson's No. 42 jersey has been retired by every MLB team, and the league honors his legacy annually on Jackie Robinson Day. Al Arbour ranks seventh all-time in NHL games coached, with 1,607, and he coached for 23 seasons.
