How are the dates checked?

Each event was checked against at least 2 independent sources, linked on its day in the history calendar, and the summary is written in our own words.

Sports History: What Happened On This Day

Find your date below: 36 days of the year, each with a sports event from history between 1829 and 2023, its year and a link to the full story in our history calendar.

Games, records and championships: Olympic Games, World Cup and Super Bowl finals, famous fights and firsts in every sport. Every day is also a round of Years Ago, our daily history game, so days playing today or in the next 30 days are left out until they have played.

January

January 8, 2000
The Tennessee Titans beat the Buffalo Bills with a last-second kick-return lateral known as the "Music City Miracle."
January 11, 1987
John Elway leads the Denver Broncos on a 98-yard drive to tie the AFC Championship, later won in overtime.
January 16, 1972
The Dallas Cowboys beat the Miami Dolphins 24–3 in Super Bowl VI to win their first NFL title.
January 21, 1979
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 35–31 in Super Bowl XIII, becoming the first team to win three.
January 30, 2000
The St. Louis Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV when Mike Jones tackles a receiver one yard short of the goal line on the final play.

February

February 3, 2008
The New York Giants upset the unbeaten New England Patriots 17–14 in Super Bowl XLII.
February 5, 2017
The New England Patriots overturn a 25-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in the first overtime Super Bowl.
February 12, 2023
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35 in Super Bowl LVII.
February 22, 1980
A U.S. team of college hockey players beats the heavily favored Soviet Union at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics.

March

March 6, 1902
Madrid Football Club, later Real Madrid, is officially founded in the Spanish capital.
March 10, 1905
Chelsea Football Club is founded at a pub opposite Stamford Bridge in west London.
March 16, 1872
Wanderers beat Royal Engineers 1-0 at the Kennington Oval in the first FA Cup Final.

April

April 3, 1905
Boca Juniors, one of Argentina's most famous football clubs, is founded in Buenos Aires.
April 19, 1925
The football club Colo-Colo is founded in Santiago, Chile.
April 28, 1923
Bolton Wanderers beat West Ham in the first FA Cup Final at Wembley, remembered as the "White Horse Final."

May

May 13, 1950
The first Formula One World Championship race is held at Silverstone, won by Giuseppe Farina.
May 21, 1904
FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, is founded in Paris by seven European nations.

June

June 6, 1946
The Basketball Association of America is founded in New York, the league that becomes the NBA.
June 10, 1829
Oxford beats Cambridge in the first University Boat Race, rowed at Henley-on-Thames.
June 15, 1954
UEFA, the governing body of European football, is founded in Basel, Switzerland.
June 21, 1970
Brazil beat Italy 4-1 in Mexico City to win the World Cup for a record third time.
June 22, 1986
Diego Maradona scores the "Hand of God" goal and the "Goal of the Century" as Argentina beat England 2–1.
June 23, 1894
The International Olympic Committee is founded at the Sorbonne in Paris, reviving the Olympic Games.
June 29, 1958
Brazil beat hosts Sweden 5-2 to win their first World Cup, with a young Pelé scoring twice.

July

July 4, 1954
West Germany beat the favourites Hungary 3–2 in the World Cup final, the "Miracle of Bern."
July 7, 1974
West Germany beat the Netherlands 2–1 in the World Cup final in Munich.
July 12, 1998
Host nation France beat Brazil 3–0 in the World Cup final to win their first title.
July 14, 2019
England beat New Zealand at Lord's to win the Cricket World Cup after a tied match and a tied super over.
July 17, 1994
Brazil beat Italy on penalties in the World Cup final in Pasadena, the first final decided by a shootout.

September

September 10, 1960
Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila wins the Olympic marathon in Rome running barefoot.
September 19, 1926
Milan's San Siro stadium opens with a match between Inter and AC Milan.
September 24, 1957
FC Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium opens.

October

October 12, 1968
The Mexico City Summer Olympics open, the first Games held in Latin America.
Play this day: October 12, 2026

November

November 25, 1953
Hungary beat England 6–3 at Wembley, England's first home defeat by a team from outside the British Isles.

December

December 23, 1972
Franco Harris makes the "Immaculate Reception" to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a last-second playoff win.
December 28, 1958
The Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants in overtime in a title game later called 'The Greatest Game Ever Played'.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a sports event?: Games, records and championships: Olympic Games, World Cup and Super Bowl finals, famous fights and firsts in every sport.
Why are some days of the year missing?: Our history calendar has one event for each day, and this page lists the days whose event is about sports. Every day is also a round of Years Ago, our daily history game, so a day playing today or in the next 30 days is left out until it has played, and then comes back.
How are the dates checked?: Each event was checked against at least 2 independent sources, linked on its day in the history calendar, and the summary is written in our own words.

More history

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