January sports include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL playoffs, college bowl games, and select college basketball tournaments. The month also features major events such as the Australian Open, UFC Fight Nights, Formula E races, and PGA Tour tournaments. Over the years, Jan. 20 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 Jan. 20 included:
- 1910: The Ottawa Senators beat Edmonton HC, 13-7, and got a 2-0 sweep of the challenge series.
- 1919: Gerald Patterson beat Algernon Kingscote and retained the International Lawn Tennis Challenge title.
- 1937: Cy Young, Tris Speaker, and Nap Lajoie were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1939: Golfer Patty Berg won her third straight LPGA Titleholders Championship.
- 1950: With the first pick in the NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions drafted Leon Hart from the University of Notre Dame.
- 1952: Basketball player George Mikan scored a career-high 61 points, as the Lakers beat the Royals 91-81 in double overtime.
- 1967: Center Wilt Chamberlain made all 15 of his field goal attempts in an NBA game.
- 1968: United States female Figure Skating Championship was won by Peggy Fleming.
- 1970: In the 20th NBA All-Star Game, the East beat the West, 142-135. The MVP of the game was New York Knicks center Willis Reed.
- 1970: In the 23rd NHL All-Star Game, the East beat the West, 4-1, and the MVP was Chicago Blackhawks left winger Bobby Hull.
- 1971: Speed skater Ard Schenk skated to a world record time of 1:18.8 in the 1000-meter distance.
- 1980: The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Los Angeles Rams, 31-19, and won Super Bowl XIV. The MVP was Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
- 1985: The San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins, 38-16, and won Super Bowl XIX. The MVP was 49ers quarterback Joe Montana.
- 1989: Pittsburgh Penguins center Mario Lemieux became just the second player in NHL history to score 50 goals in fewer than 50 games.
- 1996: The United States Ladies Figure Skating Championship was won by Michelle Kwan.
- 2001: Alan Webb became the first American high school runner to break the four-minute mile indoors.
- 2007: Utah coach Jerry Sloan passed Larry Brown for fourth place on the NBA’s all-time wins list with 1,010 victories.
- 2008: The New England Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers, 21-12, and won the AFC Championship.
- 2013: The San Francisco 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons, 28-24, and won the NFC Championship.
- 2017: Henrik Sedin scored his 1,000th career point for the Vancouver Canucks.
Three athletes who stood out on Jan. 20 were Patty Berg, George Mikan, and Henrik Sedin.
Berg was renowned for her record 15 major championships (the most by any female golfer) and for co-founding and serving as the first president of the LPGA. Mikan was the NBA’s first dominant big man, pioneering the center position through his ambidextrous hook shot, rebounding, and shot-blocking. Sedin is known for his incredible playmaking, teamwork with his twin Daniel, and winning the Hart Trophy (MVP) and Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer) in 2010.
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