This Day in Sports History: March 1
Sports in March include crucial stretches of the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB Spring Training/Opening Day, March Madness, NASCAR, Formula 1, UFC Fight Nights, and some PGA Tour Events. Over…
Sports in March include crucial stretches of the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB Spring Training/Opening Day, March Madness, NASCAR, Formula 1, UFC Fight Nights, and some PGA Tour Events. Over the years, March 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 March 1 included:
- 1843:Â In the fifth Grand National, Tom Olliver, aboard 12/1 Vanguar,d won the race. This was the first year that the race was run as a handicap.
- 1919: Future Hockey Hall of Fame center Newsy Lalonde set a playoff record with five goals in a game.
- 1934: Boxer Primo Carnera beat Tommy Loughran by a unanimous points decision.
- 1941: The Rangers' goalie Dave Kerr became the fifth goaltender in NHL history to record 200 career victories.
- 1949: Former world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis retired with a 66-3 record and 52 knockouts. He defended the title 25 times.
- 1953: Golfer Babe Zaharias won the Sarasota Women's Open by seven strokes. Playing partner Louise Suggs refused to sign the scorecard after Zaharias was given a beneficial ruling.
- 1965: The Australian swimming authorities suspended triple Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Dawn Fraser for 10 years for misconduct at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
- 1969: New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle retired from baseball due to persistent knee injuries.
- 1969: Hockey player Phil Esposito picked up his 99th point of the season and broke the NHL record for most points in a season.
- 1970: The Bruins' Bobby Orr became the first defenseman in NHL history to score 25 goals in a season.
- 1976: Jack Nicklaus won his second PGA Tournament Players Championship.
- 1981: Houston Rockets guard Calvin Murphy's NBA record consecutive free throw streak ended at 78 games.
- 1986: Peter Stastny became just the second player in NHL history to score 100 points in each of his first six seasons.
- 1988: Wayne Gretzky became the NHL's all-time leader in career assists.
- 1992: Swimmer Jenny Thompson swam a 100-meter freestyle world record of 54.48 seconds at the United States Olympic Trials.
- 1996: The Hawks' Lenny Wilkens became the first coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 career victories, as Atlanta beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 74-68.
- 1997: Boxer Héctor Camacho beat Sugar Ray Leonard in the fifth round and retained the IBC middleweight title. It was the only time in Leonard's history that he was knocked out.
- 2003: Roy Jones Jr. won a unanimous decision against champion John Ruiz to capture the WBA heavyweight title.
Three athletes who stood out on March 1 were Dave Kerr, Jack Nicklaus, and Lenny Wilkens.
Kerr was the first-ever goalie to play every game for five consecutive seasons (1936-1941). He won the Vezina Trophy in 1940 and was a two-time NHL All-Star. Nicklaus' legendary career included 73 PGA Tour victories, six Masters titles, and a reputation for unmatched consistency and performance under pressure. Wilkens was a 9-time All-Star point guard and a 4-time All-Star coach, renowned for leading the Seattle Supersonics to their only NBA Championship in 1979.
