In 1954, tennis phenom Maureen Connolly was injured so badly in a horse riding accident, it ended her career.
In 1984, runner and author Jim Fixx died while out on a run at the age of 52.
In 1976, Hank Aaron hit his final home run. The groundskeeper who recovered the ball was fired the next day.
In 1969, Neil Armstrong took man’s first steps on the moon. An hour later Gaylord Perry hit his first career home run, proving Alvin Dark’s prediction from seven years before correct.
In 1858, admission to a baseball game was charged for the first time.
In 2007, the FBI released information about an investigation involving NBA referee Tim Donaghy gambling on games in which he officiated.
In 1983, LSU legendary running back Billy Cannon was denied entry into the college football hall of fame. It wouldn’t be until 2008 before that error was corrected.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS BACKGROUND
Relive the greatest moments in sports every day of the year. From the triumphs to the tragedies, the first to do it to the last time it happened, the unbelievable to the strange, This Day in Sports History is a 365-day journey remembering those significant events that made a lasting impact.