Sports
This Day in Sports History: August 24
Sports in August include Major League Baseball, the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, World Wrestling Entertainment, NASCAR races, track and field, and the first week of college football. Over the years, Aug. 24 has been a day of notable sports moments and stories from legends of the game, as observed in the examples below.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from Aug. 24 include:
- 1883: Richard Sears won the U.S. National Men’s Tennis Championships for the third time in a row.
- 1906: The Reds’ Jake Weimer pitched a no-hitter against the Dodgers.
- 1908: Tommy Burns got a 13th-round knockout over Bill Squires and retained his world heavyweight boxing title.
- 1922: Cy Williams was the first Phillie to hit for the cycle in MLB history.
- 1925: Helen Wills won the U.S. National Women’s Tennis Championships. It was her third straight U.S. singles title.
- 1929: Helen Wills won the U.S. National Championship for Women’s Tennis. This was her sixth overall U.S. singles title.
- 1945: Bob Feller returned from the Navy and struck out 12 batters.
- 1958: Sergei Popov won the men’s marathon at the European Athletics Championships, held in Stockholm, with a world record time of 2:15:17.
- 1972: Gordie Howe and Jean Beliveau were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
- 1975: Al Geiberger won the PGA Players Championship by three strokes.
- 1975: Ed Halicki pitched a no-hitter against the Giants.
- 1983: Pete Rose’s consecutive games played streak ended at 745 games.
- 1984: Pat Bradley set an LPGA record for nine holes at the Columbia Savings National tournament. In the second round, she shot a 28.
- 1991: Taiwan won its 15th Little League World Series title.
- 1993: The San Diego Padres scored 13 runs in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.
- 1994: Kieren Perkins swam a world record freestyle time of 14:41.66 in the 1500-meter race at the Commonwealth Games. He also broke his standing world record at the 800-meter mark during that same swim, with a time of 7:46.00.
- 2004: Usain Bolt finished fifth in the 200-meter first-round heat at the Athens Olympic Games, failing to qualify for the second round.
- 2006: Jerry Rice signed a one-day contract with the San Francisco 49ers, allowing him to officially retire from the NFL in the team where his career had begun.
- 2008: The USA Men’s basketball team beat Spain 118-107 to win the Gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.
- 2014: Ryu So-yeon won the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open by two strokes during the fourth round.
- 2023: Magnus Carlsen beat Indian teenager Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and won his first Chess World Cup championship.
Among these memorable sports moments of Aug. 24, the athletes who stand out are Helen Wills, Kieren Perkins, and Jerry Rice.
Wills was the best tennis player in the 1920s and 1930s, winning many tournaments and gaining the moniker “Queen Helen.” During his career, Perkins set 11 world records and held the 1500-meter freestyle record for nine years. Many people think Rice is the best wide receiver in NFL history. He has set many NFL records for receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. He won three Super Bowls and many other awards over his 20-year career.