This Day in Sports History: July 6
July is a big month for sports fans, with MLB action, NBA Summer League games, the British Grand Prix, the Tour de France, NASCAR Cup Series races, several golf tournaments,…
July is a big month for sports fans, with MLB action, NBA Summer League games, the British Grand Prix, the Tour de France, NASCAR Cup Series races, several golf tournaments, and track and field meets. Historically, July 6 has witnessed events and achievements in various sports. We'll explore some of these.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sport that occurred on July 6 include:
- 1887: Lottie Dod became the youngest Wimbledon champion.
- 1912: Donald Lippincott ran a world record 100-meter time of 10.6 seconds.
- 1920: The New York Yankees set an MLB record, scoring 14 runs in one inning.
- 1923: Suzanne Lenglen won her fifth consecutive Wimbledon singles title.
- 1929: The Cardinals scored 28 runs in a game, setting an MLB record.
- 1931: Golfer Billy Burke won the U.S. Open in a 72-hole playoff — the longest playoff in tournament history.
- 1933: The first MLB All-Star Game was played. The AL beat the NL 4-2, and Babe Ruth hit the first home run.
- 1934: Elizabeth Ryan won her 12th Wimbledon doubles title.
- 1935: Helen Wills Moody won her seventh Wimbledon singles title.
- 1945: Rick Ferrell set a record by catching his 1,722nd game.
- 1951: Max Faulkner won the British Open golf championship.
- 1956: Jim Busby hit his second grand slam in as many days.
- 1959: Betsy Rawls won her second LPGA Championship.
- 1962: Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle both hit two home runs in a game.
- 1979: Martina Navratilova successfully defended her Wimbledon title.
- 1980: Steve Carlton achieved his 2,836th career strikeout, becoming the all-time strikeout leader for left-handed pitchers.
- 1989: Mike Schmidt became the first retired player elected to start an MLB All-Star Game. However, he did not play.
- 1991: Steffi Graf won her third Wimbledon title.
- 1997: Pete Sampras won his 10th Grand Slam title.
- 1998: Se Ri Pak won a 20-hole playoff to secure the U.S. Women's Open golf championship.
- 2002: Serena Williams defeated her sister Venus to win her first Wimbledon singles title.
- 2003: Martina Navratilova won her 20th Wimbledon title.
- 2003: Roger Federer won his first Grand Slam singles title.
- 2014: Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer to regain the world No. 1 ranking.
- 2019: Jorge Masvidal achieved a UFC record-breaking five-second knockout victory against Ben Askren.
- 2019: The Canterbury Crusaders beat the Argentine club Jaguares to win the Super Rugby final.
Among these July 6 events, the athletes that stand out are Elizabeth Ryan, Steve Carlton, and Pete Sampras.
Ryan won 26 Grand Slams, including 19 Wimbledon titles, making her one of the most decorated players in the sport's history. Carlton is a four-time Cy Young Award winner, 10-time All-Star, and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. He also won two World Series titles. Sampras won 14 Grand Slam singles titles, including seven Wimbledon championships, and held the world No. 1 ranking for six consecutive years.
