This Day in Sports History: December 19
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, Grand Prix races, UFC Fight Nights, and some…
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, Grand Prix races, UFC Fight Nights, and some college basketball tournaments. Over the years, Dec. 19 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 Dec. 19 included:
- 1891: The Canadian Rugby Union started.
- 1913: Jack Johnson fought to a draw against Jim Johnson in 10 rounds for the vacant world heavyweight boxing title.
- 1917: The NHL was founded and began play. In the first two games, Joe Malone of the Montreal Canadiens and Harry Hyland of the Montreal Wanderers each scored five goals against their respective opponents.
- 1926: The Frankford Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship.
- 1943: Goaltender Harry Lumley became the youngest goalie in NHL history. He was 17 years and 38 days old when he played his first game for the New York Rangers while on loan from his actual team, the Detroit Red Wings.
- 1947: With the first overall pick in the NFL draft, the Washington Redskins selected Harry Gilmer of the University of Alabama.
- 1948: The Cleveland Browns finished an undefeated season.
- 1964: Dennis Hull scored his first career goal for the Chicago Blackhawks. His older brother, Bobby Hull, added two goals and two assists in the same game.
- 1974: Dave Kryskow scored the Washington Capitals' first franchise shorthanded goal.
- 1976: Italy won the Davis Cup for men's tennis.
- 1984: Scotty Bowman won his 691st regular season game, which was the most wins by any coach in NHL history.
- 1984: Wayne Gretzky became the 18th and youngest NHL player to score 1,000 points.
- 1987: Boston Bruins Ken Linseman and St. Louis Blues Doug Gilmore set a record for the fastest two goals in NHL history. The goals were two seconds apart.
- 1989: Larry Bird began his free-throw streak of 71 games.
- 1990: Bo Jackson became the first athlete to be selected for all-star games in the MLB and the NFL.
- 2000: Midfielder Luis Figo won the Ballon d'Or award.
- 2010: The Miracle at the Meadowlands 2 happened. The Philadelphia Eagles won against the New York Giants with a last-second punt return touchdown.
- 2018: The Houston Rockets set an NBA single-game record with 26 three-pointers in a 136-118 win over the Washington Wizards.
Two athletes who stood out on Dec. 19 were Larry Bird, and Bo Jackson.
Bird is famous as an iconic Boston Celtics forward, renowned for his exceptional shooting, passing, clutch play, and competitive fire, leading to three NBA titles and three MVP awards. Jackson was known for winning college football's Heisman Trophy in 1985 and electrifying plays in baseball, such as snapping bats and wall-scaling catches.
