This Day in Sports History: March 20
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 20 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 20 included:
- 1920: Sherwin Badger won the men's event at the U.S. Men's Figure Skating Championships.
- 1934: American all-around female super athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias pitched a hitless inning for the Philadelphia A's in their exhibition preseason baseball game against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
- 1937: In rugby union, England beat Scotland 6-3 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.
- 1949: Amateur Peggy Kirk won the Ladies Professional Golf Association Titleholders Championship. It was her only major title.
- 1949: Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens became the first player in NHL history to record eight hat-tricks in a single season.
- 1965: In the 27th NCAA men's basketball tournament, UCLA beat Michigan 91-80, making it back-to-back titles for the Bruins.
- 1970: The NFL announced a new playoff format that expanded the postseason from eight teams to ten. They did this because of the league's growth and popularity.
- 1971: The Boston Bruins won their 13th straight NHL game.
- 1971: The Detroit Red Wings' Gordie Howe became the first player in NHL history to score 700 career goals, becoming one of hockey's all-time greats.
- 1973: Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame 11 weeks after he died in a plane crash.
- 1987: Yvonne van Gennip skated to a ladies' world record 5-kilometer time of 7:20.36.
- 1988: Defending champion Mike Tyson beat Tony Tubbs by knockout in the second round at the Tokyo Dome.
- 1988: Wayne Gretzky got his 600th career goal.
- 1989: The MLB announced it was investigating Reds manager Pete Rose.
- 1990: The Los Angeles Lakers retired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's number 33 jersey.
- 1993: Dan Jansen skated to a world record in the 500 meters with a time of 36.02 seconds.
- 1995: Just two days after announcing "I'm back," Michael Jordan played his first home game after returning to the Chicago Bulls. He scored 32 points against the Boston Celtics.
- 1997: Ken Griffey Jr. got a four-year contract extension worth $34 million.
- 2004: Boxer Vitali Klitschko defended his WBC heavyweight title as he knocked out Corrie Sanders.
- 2005: Roger Federer won the Indian Wells Masters title.
- 2020: After 20 years with the New England Patriots, six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Three athletes who stood out on March 20 were Maurice Richard, Michael Jordan, and Ken Griffey Jr.
Richard was the first true superstar for the Canadiens. He was nicknamed "The Rocket" because of his explosive skating, powerful shot, and aggressive style of play. Jordan is one of the best basketball players of all-time and became a worldwide superstar through his partnership with Nike and the Air Jordan sneaker line. Griffey Jr. is known for his powerful swing, elite defense, and iconic popularity during the 1990s.
