This Day in Sports History: March 24
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 24 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 24 included:
- 1877: In the English FA Cup Final at Kennington Oval in London, the Wanderers beat Oxford University 2-1 to win the title for the fourth time.
- 1911: Legendary jockey Jack Anthony won the 73rd Grand National riding 20/1-shot Glenside in torrential rain.
- 1936: The Detroit Red Wings beat the Montreal Maroons 1-0 at 16:30 of the sixth overtime period, setting a record for the longest Stanley Cup playoff game at nine periods.
- 1941: Long Island University beat Ohio University 56-42 for the NIT basketball championship.
- 1951: Kentucky men's basketball beat Kansas State, 68-58, and won the NCAA men's basketball tournament. It was their third national title.
- 1956: Wales beat France 5-3 in the Six Nations rugby match at the National Stadium, Cardiff.
- 1956: In the 18th NCAA tournament, San Francisco beat Iowa 83-71, claiming back-to-back titles for the Dons.
- 1962: Emile Griffith defeated Benny "Kid" Paret by knockout in the 12th round of the welterweight boxing title fight at Madison Square Garden, New York.
- 1962: Cincinnati became NCAA champions, defeating Ohio State 71-59. It was back-to-back titles for the Bearcats.
- 1972: UCLA basketball coach John Wooden won his sixth national title.
- 1974: North Carolina State beat Marquette 76-74 for the 36th NCAA men's basketball championship title. It was the Wolfpack's first title and the first tournament that was officially designated as a Division 1 Championship.
- 1975: Muhammad Ali knocked out Chuck Wepner in the 15th round to become the World Boxing Council Heavyweight Champion.
- 1979: Michigan State's Earvin "Magic" Johnson registered a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Spartans cruised to a 101-67 victory over Penn State.
- 1980: Louisville won the title in the 42nd NCAA basketball tournament with a 59-54 win over UCLA. It was the Cardinals' first title and first title game appearance.
- 1985: Martina Navratilova won her third straight Women's Tennis Association Tour Championship.
- 1985: Villanova got a huge 66-64 upset win over the heavily favored Georgetown Hoyas.
- 2018: The Loyola Chicago Ramblers men's basketball got to the Final Four for the first time since 1963.
- 2019: New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement. He was a three-time Super Bowl winner and, at the time, held postseason records for tight ends in most receptions (81), receiving yards (1,163), and receiving touchdowns (12).
- 2020: Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the Paralympic Games until the summer of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Three athletes who stood out on March 24 were Jack Anthony, John Wooden, and Rob Gronkowski.
Anthony is best known for winning the Grand National three times. Wooden led UCLA through an amazing era of dominance in college basketball. He became famous for his philosophy of leadership and character. Gronkowski is known for his dominant receiving ability, physical blocking, and big personality.
