Today is Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Today in
Sports History

1917 - Omar Khayyam became the first imported horse to win the Kentucky Derby.

1950 - The American Bowling Congress abolished its white males-only membership restriction after 34 years.

1955 - Sam Jones (Chicago Cubs) became the first black to pitch a no-hitter. The game was against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1957 - A.J. Foyt won his first auto racing victory in Kansas City, MO.

1966 - The St. Louis Cardinals played their first game at Busch Memorial Stadium. They won the game 4-3 over the Atlanta Braves.

1970 - Ernie Banks (Chicago Cubs) hit his 500th home run.

1972 - The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Minnesota Twins, 4-3, in 22 innings. The game was actually completed on May 13.

1982 - The United States Football League (USFL) was formed.

1985 - The New York Knicks won the first NBA Draft Lottery.

1996 - Lance Armstrong became the first cyclist to repeat in the American Tour DuPont.

1997 - Larry Bird was announced as the new head coach of the Indiana Pacers.

1998 - Indiana Pacers head coach Larry Bird became only the third rookie head coach to win the NBA Coach of the Year award.

1998 - The Atlanta Braves tied a national league record when they hit a home run in their 24th consecutive game.

1998 - Mark McGwire (St. Louis Cardinals) hit a 527-foot home run at Busch Stadium. It was the longest home run in the history of the stadium.

1998 - St. Louis Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa recorded his 1,500th victory.

2003 - Churchill Downs stewards announced that they had determined that Jose Santos had not done anything prohibited in his Kentucky Derby win.


Sports Quote

A winner never whines. - Paul Brown