Today is Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Today in
Sports History

1892 - The first official basketball game was played by students at the Springfield, MA, YMCA Training School.

1937 - Nels Stewart (New York Americans) became the NHL's career leading scorer when he scored his 270th NHL goal.

1949 - Free substitution was adopted for one year in the NFL.

1952 - Patricia McCormick debuted as the first professional woman bullfighter.

1968 - Houston ended UCLA's 47-game winning streak with a 71-69 victory at the Astrodome before 52,693 fans. The game also set a NCAA attendance record.

1985 - The most-watched Super Bowl game in history was seen by an estimated 115.9 million people. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins, 38-16. Super Bowl XIX marked the first time that TV commercials sold for a million dollars a minute. Joe Montana was awarded his third MVP award.

1995 - The NHL season opened with the teams playing a 48-game schedule instead of the usual 84. The season had been shortened due to a players strike.

1999 - ESPN announced the creation of the Great Outdoor Games to be held in Lake Placid, NY, in 2000.

1999 - The NBA lockout officially ended after 204 days.

2002 - Joe Nieuwendyk (Dallas Stars) played in his 1,000th career NHL game.

2003 - Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) became the first NHL goalie to play in 1,000 games.


Sports Quote

Perhaps the single most important element in mastering the techniques and tactics of racing is experience. But once you have the fundamentals, acquiring the experience is a matter of time. - Greg LeMond