Sept. 5
Today in sports history
Today is Sept. 5. On this date in:
1906: Saint Louis University quarterback Bradbury Robinson threw football’s first legal forward pass in a game against Carroll College. His first attempt fell incomplete and resulted in a turnover under the rules, but he later completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jack Schneider in a 22-0 victory.
1914: Babe Ruth hit the first home run of his professional career, a three-run shot for the minor league Providence Grays, and pitched a one-hitter in a 9-0 victory over Toronto.
1918: A U.S. Navy band played “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the seventh-inning stretch of Game 1 of the World Series at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, beginning a tradition that eventually made the song a fixture at American sporting events. Babe Ruth pitched a six-hit shutout.
1925: Bobby Jones captured the U.S. Amateur Championship, adding another major achievement to one of golf’s most celebrated careers.
1948: The United States clinched its third consecutive Davis Cup title, continuing its postwar dominance in men’s tennis.
1949: Pancho Gonzales rallied to win the U.S. National Championships men’s singles title at Forest Hills, earning his second consecutive U.S. crown.
1960: Wilma Rudolph won the Olympic women’s 200-meter final in Rome for her second of three gold medals at the games.
1960: Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, defeated Poland’s Zbigniew Pietrzykowski to win the Olympic light-heavyweight boxing gold medal in Rome.
1960: A.J. Foyt recorded the first victory of his IndyCar career, the start of a record-setting run that eventually produced 67 wins.
1962: Atlético Madrid defeated Fiorentina 3-0 in a replay to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup, securing the club’s first major European trophy.
1970: Formula One championship leader Jochen Rindt died in a crash during practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Rindt later became the first and only driver to win the Formula One world championship posthumously.
1971: Houston Astros pitcher J.R. Richard struck out 15 San Francisco Giants in his major league debut, tying Karl Spooner’s record for strikeouts by a pitcher in his first game.
1972: Eight members of the Palestinian militant organization Black September entered the Olympic Village in Munich and took members of Israel’s delegation hostage. Eleven Israeli athletes and coaches were killed during the attack and failed rescue operation.
1994: San Francisco 49ers receiver Jerry Rice scored three touchdowns in a 44-14 victory over the Los Angeles Raiders and surpassed Jim Brown’s NFL career record of 126 touchdowns.
1995: Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 2,130th consecutive game, tying Lou Gehrig’s major league record.
1998: St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire hit his 60th home run of the season, becoming just the third player in major league history to reach the mark.
2002: The NFL opened its season with a Thursday night prime-time game for the first time as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the New York Giants 16-13 at Giants Stadium.
2007: Seattle Storm forward Lauren Jackson won her second WNBA Most Valuable Player award after leading the league in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles.
2013: Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning tied an NFL record by throwing seven touchdown passes in a 49-27 season-opening victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. He became the first quarterback to accomplish the feat since Joe Kapp in 1969.
2020: Authentic won the COVID-delayed Kentucky Derby in an upset, delivering trainer Bob Baffert his sixth victory in the race.
2021: Patrick Cantlay captured the PGA Tour Championship by one stroke, capping a season that earned him the FedExCup title.
2023: New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart scored 40 points in a 94-93 victory over the Dallas Wings and surpassed Diana Taurasi’s WNBA single-season scoring record. Stewart also became the first player in league history with four 40-point games in one season.
— USA TODAY Network
This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Today in sports history, September 5