This Day in Sports History: July 3
MLB — including the All-Star game — the NBA Summer League, the British Grand Prix, the Tour de France, the NASCAR Cup series, golf, and athletics are just some of…
MLB — including the All-Star game — the NBA Summer League, the British Grand Prix, the Tour de France, the NASCAR Cup series, golf, and athletics are just some of the big sports events throughout July. Over the years, July 3 has seen numerous memorable moments. Read on to discover some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sport that occurred on July 3 include:
- 1900: R.F. Doherty won his fourth consecutive Wimbledon singles title.
- 1900: Blanche Bingley-Hillyard won the women's singles Wimbledon title.
- 1905: Marvin Hart defeated Jack Root in a 12th-round knockout to secure the world heavyweight title.
- 1912: Pitcher Rube Marquard captured his 19th consecutive win, tying the MLB record.
- 1913: Anthony Wilding won his fourth straight Wimbledon singles title.
- 1931: Max Schmeling retained his heavyweight title with a 15th-round knockout victory over Young Stribling.
- 1936: Fred Perry won his third consecutive Wimbledon singles title.
- 1948: Louise Brough won the first of her three straight Wimbledon singles titles.
- 1951: Sam Snead won his third PGA Championship title.
- 1954: Golfer Babe Didrikson-Zaharias won the U.S. Women's Open.
- 1959: Gary Player won the British Open, marking his first of his nine major titles.
- 1966: Tony Cloninger became the first and only National League player and pitcher to hit two grand slams in an MLB game.
- 1968: Pitcher Luis Tiant struck 19 Twins players, setting an MLB record for the most strikeouts in a 10-inning game.
- 1970: California Angels' Clyde Wright pitched a no-hitter against the Oakland Athletics.
- 1977: Judy Rankin won the Canadian Women's Open golf championship.
- 1983: Calvin Smith set a new world record in the 100-meter race with a time of 9.93.
- 1989: Peter Koech shattered the 3,000-meter steeplechase world record with a time of 8:05:35.
- 1994: In the FIFA World Cup, Romania scored a huge upset win over Argentina in the Round of 16.
- 1994: Golfer Simon Hobday won the U.S. Senior Open.
- 2004: Maria Sharapova became the first Russian player to win the women's singles title at the Wimbledon Championships.
- 2005: Roger Federer won his third consecutive men's singles Wimbledon title.
- 2006: Steve Yzerman officially retired from the NHL. The Red Wings legend finished his career with 692 goals and 1,755 points.
- 2007: The Swiss team secured the America's Cup, winning the seventh race against New Zealand by one second.
- 2010: Serena Williams defended her Wimbledon crown.
- 2011: Novak Djokovic won his first men's singles Wimbledon title.
Looking back on these July 3 events, the achievements of R.F. Doherty, Gary Player, and Steve Yzerman stand out
Doherty was a four-time Wimbledon singles champion and a triple Olympic gold medalist in men's and mixed doubles. Player is one of only five golfers to achieve a Career Grand Slam, winning all four major championships: the Masters, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA Championship. Yzerman captained the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup victories and is celebrated for his leadership, skill, and dedication to the sport.
