This Day in Sports History: April 10
Sports in April include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, the first month of the MLB, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand…
Sports in April include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, the first month of the MLB, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand Prix events. Over the years, April 10 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 April 10 included:
- 1874: Golfer Mungo Park won the British Open title by two strokes.
- 1896: At the Athens Olympics, American athlete Thomas Burke won the 100-meter final in 12 seconds, four days after claiming the 400-meter title.
- 1896: Spyridon Louis of Greece won the first Olympic marathon with a time of 2:58:50.
- 1913: The New York Highlanders played their first MLB game as the New York Yankees, with President Woodrow Wilson throwing out the first pitch.
- 1916: The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) was founded in New York City.
- 1947: Jackie Robinson became the first Black player of the 20th century to sign an MLB contract.
- 1949: Sam Snead won his first of three green jackets.
- 1953: The Minneapolis Lakers defeated the New York Knicks 91-84 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, clinching the series 4-1 and securing their fifth title in six years.
- 1954: Wales beat Scotland 15-3 and shared the Five Nations Rugby Championship with France and England.
- 1955: Cary Middlecoff won by a then-record seven strokes ahead of Ben Hogan.
- 1956: Jean Béliveau recorded a goal and two assists as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-1, winning the Stanley Cup Final series 4-1.
- 1959: White Sox second baseman Nellie Fox got an MLB Opening Day record-tying five hits in seven at-bats.
- 1960: Arnold Palmer birdied the final two holes to win by one stroke.
- 1961: Gary Player defeated defending champion Arnold Palmer and amateur Charles Coe by one stroke to become the first international Masters champion.
- 1961: The Washington Senators played their first game in franchise history, with President John F. Kennedy in attendance.
- 1977: Tom Watson won the first of his two green jackets.
- 1983: Eddie Murray achieved his 1,000th career hit.
- 1991: Wayne Gretzky scored his NHL record 93rd playoff goal.
- 1994: Jose Maria Olazabal won the first of two Masters titles.
- 2005: Tiger Woods won his fourth green jacket on the first hole of a playoff against Chris DiMarco.
- 2005: James Vaughan scored for Everton and became the youngest goal scorer in English Premier League history.
- 2016: England's Danny Willett won his first major title.
- 2022: World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler won his first PGA Tour title and earned a record $2.7 million payout.
Three athletes who stood out on April 10 were Jackie Robinson, Nellie Fox, and Arnold Palmer.
Robinson was known for his elite batting, base running, and courage in the face of intense racial discrimination. Fox was a 12-time All-Star known for his immense durability and disciplined batting. He set a record with 798 consecutive games played and rarely struck out. Palmer had a charismatic and aggressive playing style. He won 62 PGA Tour events, including seven majors.
