This Day in Sports History: April 13
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 13 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 13 included:
- 1926: Walter Johnson pitched his seventh opening day shutout.
- 1933: The New York Rangers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 in overtime, got a 3-1 series win and won the Stanley Cup.
- 1942: In the ninth United States Masters Tournament, Byron Nelson won an 18-hole playoff by one stroke.
- 1949: In the Basketball Association of America Finals, the Minneapolis Lakers beat the Washington Capitols 77-56 and won the series four games to two.
- 1954: The Milwaukee Braves' Hank Aaron played in his first MLB game.
- 1962: Stan Musial scored his 1,869th run and set a new National League record.
- 1963: Pete Rose's first major league hit was a triple.
- 1970: In the 34th United States Masters Tournament, Billy Casper beat Gene Littler, 69-74, in a Monday 18-hole playoff and won his third major title.
- 1975: At the 39th United States Masters Tournament, Jack Nicklaus won his fifth Masters title.
- 1984: Montreal Expos infielder Pete Rose became the first National Leaguer to get 4,000 hits in a career.
- 1985: Runner Katrin Dörre won the first female World Cup marathon with a time of 2:33:30.
- 1986: At the 50th Masters Tournament, Jack Nicklaus won his record 18th major.
- 1986: The Boston Celtics ended the season with a 40-1 home win record.
- 1994: Pitcher Pedro Martinez took a perfect game through seven and a third innings, until Reggie Sanders got hit by a pitch and it led to a bench-clearing brawl.
- 1997: At the 61st United States Masters Tournament, Tiger Woods won his first major title.
- 1997: Pittsburgh Penguins Mario Lemieux played in his last NHL regular-season game.
- 2003: In the 67th United States Masters Tournament, Mike Weir won his only major title in a 1-hole playoff over Len Mattiace.
- 2004: Barry Bonds hit his 661st career home run and passed his godfather Willie Mays on the MLB all-time list.
- 2014: In the 78th United States Masters Tournament, Bubba Watson won his second Masters title.
- 2014: Kenyan Wilson Kipsang won the London Marathon.
- 2014: Boxer Manny Pacquiao beat Timothy Bradley and regained his WBO welterweight boxing title.
- 2025: At the 89th United States Masters Tournament, Rory McIlroy got a career Grand Slam.
Three athletes who stood out on April 13 were Jack Nicklaus, Barry Bonds, and Manny Pacquiao.
Nicklaus career highlights include a record six Masters titles and unparalleled dominance in majors. Bonds holds the all-time MLB record for home runs (762) and single-season home runs (73 in 2001), along with a record seven National League MVP awards. Pacquiao is famous for being the only eight-division world champion in boxing history, winning 12 major world titles across different weight classes.
