This Day in Sports History: October 31
Sports in October are all about the MLB postseason, the start of the NBA and NHL seasons, college football games, the Xfinity 500 for NASCAR, track events, the UEFA Champions…
Sports in October are all about the MLB postseason, the start of the NBA and NHL seasons, college football games, the Xfinity 500 for NASCAR, track events, the UEFA Champions League, and Formula 1. Over the years, Oct. 31 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 Oct. 31 included:
- 1907: In their first game, Calgary City Rugby Football Club defeated Strathcona RFC.
- 1908: The IV Summer Olympic Games closed at White City Stadium.
- 1943: The Washington Redskins' Sammy Baugh passed for six touchdowns in a game.
- 1950: Earl Lloyd became the first African-American to play a game in the NBA, scoring six points on his debut for the Washington Capitols.
- 1967: The San Francisco Giants' Mike McCormick won the National League Cy Young award.
- 1968: The Milwaukee Bucks beat Detroit 138-118 to win their first game.
- 1972: Cleveland Indians pitcher Gaylord Perry won the American League Cy Young award.
- 1973: Tom Seaver won the National League Cy Young Award.
- 1987: Jockey Chris Antley became the first rider to win nine races in a day.
- 1988: The Indianapolis Colts beat the Denver Broncos 55-23 in the first Monday Night Football game.
- 1994: Venus Williams made her professional tennis debut at the age of 14, defeating the former NCAA champion and No. 58 Shaun Stafford at the Bank of the West Classic.
- 1999: Mika Häkkinen clinched his second straight F1 World Drivers' Championship.
- 2003: Surfer Bethany Hamilton lost an arm in a shark attack while surfing in Hawaii.
- 2010: Kim Clijsters beat Caroline Wozniacki, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 for her third season-ending WTA Championship title.
- 2015: New Zealand defeated Australia 34-17 to win the Rugby World Cup Final.
- 2019: The NBA suspended Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns for two games without pay following an altercation.
- 2020: England beat Italy 34-5 to clinch the Six Nations Rugby Championship.
- 2020: New Zealand defeated Australia 43-5 to retain the Bledisloe Cup.
Three athletes who stood out on Oct. 31 were Sammy Baugh, Earl Lloyd, and Chris Antley.
Baugh led the first college team to a national championship, the first professional team to an NFL championship, and was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Lloyd was a key player for the Syracuse Nationals when they won the 1955 NBA Championship, making him the first Black player to win an NBA title. Antley ranked among the top 10 North American jockeys for wins each year from 1984 through 1987.
