This Day in Sports History: August 2
Sports in August are all about Major League Baseball, the U.S. Open for tennis, the start of the Premier League, some WWE events, NASCAR races, track and field events, and…
Sports in August are all about Major League Baseball, the U.S. Open for tennis, the start of the Premier League, some WWE events, NASCAR races, track and field events, and the first week of College Football. Across the years, Aug. 2 has seen notable sports moments and stories from legends of the game. Let's take a closer look at these and more.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history that occurred on Aug. 2 include:
- 1864: Saratoga Racecourse, America's oldest thoroughbred racetrack, opened its inaugural meet with four days of racing.
- 1906: The Chicago White Sox started their American League record 19-game winning streak.
- 1907: Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson began his MLB career.
- 1912: John McDermott won the U.S. Open by two strokes, defending his title.
- 1924: Joe Hauser set an American League record by reaching 14 total bases in one game. He did it by hitting three home runs and a double.
- 1929: Don Hurst achieved a National League record, hitting home runs in six straight games.
- 1936: Sylvère Maes won the Tour de France.
- 1948: Fanny Blankers-Koen won the 100-meter sprint with a time of 11.9 seconds.
- 1948: Italians Adolfo Consolini and Giuseppe Tosi went 1-2 in the men's discus final at the London Olympics.
- 1952: Floyd Patterson scored a first-round knockout of Vasile Tita. He won the gold medal in the middleweight division at the Helsinki Olympic Games.
- 1952: Hungarian boxer László Papp won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal.
- 1959: Willie McCovey hit his first career home run.
- 1959: Bill Bruton hit three triples in a single game.
- 1967: New Orleans Saints played their first-ever preseason game, losing to the Los Angeles Rams 16-7.
- 1973: Future Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals.
- 1980: Super-heavyweight Teofilo Stevenson became the first fighter to win three Olympic gold medals in the same division.
- 1982: Rickey Henderson stole his 100th MLB base of the season.
- 1986: Jackie Joyner-Kersee beat her own heptathlon record at the U.S. Olympic Festival.
- 1987: Cincinnati outfielder Eric Davis became the seventh player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in one season.
- 1996: The U.S. men's basketball team, "Dream Team III," beat Yugoslavia 95-69 and won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics.
- 1998: Brandie Burton won the Canadian Women's Open by one stroke.
- 2009: Catriona Matthew won the Women's British Open, achieving her only major title.
- 2009: Michael Phelps claimed his fifth gold medal at the World Swimming Championships.
- 2009: Fred Funk won the U.S. Senior Golf Open by six strokes.
- 2012: Rebecca Soni was the first woman to win the 200-meter breaststroke twice. She accomplished this with a world record time of 2:19.59.
- 2014: The New South Wales Waratahs beat the Canterbury Crusaders to win their first Super Rugby title.
- 2015: Inbee Park won the Women's British Open for her seventh major title.
- 2024: Blake Snell pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds.
- 2024: In a rare podium sweep, France won the men's BMX at the Paris Olympics.
Looking back on the events of Aug. 2, the athletes that stand out are Walter Johnson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Rebecca Soni.
Johnson is one of the greatest and most dominant pitchers in baseball history. He pitched for the Washington Senators for 21 seasons. Joyner-Kersee is a four-time Olympian, winning six medals. She's a dedicated philanthropist and runs the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation. Soni is a six-time Olympic medalist and a former world record holder in both the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke events. Aug. 2 has featured many significant moments in sports history.
