This Day in Sports History: March 12
Sports in March include crucial stretches of the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB Spring Training/Opening Day, March Madness, NASCAR, Formula 1, UFC Fight Nights, and some PGA Tour events. Over…
Sports in March include crucial stretches of the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB Spring Training/Opening Day, March Madness, NASCAR, Formula 1, UFC Fight Nights, and some PGA Tour events. Over the years, March 12 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 Mar. 12 included:
- 1862: In the 24th Grand National, Harry Lamplugh won aboard The Huntsman.
- 1908: The Montreal Wanderers secured the Stanley Cup, beating the Winnipeg Maple Leafs 9-3 at the Montreal Arena in Westmount, Quebec, for a 2-0 sweep of the challenge series.
- 1910: In the same competition and venue, the Montreal Wanderers beat the Berlin Dutchmen 7-3.
- 1912: The Carlisle Indian School, led by Jim Thorpe, defeated West Point's football team 27-6, a major upset for the Cadets.
- 1937: Central Missouri State won the first-ever NAIA men's basketball tournament, defeating Morningside College 35-24.
- 1949: Ireland retained the Five Nations Rugby Championship and Triple Crown with a 5-0 win over Wales at St Helen's Ground in Swansea, Wales.
- 1966: The Chicago Blackhawks' Bobby Hull scored his 51st goal of the season, a new NHL record for goals in a season.
- 1966: After 40 years and 6,032 wins, jockey Johnny Longden retired.
- 1978: American speed skater Eric Heiden set a 1,000-meter world record of 1:14.99.
- 1982: Cricketer Courtney Walsh made his first-class debut, playing for Jamaica against the Leeward Islands.
- 1983: St. John's secured its first Big East tournament title, defeating Boston College 85-77.
- 1985: Larry Bird scored a Boston Celtics record of 60 points in a game.
- 1987: David Robinson scored 50 points in an NCAA basketball game.
- 1987: Figure skater Brian Orser won the Men's Figure Skating Championship.
- 1989: In the 36th ACC men's basketball tournament, #9 North Carolina beat #7 Duke 77-74.
- 1995: The SEC men's basketball tournament saw Kentucky beat Arkansas 95-93 in overtime.
- 1995: In Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies cricketer Brian Lara scored 139 runs in a one-day international vs. Australia.
- 2006: Running back Edgerrin James signed a 4-year, $30 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals.
- 2011: In the 32nd Big East men's basketball tournament, #9 Connecticut beat #3 Louisville 69-66.
- 2020: The NCAA men's basketball tournament was canceled over concerns about the spread of COVID-19, the first abandonment of March Madness since it began in 1939.
- 2023: In the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, Scottie Scheffler became the third golfer, after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, to hold Masters and Players titles simultaneously.
Three athletes who stood out on March 12 were Jim Thorpe, Bobby Hull, and Larry Bird.
Thorpe excelled in multiple sports, including professional football (as an inaugural Pro Football Hall of Famer), baseball, and basketball, earning him the title "World's Greatest Athlete." Hull was a legendary NHL left-winger famous for his blistering slap shot, incredible speed, and blond hair. Bird was known as "Larry Legend." He was a 3-time MVP, a 12-time All-Star, and a 1979 Rookie of the Year.
