1924 - The first Olympic Winter Games opened in Chamonix, France.

1932 - The first Winter Olympics in the United States opened at Lake Placid, NY. The games were opened by New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1952 - Jackie Robinson was named Director of Communication for NBC. He was the first black executive of a major radio-TV network.

1969 - John Madden was named the head coach of the NFL's Oakland Raiders.

1970 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono gave a Michael X a bag of their cut hair in return for a pair of genuine Muhammad Ali boxing shorts.

1973 - The New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres played an entire game with no penalties called.

1993 - The Boston Celtics retired Larry Bird's #33.

1997 - A civil jury in California found O.J. Simpson liable in the death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Goldman's parents were awarded $8.5 million in compensatory damages.

1997 - Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) scored his 600th National Hockey League (NHL) goal during his 719th game. Lemieux reached the milestone second fastest in history. Gretzky had reached the plateau during his 718th game.

2001 - Jimmy Buffet was ordered by NBA referee Joe Forte to give up his courtside seat due to the use of profanity. After a several-minute delay, the game between the Miami Heat and the visiting New York Knicks continued.

2002 - Minnesota's Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal by the Minnesota Twins of an injunction that would force the Twins to fulfill their lease at the Metrodome.

2003 - Jaromir Jagr (Washington Capitals) scored his 500th career goal. He also got his 11th career hat trick in the game.

1876 - Albert Spalding and his brother started a sporting goods store. They manufactured the first official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball and football.

1912 - In the U.S., professional football set some new rules. The field was shortened to 100 yards, touchdowns were to be worth six points instead of five, four downs would be allowed instead of three and the kickoff was moved from midfield to the 40 yard line.

1944 - Syd Howe (Detroit Red Wings) scored six goals in a 12-6 win over the New York Rangers.

1951 - Dick Button won the U.S. figure skating title for the sixth time.

1972 - The first Winter Olympics in Asia were held at Sapporo, Japan.

1979 - The Minnesota Twins traded Rod Carew to California for four players.

1984 - At Madison Square Garden in New York City Carl Lewis beat his own world record in the long jump by 9-1/4 inches.

1990 - Darryl Strawberry (New York Mets) voluntarily entered an Alcohol rehab center.

1998 - Dino Ciccarelli (Florida Panthers) became the 9th NHL player to score 600 career goals.

2001 - The XFL debuted. The Las Vegas Outlaws beat the New York/New Jersey Hitman 19-0 and the Orlando Rage beat the Chicago Enforcers 33-29.

2002 - The New England Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI 20-17 over the Los Angeles Rams. It was the first Super Bowl win for the Patriots. The game ended with a last second field goal. Britney Spears performed the national anthem.

1876 - The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (known as the National League) was formed in New York. The teams were located in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Hartford, Louisville, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

1949 - Golfer Ben Hogan was seriously injured in an auto accident in Van Horn, TX.

1967 - The American Basketball Association was formed by representatives of the NBA.

2003 - Dany Heatly (Atlanta Thrashers) became the fifth player to score four goals in the NHL's All-Star game.

1913 - Jim Thorpe signed a contract to play baseball with the New York Giants.

1929 - Weightlifter Charles Rigoulet of France achieved the first 400 pound ‘clean and jerk’ as he lifted 402-1/2 pounds.

1962 - The National League released its first 162-game schedule.

1968 - Vince Lombardi resigned as the coach of the Green Bay Packers.

1970 - Terry Sawchuck got the last shutout of his career and set the career record at 103.

1992 - Barry Bonds signed the highest single season contract. It was for $4.7 million.

1992 - Dennis Potvin's #5 became the first number to be retired by the New York Islanders.

1995 - John Stockton (Utah Jazz) became the NBA's career assist leader when he scored his 9,922nd assist to move past Magic Johnson.

2015 - Tom Brady (New England Patriots) set a Super Bowl record with 37 completions. Brady also increased his career Super Bowl touchdown passes to 13 setting a new record.

1920 - Joe Malone (Quebec Bullldogs) set an NHL record with 7 goals in a game.

1961 - In Houston, TX, voters approved financing for a domed stadium.

1988 - Herb Alpert performed the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXII. The Washington Redskins beat the Denver Broncos 42-10.

1999 - The Denver Broncos won Super Bowl XXXIII. It was their second consecutive Super Bowl win.

2003 - The Chicago White Sox announced a deal that would change the name of Comiskey Park after a 93-year association with the Comiskey name.

1943 - Mervyn "Red" Dutton was named the new NHL president. Frank Calder had died the day before.

1950 - Dick Irvin (Montreal Canadiens) became the first NHL coach to win 500 games. He ended his career with 690 wins.

1972 - Bob Douglas became the first black man elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.

1977 - Sugar Ray Leonard won his first pro fight. He beat Luis Vega in 6 rounds.

1988 - The first time in 30 years a wrestling match was aired in prime-time. Andre beat Hulk Hogan in the match.

1989 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the first NBA player to score 38,000 points.

1990 - NBC-TV obtained the television rights to all of Notre Dame's home football games for the next five years. Notre Dame was the first school to sell its games to a major TV network.

1991 - Dave Taylor (Los Angeles Kings) became only the 29th NHL player to score 1,000 career points.

1994 - Peter Bondra (Washington Capitals) became the 10th player in NHL history to score four goals in one period.

1997 - Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) became the seventh player to score 600 career goals.

1999 - Mike Tyson was sentenced to a year in jail for assaulting two people after a car accident on August 31, 1998. Tyson was also fined $5,000, had to serve 2 years of probation, and had to perform 200 hours of community service upon release.

2003 - Bob Knight (Texas Tech) coached his 800th victory.

2003 - Mike Modano (Dallas Stars) got his 600th career assist making him only the second American-born player to get 400 goals and 600 assists. Jeremy Roenick was the first American-born player to achieve the feat.

2006 - The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 in Super Bowl XL. It was the fifth Super Bowl victory for the Steelers. Jerome Bettis announced his retirement after the game.

1910 - Work began on the first board-track automobile speedway. The track was built in Playa del Ray, CA.

1920 - Joe Malone (Quebec Nordiques) scored seven goals against the Toronto St. Patricks in a 10-6 win.

1960 - The women’s singles U.S. figure skating championship was won by Carol Heiss.

1994 - Natalie Cole sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXVIII. The Dallas Cowboys won 30-13 over the Buffalo Bills.

1994 - Dan Jansen of the United States set a world record of 35.76 when he became the first to skate 500 meters in less than 36 seconds.

2000 - The New York Mets announced that Garth Brooks would begin training with the team on February 20.

2000 - John Rocker (Atlanta Braves) was suspended from major league baseball for disparaging foreigners, homosexuals and minorities in an interview published by Sports Illustrated.

1936 - The first members of major league baseball's Hall of Fame were named in Cooperstown, NY. They were Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.

1963 - The first members to the NFL's Hall of Fame were named in Canton, OH. The list included Sammy Baugh, Johnny Blood, Dutch Clark, Red Grange, Mel Hein, Pete Henry, Cal Hubbard, Don Hutson, Bronko Nagurski, Ernie Nevers, Jim Thorpe, Bert Bell, Joe Carr, George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Tim Mara, and George Preston Marshall.

1985 - Jari Kurri (Edmonton Oilers) set an NHL record when he scored his 100th point in the 39th game of the season.

1989 - Billy Joel sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXIII.

1995 - The San Francisco 49ers became the first team in National Football League (NFL) history to win five Super Bowl titles. The 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX. San Francisco quarterback Steve Young threw six touchdown passes in the game.

2004 - Major League Baseball owners approved the $430 million sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers from News Corp. to Frank McCourt.

1904 - The University of Chicago awarded blankets with the letter C to all seniors that played football during the 1903 season. This event marked the beginning of the sports letter tradition.

1922 - The National Football League franchise in Decatur, IL, transferred to Chicago. The team took the name Chicago Bears.

1948 - Max Bentley (Chicago Blackhawks) scored 4 goals and his brother Doug assisted on all of them. Doug also had a goal in the game.

1957 - The Brooklyn Dodgers announced that circus clown Emmett Kelly had been hired to entertain fans at baseball games.

1958 - Roy Campanella (Brooklyn Dodgers) was seriously injured in an auto accident in New York. He would never return to play again.

1990 - Aaron Neville sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXIV. Joe Montana got his third MVP award. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 55-10.

1996 - Diana Ross performed as the featured halftime performer at Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, AZ. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17. It was the fifth Super Bowl for the Cowboys.

2003 - The WNBA announced that Connecticut had been awarded a franchise for the 2003 season. The team, the Connecticut Sun, was the first WNBA team to be owned by a non-NBA owner (the Mohegan Sun).

1965 - Ulf Sterner became the first Swedish-born player to appear in the NHL. Sterner only played four games in the NHL.

1967 - Paige Cothren became the first player to sign with the New Orleans Saints.

1973 - The UCLA Bruins won their 61st consecutive game to break the NCAA record held by the University of San Francisco.

1984 - Carl Lewis beat his own two-year-old record by 9-1/4 inches when he set a new indoor world record with a long-jump mark of 28 feet, 10-1/4 inches.

1984 - Wayne Gretzky set a National Hockey League (NHL) record for consecutive game scoring. He ended the streak at 51 games the next night against the Los Angeles Kings. The streak began on October 5, 1983.

1991 - Whitney Houston sang the "Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV.

1992 - Former world boxing champion Mike Tyson went on trial for allegedly raping an 18-year-old contestant in the 1991 Miss Black America Contest.

2002 - The Montreal Canadiens became the first NHL team to score 10,000 home goals. The feat was achieved in the Canadiens' 2,675th regular season game. The goal was scored by Sergei Berezin who had come to the team only two days before from the Phoenix Coyotes.

1924 - Charles Jewtraw of the United States won the 500-meter speed skating. He was the first Gold Medalist at the Winter Olympics.

1985 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in 49 games.

1990 - Steffi Graf won her 48th consecutive match.

1997 - ZZ Top, James Brown and the Blues Brothers performed at the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show. The Green Bay Packers won 35-21 over the New England Patriots. It was the third Super Bowl win for the Packers.

2002 - Jennifer Capriati won Australian Open Tennis Championships in Melbourne.

2003 - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Oakland Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII. Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden became the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl. It was the first Super Bowl appearance for the Buccaneers.

2003 - In Berlin, Lindsay Benko broke the 400 freestyle world record. She became the first to go under the four-minute mark (3 minutes, 59.53 seconds).

2003 - In Berlin, Thomas Rupprath set a new world record in the men's 100 medley. He came in at 52.58.

1924 - The first Winter Olympic Games, also known as the Winter Olympic Festival, were inaugurated in Chamonix in the French Alps. Sixteen countries sent 294 athletes to compete in five sports and thirteen events.

1981 - The Oakland Raiders beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 in Super Bowl XV. The Raiders won the Super Bowl after entering the playoffs as a wildcard team.

1987 - Neil Diamond sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXI.

1987 - The New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos, 39-20, in Super Bowl XXI on NBC. The game featured TV commercials cost $550,000 for 30 seconds.

1988 - Rickey Green of the Utah Jazz scored the 5 millionth point in NBA history.

1995 - The defense gave its opening statement in the O.J. Simpson trial.

1998 - The Denver Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos had lost 3 previous Super Bowl appearances with quarterback John Elway. The win also broke the 13 game winning streak of the NFC.

2002 - Ken Hitchcock was fired as head coach of the Dallas Stars. He had a record of 277-160-60-6, five straight division titles and two Stanley Cup finals appearances. His post season record was 47-33.

2003 - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVIII in San Diego. Coach Jon Gruden, at age 39, was the youngest coach to ever win the title.

2010 - Kelly Kulick became the first woman to win a PBA Tour title.

2022 - The USFL announced that the league headquarters would be in Birmingham, AL, and all games for the 2022 season would be played there. 

1879 - The National Archery Association was organized in Crawfordsville, IN.

1944 - The Detroit Red Wings set record for the most goals, most consecutive goals and most points in a game. The Red Wings beat the New York Rangers 15-0 and had a total of 37 assists.

1950 - NFL owners approved the unlimited substitution rule that had been used on a trial basis for 1949.

1966 - The Detroit Red Wings ended a streak of 47 straight wins when leading after two periods. The streak started on November 21, 1964.

1982 - Diana Ross performed the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XVI.

1985 - O.J. Simpson became the first Heisman Trophy winner to be elected to pro football’s Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.

1988 - At the Quaker State Open, Bob Benoit won a $100,000 bonus and became the first bowler to win a televised tournament by rolling a perfect 300 game.

2002 - The NHL fined Theo Fleury (New York Rangers) $1,000 for making an obscene gesture to fans after a game the night before.

1930 - Primo Carnera made his American boxing debut by knocking out Big Boy Patterson in one minute, ten seconds of the opening round.

1947 - NFL owners voted to allow a sudden-death overtime in playoff games. The rule wasn't used until 1958.

1955 - The rules committee of major league baseball announced a plan to strictly enforce the rule that required a pitcher to release the ball within 20 seconds after taking his position on the mound.

1964 - CBS-TV acquired the rights to televise the National Football League’s 1964-1965 regular season. The move cost CBS $14.1 million a year. The NFL stayed on CBS for 30 years.

1981 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) tied Rocket Richard's record of 50 goals in first 50 games of the season.

1982 - The San Francisco 49ers won their first Super Bowl. Joe Montana won the first of his three MVP awards.

1987 - Walter Payton and Joe Montana were guests on "Saturday Night Live."

1990 - Clarence "Big House" Gaines collected the 800th victory of his college coaching career when Winston-Salem State University beat Livinstone, 79-70.

1995 - The prosecution gave its opening statement at the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

2006 - Mario Lemieux retired from playing in the NHL for the last time. He had previously retired and came back from cancer, a heart problem, agonizing back pain, a rare bone infection, a self-imposed one-season layoff and, five years earlier, from the boredom of retirement.

1951 - Fidel Castro was ejected from a Winter League baseball game after hitting a batter. He later gave up baseball for politics.

1959 - British world racing champion Mike Hawthorn was killed while driving on the Guildford Bypass.

1960 - The 10th NBA All-Star Game was played. The East beat the West 125-115 in Philadelphia.

1961 - Wilma Rudolph set a world indoor record in the women’s 60-yard dash. She ran the race in 6.9 seconds.

1968 - The NBA awarded franchises to Milwaukee and Phoenix.

1973 - Joe Frazier lost the first fight of his professional career to George Foreman. He had been the undefeated heavyweight world champion since February 16, 1970 when he knocked out Jimmy Ellis. The event was HBO's first televised boxing match.

1982 - Reggie Jackson, a free agent at the time, ended five seasons as a New York Yankee when he signed a four-year contract with the California Angels.

1983 - Houston became the first NBA team to not score a point in overtime. They lost to the Portland Trail Blazers after being outscored 17-0 in overtime.

1983 - Bjorn Borg retired from tennis. He had set a record by winning 5 consecutive Wimbledon championships.

1984 - Barry Manilow sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XVIII.

1984 - Annette Kennedy (State University of New York) set a woman's collegiate basketball record when she scored 70 points.

1998 - Minnesota's new NHL franchise selected the nickname Wild.

2001 - Former National Football League (NFL) player Rae Carruth was sentenced to a minimum 18 years and 11 months in prison for his role in the 1999 shooting death of his pregnant girlfriend, Cherica Adams. Adams died a month later from her wounds. The baby survived and lives with the victim's mother.

2002 - Pat Summerall announced that he would leave his NFL broadcasting partner, John Madden, after they called the Super Bowl for Fox Sports. The two had worked together for 21 years.

2002 - Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson held a press conference to announce an upcoming fight. After an altercation the fight was delayed until June when Lewis knocked Tyson out in the eighth round.

2002 - Theo Fleury (New York Rangers) made an obscene gesture to fans at the end of a 5-4 victory over the New York Islanders. The next day the NHL fined Fleury $1,000.

2003 - Michael Jordan (Washington Wizards) became the third highest all-time scorer in the NBA.

2006 - Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. It was the second highest point total in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain had scored 100 points in a single game in 1962.

2020 - The Oakland Raiders officially relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada.

1911 - The first Monte Carlo motor rally took place.

1973 - The AFC beat the NFC 35-31 in the NFL Pro Bowl in Dallas. The game had been played in Los Angeles since 1942.

1979 - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII. The Steelers became the first team to win three Super Bowls.

1985 - Dennis Potvin tied Bobby Orr's career record of 270 NHL goals. Potvin ended up with 310 career goals.

1986 - Former major-league player, Randy Bass, became the highest-paid baseball player in Japanese history. Bass signed a three-year contract for $3.25 million. He played for the Hanshin Tigers.

1989 - Wayne Gretzky passed Marcel Dionne to become the NHL's second all time scorer.

1990 - John McEnroe was disqualified and expelled for throwing a tantrum and using abusive language at an official while leading Mikael Pernfors in the Australian Open. He was the first person to be thrown out of a Grand Slam in 27 years. He was fined $6,500 and kicked out of the tournament.

1995 - John Stockton became the NBA's all-time career assist leader when he got his 9,922nd.

1997 - Don Mattingly (New York Yankees) officially announced his retirement.

1997 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) scored 51 points against the New York Knicks.

2002 - Michael Jordan (Washington Wizards) played his first game in Chicago as a visiting player. The Wizards beat the Bulls 77-69.

2010 - Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) became the 15th player in NBA history to reach 25,000 career points and the youngest to hit the milestone. He did it 35 days faster than Wilt Chamberlain.

1892 - The first official basketball game was played by students at the Springfield, MA, YMCA Training School.

1937 - Nels Stewart (New York Americans) became the NHL's career leading scorer when he scored his 270th NHL goal.

1949 - Free substitution was adopted for one year in the NFL.

1952 - Patricia McCormick debuted as the first professional woman bullfighter.

1968 - Houston ended UCLA's 47-game winning streak with a 71-69 victory at the Astrodome before 52,693 fans. The game also set a NCAA attendance record.

1985 - The most-watched Super Bowl game in history was seen by an estimated 115.9 million people. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins, 38-16. Super Bowl XIX marked the first time that TV commercials sold for a million dollars a minute. Joe Montana was awarded his third MVP award.

1995 - The NHL season opened with the teams playing a 48-game schedule instead of the usual 84. The season had been shortened due to a players strike.

1999 - ESPN announced the creation of the Great Outdoor Games to be held in Lake Placid, NY, in 2000.

1999 - The NBA lockout officially ended after 204 days.

2002 - Joe Nieuwendyk (Dallas Stars) played in his 1,000th career NHL game.

2003 - Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) became the first NHL goalie to play in 1,000 games.

1952 - The National Football League (NFL) bought the franchise of the New York Yankees from Ted Collins. The franchise was then awarded to a group in Dallas on January 24.

1953 - Jesse Owens was named Illinois Athletic Commission secretary.

1958 - The Canadian Football Council changed its name to the Canadian Football League.

1989 - President Reagan pardoned George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner was indicted on 14 criminal counts on April 5, 1974, then pleaded guilty to making illegal contributions to Nixon's re-election campaign and a felony charge of obstruction of justice on August 23.

1993 - The Oakland A's unveiled a new elephant logo.

1995 - The NHL Board of Governors approved the sale of the Winnipeg Jets, officially clearing the way for the team to move to Phoenix for the 1996-97 season.

1996 - The NHL announced that the Winnipeg Jets could move to Phoenix.

1997 - Ivan Rodriguez signed a deal with the Texas Rangers worth $6.65 million for one year.

1886 - The Hockey Association was formed in England. This date is the birthday of modern field hockey.

1951 - The NFL passed a rule that said that a tackle, guard or center was not eligible to catch a forward pass.

1958 - Willie O'Ree made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. He was the first black player to enter the league.

1967 - The NHL held the All-Star Game at midseason for the first time.

1969 - Ted Williams was appointed manager of the Washington Senators.

1976 - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 in Super Bowl X. The CBS telecast was viewed by an estimated 80 million people.

1985 - Mary Decker broke a world, indoor record when she ran the women’s, 2,000-meter race in just 5 minutes and 34.2 seconds.

1996 - Baseball owners unanimously approved interleague play for 1997.

1998 - The Boston Celtics retired Robert Parrish's #00.

2002 - Two NHL records held by Bobby Hull were broken in a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals. Luc Robitaille scored his 611th career goal and Brett Hull scored his 99th game-winning goal. Robitaille's goal gave him the most goals of any left wing in NHL history and 10th place on the career NHL goal list. Brett Hull's goal moved him into third place on the game-winning goal list.

1916 - The Professional Golfers Association was formed in New York City.

1963 - Wilt Chamberlain (San Francisco Warriors) scored 67 points against Los Angeles.

1972 - Roger Staubach and Bob Griese appeared on the cover of TIME magazine.

1989 - Al Arbour won his 600th game as a coach in the NHL.

1995 - The Los Angeles Rams announced that they would be moving to St. Louis.

1996 - Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) became the 22nd player in NHL history to score 500 goals.

1999 - The Atlanta Falcons beat the Minnesota Vikings to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in team history.

2002 - The city of Los Angeles had "Muhammad Ali Day."

1896 - The first five-player college basketball game was played at Iowa City, IA.

1961 - Mickey Mantle signed a contract which made him the highest paid baseball player in the American League at $75,000 for the 1961 season.

1981 - Leon Spinks was mugged. Even his gold teeth were taken by the assailants.

1988 - The St. Louis Cardinals announced that they would be moving to Phoenix.

1993 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) scored 64 points against the Orlando Magic. It was Jordan's second highest single-game total of his career.

1995 - Malcolm Glazer bought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for an estimated $192 million.

2002 - Baseball owners voted to approve the record $660 million sale of the Boston Red Sox.

1892 - In Springfield, MA, the rules of "basketball" by James Naismith were printed in the "Triangle" newspaper.

1934 - Babe Ruth signed a 1934 contract for $35,000.

1942 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave baseball the approval to play despite World War II. He encouraged night games so that war workers could attend.

1958 - The New York Yankees announced that they would televise 140 games in the 1958 season.

1967 - The first National Football League Super Bowl was played. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs (of the American Football League) with a final score of 35-10. The game was televised by both CBS and NBC and was not a sell out.

1968 - Bill Masterson (Minnesota North Stars) died of a brain injury that he had suffered two days earlier in a game against the Oakland Seals. He was the first casualty in the NHL.

1978 - The Super Bowl was played indoors for the first time. The game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Denver Broncos 27-10.

1990 - Don Nelson became the second man in NBA history to appear in 1,000 games as a head coach and as a player. Lenny Wilkins was the first to achieve the record.

1997 - Dennis Rodman (Chicago Bulls) kicked cameraman Eugene Amosin in the groin.

1997 - The Seattle Supersonics set an NBA record with 27 steals against the Toronto Raptors.

2001 - An anonymous bidder paid just over $3 million for a baseball. The ball was the 70th home run ball hit by Mark McGwire.

2002 - Seven minority players took part in an NHL game between the St. Louis Blues and the Edmonton Oilers. The record number of minority skaters included Edmonton's Anson Carter, Georges Laraque, Sean Brown and Mike Grier and St. Louis' Jamal Mayers, Fred Brathwaite and Bryce Salvador.

1936 - Cecil "Tiny" Thompson (Boston Bruins) became the first NHL goalie to receive credit for an assist.

1943 - Alex Smart (Montreal Canadiens) scored three goals in his first NHL game.

1948 - Plastic helmets were prohibited in the NFL.

1951 - The first National Football League Pro Bowl All-Star Game was played in Los Angeles, CA.

1954 - Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married. The marriage only lasted nine months.

1973 - The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go undefeated in a regular season. They also defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.

1974 - The World Football League was founded.

1976 - Ted Turner completed the purchase of the Atlanta Braves.

1985 - Martina Navratilova won her 100th tournament. She joined Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert Lloyd as the only professional tennis players to win 100 tournaments.

1989 - Bobby Knight won his 500th career victory as a college basketball coach.

1990 - Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers) set an NFL record when he threw his 30th and 31st post-season touchdown passes. Terry Bradshaw held the previous record of 30.

1993 - NFL Commissioner Tagliabue announced the establishment of the "NFL World Partnership Program."

1996 - Fox aired the San Francisco 49er/Dallas Cowboy NFC championship game. The game pulled a 34.2/57 Nielsen rating.

1997 - Dennis Rodman got his 10,000th NBA career point.

2002 - Barry Bonds signed a contract with the San Francisco Giants worth $90 million for five years.

2002 - Lance Armstrong ran the final leg of the Olympic torch relay in San Diego.

2002 - The NBA announced a three game suspension for Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers) and a one game suspension for Brad Miller (Chicago Bulls) for a fight that occurred during a game.

2002 - TNT world premiered the TV movie "Monday Night Mayhem."

2003 - In Dallas, Dwayne Goodrich (Dallas Cowboys) was charged with two counts of manslaughter and was released after posting a $50,000 bond. The charges stemmed from Goodrich's involvement in a hit-and-run accident that killed two people.

1962 - Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) scored 73 points against the Chicago Packers.

1968 - Bill Masterson (Minnesota North Stars) was injured when he was checked into the boards. He died two days later. He was the first casualty in the NHL.

1983 - The Quebec Nordiques played their 251st NHL game without being shutout.

1984 - Wayne Gretzky extended his NHL consecutive scoring streak to 45 games.

1986 - The NCAA adopted the controversial "Proposal 48," which set standards for Division 1 freshman eligibility.

1995 - A collective bargaining agreement was ratified by NHL players.

1998 - The NFL completed a $9.2 billion deal to keep "Monday Night Football" on ABC and the entire Sunday night cable package for ESPN.

1999 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) announced his retirement from the NBA.

2003 - The NHL's Buffalo Sabres filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

2005 - Major League Baseball adopted a steroid-testing program that suspended first-time offenders for 10 days and randomly tested players year-round.

2005 - The NFL fined Randy Moss (Minnesota Vikings) $10,000 for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay Packer crowd during a playoff win the previous weekend.

1906 - The forward pass was legalized by the football rules committee.

1921 - Kennesaw Mountain Landis became the first commissioner of baseball.

1946 - The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to move to Los Angeles.

1958 - Major league baseball players Stan Musial and Johnny Padres were guests on the "Ed Sullivan Show."

1960 - Dolph Schayes of the Syracuse Nationals became the first pro basketball player in the NBA to score more than 15,000 points in his career.

1966 - Red Auerbach won his 1,000th game as coach of the Boston Celtics.

1969 - The New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts 16-7 in Super Bowl III. It was first victory for an AFL team over an NFL team and was considered a huge upset. This was the first time "Super Bowl" was officially used as the name for the game.

1993 - It was announced that Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) had Hodgkin's disease.

1999 - Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball was sold at auction in New York for $3 million to an anonymous bidder.

2000 - Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills was killed in a crash during a drag race.

2002 - Brenden Shanahan (Detroit Red Wings) got his 1,000th career point in a 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars.

2004 - Cam Neely's No. 8 was retired by the Boston Bruins.

2016 - The NFL approved St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke's plan to move the Rams back to Los Angeles, CA.

1953 - J. Edgar Hoover declined a six-figure offer to be the president of the International Boxing Club.

1970 - Billy Casper became the second golfer in history to top the $1-million mark in career earnings when he won the Los Angeles Open golf tournament.

1973 - Owners of American League baseball teams voted to adopt the designated-hitter rule on a trial basis.

1976 - Dorothy Hamill won her third consecutive national figure skating championship.

1976 - The Soviet Olympic team walked off the ice in protest to the rough tactics of the Philadelphia Flyers.

1995 - NHL owners and Players ended a 103 day lockout. It was announced that the regular season would be reduced to 48 games and would start January 20.

2002 - Muhammad Ali received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2007 - It was announced that David Beckham had signed a five-year $250 million contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

2010 - Mark McGwire admitted that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade. The timeframe including the 1998 season when he broke the then single-season home run record.

2014 - Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz reduced Alex Rodriguez's (New York Yankees) drug suspension from 211 to 162 games.

1950 - Ben Hogan appeared for the first time in a golf tournament since an auto accident a year earlier. He tied ‘Slammin’ Sammy Snead in the Los Angeles Open, however, Hogan lost in a playoff.

1962 - The NFL entered into a single-network agreement with CBS for telecasting all regular-season games for $4.65 million annually.

1963 - The Chicago Cubs became the first baseball club to hire an athletic director. He was Robert Whitlow.

1990 - The NCAA approved a random drug testing program among college football players and harsh penalties for drug use.

1995 - NHL owners rejected the players unrestricted free agency proposal (one year at 32, five years at 31) and countered with three years at 32 and three at 31.

1918 - The NHL announced a new rule that permitted goaltenders to leave their feet while making a save. Previously a penalty was called if a goalie sat or lay on the ice to stop the puck.

1930 - The Boston Bruins set an NHL record with 14 straight wins.

1952 - Jackie Robinson became the highest paid player in Brooklyn Dodger history.

1954 - Bert Olmstead (Montreal Canadiens) tied an NHL record when he scored 8 points in a game.

1962 - The NFL banned the grabbing of face masks.

1972 - The Los Angeles Lakers ended their 33 game winning streak.

1972 - The 2,000,0000th NBA point was scored.

1973 - The Philadelphia 76ers began a 20 game losing streak.

1977 - Super Bowl XI set a pro attendance record with 103,438. The NBC telecast was viewed by 81.9 million.

1981 - Hockey Hall of Famer, Phil Esposito, announced that he would retire as a hockey player after the New York Rangers-Buffalo Sabres hockey game. The game ended in a tie.

1984 - Pascual Perez (Atlanta Braves) was arrested for cocaine possession in his native Dominican Republic.

1991 - A special committee of Major League Baseball authorities officially banned Pete Rose from being elected into the Hall of Fame.

1997 - Former Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall was sentenced to five years, 10 months in prison and ordered to repay five-million dollars after being convicted more than two years ago on bank fraud and conspiracy charges.

1998 - The "Hockey News" magazine selected Wayne Gretzky as the best NHL player ever.

2004 - Brian Boucher (Phoenix Coyotes) set a new NHL record with his fifth consecutive shutout. The total time of the streak was 325 minutes and 45 seconds.

2005 - Randy Moss (Minnesota Vikings) pretended to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay Packer crowd during a playoff win. On January 13 the NFL fined Moss $10,000 for the act.

1901 - In Chicago, IL, the first tournament sanctioned by the American Bowling Congress was held.

1955 - After 130 home basketball wins, Georgia Tech defeated Kentucky 59-58. It was the first Kentucky loss at home since January 2, 1943.

1957 - Jackie Robinson announced his retirement from major league baseball in an article that appeared in "LOOK" magazine.

1960 - The NCAA met in New York and voted against reviving the unlimited substitution rule for college football.

1977 - The cover of TV Guide was "Super Bowl."

1984 - ABC purchased the remaining 85% of ESPN.

1993 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) became the 18th player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points.

1994 - Dino Ciccarelli (Detroit Red Wings) became the 19th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals.

1920 - Joe Malone (Quebec Bulldogs) scored two goals and became the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer with 59.

1927 - In Hinckley IL, the Harlem Globetrotters played their first game.

1972 - The Los Angeles Lakers set a National Basketball Association (NBA) record when they won their 33rd consecutive game.

1980 - The Philadelphia Flyers set a National Hockey League (NHL) record with 35 consecutive games without a loss.

1981 - Marcel Dionne (Los Angeles Kings) scored his 1,000th career point.

1991 - Pete Rose left an Illinois federal prison and checked into a halfway house in Cincinnati. He was completing a sentence for cheating on his taxes.

1994 - Tonya Harding won the U.S. Figure Skating championship.

1994 - Nancy Kerrigan withdrew from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. The previous day her right leg was severely bruised in an attack following a practice session.

1995 - The NHL Board of Governors threatened to cancel the regular season if the striking players did not agree with raising unrestricted free agency from 30 years to 32 years of age.

1997 - Grambling State University was charged with eight rules violations by the NCAA.

2002 - George Seifert was fired as head coach of the Carolina Panthers after a 1-15 season.

1896 - The first American women’s six-day bicycle race was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

1941 - Alice Marble made her professional tennis debut when she defeated Ruth Hardwick of Great Britain at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

1942 - The National Collegiate Football Rules Committee abolished the Y formation.

1951 - The Indianapolis Olympians beat the Rochester Royals 75-73 in a game that took six overtimes.

1976 - Ted Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves for $12 million dollars.

1988 - A seven-fight deal was signed between Mike Tyson and HBO.

1997 - Peter O'Malley announced that the Los Angeles Dodgers were for sale. The team had been owned by his family for 47 years.

1998 - Barry Switzer resigned as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

1998 - The Dallas Cowboys signed lineman Larry Allen to a 6-year deal worth more than $3.5 million a year.

1999 - The National Basketball Association (NBA) and its players agreed to a tentative labor agreement to end a six-month lockout.

2002 - Emmitt Smith (Dallas Cowboys) became the first running back in the NFL to run gain 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons.

2010 - NBA commissioner David Stern indefinitely suspended Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas without pay. Arenas has admitted to bringing guns into the Verizon Center locker room and was under investigation by local and federal authorities.

1920 - The New York Yankees purchased "Babe" Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for $125,000.

1927 - A three-day public hearing began on the charges that four major league baseball games played between Chicago and Detroit on September 2 and 3 of 1917 had been thrown.

1983 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) scored his 100th point of the season. He achieved his 100th point in only the 42nd game of the season.

1931 - Lucille Thomas became the first woman to buy a professional baseball team. She bought the Topeka franchise of the Western League.

1934 - Both the National and American baseball leagues decided to use a uniform-size baseball. It was the first time in 33 years that both leagues used the same size ball.

1993 - Mike Ditka was fired as coach of the Chicago Bears.

1883 - The Ontario Rugby Football Union was formed. The organization was the forerunner of the CFL.

1920 - The National Negro Baseball League was organized.

1957 - The Dodgers bought a 44-passenger twin-engine airplane for $775,000. They were the first team to own their own plane.

1957 - Former heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis appeared on "The Steve Allen Show" to introduce singer Solomon Burke. Burke performed Louis' "You Can Run, but You Can't Hide."

1974 - NBC-TV presented hockey in prime time. The Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers were the teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) game.

1975 - The Montreal Canadiens beat the Washington Capitals 10-0.

1976 - The Dallas Cowboys became the first wild-card team to make it to the Super Bowl. They beat the Los Angeles Ram 37-7 in the NFC title game.

1977 - Mary Shane was hired by the Chicago White Sox as the first woman TV play-by-play announcer.

1982 - Bryant Gumbel moved from NBC Sports to the anchor desk where he joined Jane Pauley as co-host of the "Today" show on NBC.

1983 - The USFL (United States Football League) held its first player draft.

1984 - Wayne ‘The Great One’ Gretzky scored eight points (four goals and four assists) for the second time in his National Hockey League (NHL) career. Edmonton’s Oilers defeated the Minnesota North Stars, 12-8. The game was the highest-scoring NHL game to date.

1992 - Mike Gartner (New York Rangers) scored his 1000th career point.

1996 - Don Shula announced his retirement from coaching the Miami Dolphins after 26 seasons.

1997 - The New York Rangers won their 2,000th game as an NHL franchise. Wayne Gretzky assisted on four second period goals.

1999 - Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura was sworn in as Minnesota's 37th governor.

2003 - The Green Bay Packers lost 27-7 to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC wild card game. It was the first time that the Packers had lost a playoff game at home.

1941 - The National Collegiate Football Rules Committee announced a new rule that permitted free substitution of football players.

1943 - For the first time in NHL history a goal with three points all came from the same family. Reg Bentley scored with assists from his brothers Max and Doug.

1962 - Work began on the Houston Astrodome.

1977 - The Kansas City Royals releases pitcher Lindy McDaniel, ending his twenty-one year career.

1983 - Tony Dorsett (Dallas Cowboys) made the longest run from scrimmage in NFL history. Dorsett ran 99 yards in a game against the Minnesota Vikings.

1991 - Wayne Gretzky scored his 700th goal.

1997 - Rod Brind'Amour (Philadelphia Flyers) scored his 200th career goal.

2005 - Former Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swann declared his candidacy for Pennsylvania governor.

2010 - Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans) set the NFL single-season record for yards from scrimmage. He finished the season with 2,509 yards.

2010 - Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) set a team record when he took every snap for the entire regular season.

1953 - The Baltimore Bullets (NBA) began a 32 game road losing streak.

1957 - Gene Fullmer defeated Sugar Ray Robinson to win the middleweight boxing title.

1965 - "Broadway" Joe Namath signed the richest rookie contract ($400,000) in the history of pro football.

1971 - In Glasgow, Scotland, 66 people were crushed when fans trying to leave encountered fans trying to return after hearing that a late goal had been scored.

1972 - Elvis Presley gave Muhammad Ali a $10000 robe with "People's Champion" inscribed on it. Ali wore the robe on March 31, 1973 when he lost to Ken Norton.

1982 - The New York Islanders began a 23 undefeated home streak.

1983 - Ken Anderson (Cincinnati Bengals) completed 20 consecutive passes to set an NFL record for passing accuracy.

1985 - The Rebels of UNLV beat Utah State in three overtime periods. The final score of 142-140 set a new NCAA record for total points in a basketball game (282). The game took over three hours to play.

1986 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) scored his 500th career NHL goal.

2002 - Mike Modano (Dallas Stars) scored his 400th career NHL goal. Modano became only the fourth United States-born player to reach 400 goals.

2002 - Ron Francis (Carolina Hurricanes) scored his 500th career NHL goal. Francis became only the fifth player in NHL history to reach 500 goals and 1,000 assists.

2003 - It was announced that Bill Parcells would be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.