This Day in Sports History: January 12
Many exciting sporting events take place in January, including NBA and NHL games, NFL playoffs, college bowl games, select college basketball tournaments, the Australian Open for tennis, UFC Fight Nights,…
Many exciting sporting events take place in January, including NBA and NHL games, NFL playoffs, college bowl games, select college basketball tournaments, the Australian Open for tennis, UFC Fight Nights, Formula E races, and PGA Tour events. Jan. 12 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Keep reading to learn more about this day in sports history.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
These great moments in sports history took place on Jan. 12:
- 1918: Joe Malone became the first to score 20 goals in NHL history.
- 1951: Ezzard Charles defeated Lee Oma by a technical knockout in 10 rounds, winning the heavyweight boxing title.
- 1952: In the second NFL Pro Bowl, the National Conference beat the American Conference, 30-13. The MVP was Los Angeles Rams fullback Dan Towler.
- 1958: Dolph Schayes set an NBA record with 11,770 career points.
- 1960: Dolph Schayes became the first NBA player to reach 15,000 points.
- 1966: Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach picked up his 1,000th NBA career victory when the Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 114-102.
- 1969: The New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts, 16-7, winning Super Bowl III. Quarterback Joe Namath was the MVP.
- 1980: Bjorn Borg won the first of two season-ending ATP Masters Grand Prix tennis titles.
- 1980: Point guard Mike Bratz began an NBA free-throw streak of 57 games.
- 1983: Brooks Robinson and Juan Marichal joined the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1991: Melvin Stewart swam the 200-meter butterfly in 1:55.69, setting a world record.
- 1992: The Troy State Trojans beat the DeVry Hoyas, 258-149. It was the highest-scoring NCAA basketball game.
- 2006: Mark Messier's No. 11 jersey was retired by the New York Rangers.
- 2009: Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year award for the first time.
- 2013: The Mile High Miracle game happened when the Baltimore Ravens were down 35-28 to the Denver Broncos with 1:09 remaining. Quarterback Joe Flacco threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones to tie the game. The Ravens would win the game in overtime.
- 2015: No. 4 Ohio State beat No. 2 Oregon, 42-20, and won the College Football National Championship.
- 2015: Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo won the FIFA Ballon d'Or award for the second consecutive time.
- 2017: Golfer Justin Thomas became the youngest player to shoot a sub-60 round. He shot a 59 in the opening round of the Sony Open, and he also won the tournament.
- 2023: Quarterback Brock Purdy was named the NFC Rookie of the Month.
Jan. 12 hosted many notable events. Three athletes who stood out were Dolph Schayes, Joe Flacco, and Justin Thomas.
Hall-of-Fame member Schayes was one of the NBA's early superstars, becoming a 12-time All-Star. He was a dominant forward known as "The Rainbow Kid" for his high-arcing, two-handed set shot. Flacco is recognized for leading the Baltimore Ravens to victory at Super Bowl XLVII in 2012 and earning Super Bowl MVP honors. Thomas is a professional golfer known for his multiple PGA Tour wins and being a former World No. 1.
