Chronology of
Sports

This document is an attempt to bring various published sources together to present a timeline about Sports. This is a VERY early, quick timeline of the events involving world sports. The main source is a "today in history" that I have had since the 1980s, with updates through the 1990s. Depending on interest, I will be doing some proper research and adding detail.

References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 April 30.

1520 October 15 King Henry VIII of England orders bowling lanes at Whitehall. [1] 1540 February 9 The first recorded race meet in England (Roodee Fields, Chester). [1] 1653 December 1 An athlete from Croydon is reported to have run 20 miles from Saint Albans to London in less than 90 minutes. [1] 1659 September 30 Peter Stuyvesant of New Netherlands forbids tennis playing during religious services. [1] 1681 January 6 First recorded boxing match (Duke of Albemarle's butler vs his butcher). [1] 1733 May 6 First international boxing match: Bob Whittaker beats Tito di Carni. [1] 1734 May 20 First Jockey Club forms in South Carolina. [1] 1743 August 10 Earliest recorded prize fighting rules formulated. [1] August 16 Earliest boxing code of rules formulated in England (Jack Broughton). [1] 1751 May 1 First American cricket match is played. [1] 1780 May 4 Charles Bunbury on Diomed wins first Epsom Derby. [1] 1789 June 20 Oath of the Tennis Court (for a new constitution) in France taken. [1] 1793 September 29 Tennis is first mentioned in an English sporting magazine. [1] 1804 August 25 Alice Meynell becomes first woman jockey (England). [1] 1810 December 10 Tom Cribb (Great Britain) beats Tom Molineaus (US-Negro) in first interracial boxing championship (40 rounds). [1] 1811 January 9 First Women's Golf Tournament held. [1] 1818 May 11 Cincinnati Reds Hod Eller no-hits Saint Louis Cardinals, 6-0. [1] October 8 Two English boxers are first to use padded gloves. [1] 1823 April 22 R J Tyers patents roller skates. [1] 1832 January 2 First Curling club in US (Orchard Lake Curling Club) opens. [1] 1839 June 12 First baseball game played in America. [1] 1840 January 1 First recorded bowling match in US, Knickerbocker Alleys, New York City, New York. [1] 1844 August 29 First white-indian lacrosse game in Montreal, Indians win. [1] 1845 September 23 First baseball team, New York Knickerbockers organize, adopt rule code. [1] September 24 First baseball team is organized. [1] 1846 June 19 First baseball game (Cartwright Rules)-New York Nines 23, Knickerbockers 1. [1] 1849 December 21 First US skating club formed (Philadelphia). [1] 1851 February 11 First cricket first-class game in Australia, Tasmania vs Victoria, Launceston. [1] June 3 First baseball uniforms worn. Knickerbockers wear straw hat, white. [1] 1853 October 12 John Morrissey wins boxing title, when Yankee Sullivan leaves ring after 36th round to slug Morrissey's fans. [1] 1856 March 26 New South Wales' first first-class game, vs Victoria at Melbourne; New South Wales won. [1] 1857 January 22 National Association of Baseball Players founded, New York. [1] March 7 Baseball decides 9 innings constitutes an official game, not 9 runs. [1] October 24 World's first soccer club, Sheffield F.C., founded in England. [1] 1858 July 20 Fee first charged to see a baseball game (50 cents) (New York beats Brooklyn 22-18). [1] September 10 John Holden hits the first recorded home run (Brooklyn vs New York). [1] 1859 May 31 Philadelphia Athletics organize to play "town ball" became baseball 20 years later. [1] July 1 First intercollegiate baseball game, Amherst beats Williams 66-32. [1] 1860 February 22 Organized baseball played in San Francisco for the first time. [1] May 6 San Francisco Olympic Club, first US athletic club founded. [1] October 17 First pro golf tournament held (Scotland) (Willie Park wins). [1] 1862 May 15 Union Grounds, Brooklyn New York, first baseball enclosure, opens. [1] October 14 Baseballer James Creighton ruptures bladder hitting home run, dies 10/18. [1] December 25 40,000 watch the Union army men play baseball at Hilton Head South Carolina. [1] December 29 Bowling ball invented. [1] 1863 January 4 Four-wheeled roller skates patented by James Plimpton of New York. [1] May 5 Joe Coburn knocks out Mike McCoole for US boxing title in 63rd round. [1] October 26 Football Association forms in England, standardizing soccer. [1] 1866 May 8 Australian Rules Football is created. [1] July 23 Cincinnati Baseball club (The Reds) established. [1] 1867 June 19 First Belmont Stakes, Ruthless wins. [1] 1868 April 3 An Hawaiian surfs on highest wave ever, he rides a 50' tidal wave. [1] May 25 Australian Aboriginal Cricket tour of England begins vs Surrey Gentlemen. [1] May 31 Dr James Moore (United Kingdom) wins first recorded bicycle race, (2k) velocipede race at Parc fde Saint Cloud, Paris. [1] June 10 Second Belmont Stakes, General Duke wins. [1] November 26 First baseball game played in enclosed field in San Francisco, at 25th and Folsom. [1] 1869 March 15 Cincinnati Red Stockings become the first pro baseball team. [1] April 17 First pro baseball games-Cincinnati Reds 24, Cincinnati amateurs 15. [1] April 18 First international cricket match, held in San Francisco, is won by Californian. [1] May 16 Cincinnati Reds play their first baseball game, win 41-7. [1] June 5 Third Belmont Stakes, Fenian wins. [1] November 6 First intercollegiate football (soccer) game played in New Brunswick, New Jersey (Rutgers 6, Princeton 4). [1] [66.49] December 18 Canada's Hamilton Foot Ball Club plays its first game. [1] 1870 May 10 Jem Mace defends his heavyweight crown against Irish champion Joe Coburn, it lasts one hour and 17 minutes, and neither is struck by a punch. [1] August 16 Fred Goldsmith demonstrates curve ball isn't an optical illusion. [1] November 27 New York Times dubs baseball "The National Game". [1] 1871 January 26 British Rugby Union forms. [1] March 17 National Association of Professional Base-Ball players organized. [1] March 22 Johnny Cuzens cricketer (Australian aboriginal tourist 1868), dies. [1] March 27 First international rugby game-Scotland 1, England 0. [1] May 4 First baseball league game (National Association of Baseball Players), (Fort Wayne 2, Cleveland 0) Deacon Jim White gets first hit, a double. [1] October 21 First US amateur outdoor athletic games (New York). [1] October 30 Philadelphia Athletics beat Chicago for first National Association baseball pennant. [1] 1872 March 16 First FA Cup Final: Wanderers-Royal Engineers 1-0 in Bolton. [1] 1873 May 23 First Preakness: G Barbee aboard Survivor wins in 2:43. [1] May 27 First Preakness Stakes won by Survivor (2:43). [1] September 23 Tom Allen beats Mike McCale for Heavyweight Boxing title. [1] October 18 Columbia Princeton Rutgers and Yale set rules for collegiate football. [1] December 6 First international football game in US: Yale 2, Eton (England) 1. [1] 1874 February 23 Major Walter Winfield patents game called "sphairistike" (lawn tennis). [1] February 27 Baseball first played in England, at Lord's Cricket Grounds. [1] March 2 Baseball batter's box is officially adopted. [1] May 14 Harvard beats University of McGill (Montréal) in football, 3-0. [1] May 26 Second Preakness: William Donohue aboard Culpepper wins in 2:56.5. [1] July 29 Major Walter Copton Wingfield patents a portable tennis court. [1] July 30 First baseball teams to play outside US, Boston-Philadelphia in British Isles. [1] 1875 March 3 First recorded hockey game (Montréal). [1] May 11 George "Charmer" Zettlein pitches the first 9 inning shutout. [1] May 12 First recorded shutout in pro baseball, Chicago 1, Saint Louis 0. [1] May 17 First Kentucky Derby: Oliver Lewis aboard Aristides wins in 2:37.75. [1] May 28 Third Preakness: L Hughes aboard Tom Ochiltree wins in 2:43.5. [1] November 13 Harvard-Yale game is first college football contest with uniforms. [1] National Bowling Association organized in New York City. [1] 1876 February 2 Baseball's National League forms with teams in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Hartford, Louisville, New York, Philadelphia, Saint Louis. [1] February 3 Albert Spalding with $800 starts sporting goods company, manufacturing first official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball, and football. [1] March 16 Nelly Saunders and Rose Harland fight first female boxing match (New York). [1] March 17 First record high jump over 6' (Marshall Jones Brooks). [1] March 25 Glasgow first soccer match Scotland-Wales (4-0). [1] April 1 First official National League baseball game (Boston-6, Philadelphia-5). [1] April 2 Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Caps play first National League game, in Philadelphia. [1] April 22 First National League game, Boston Braves beat Philadelphia Athletics 6-5; Philadelphia Athletics Wes Fisler scores baseball's first run. [1] April 25 Chicago Cubs first National League game, beats Louisville 4-0 (first National League shutout). [1] May 2 Ross Barnes hit first homerun in the National League. [1] May 15 Second Kentucky Derby: Bobby Swim aboard Vagrant wins in 2:38.25. [1] May 23 First National League no-hitter (Joe Borden, Boston). [1] May 25 First tie in National League history (Athletics and Louisville, 2-2 in 14). [1] 4th Preakness: G Barbee aboard Shirley wins in 2:44.75. [1] June 14 First player to hit for the cycle (George Hall, Philadelphia Athletics). [1] June 17 First to hit two home runs; and score five runs in 9 inning National League game (George Hall, Athletics). [1] June 27 First National League member to get 6 hits in 9 inning game (Dave Force, Philadelphia Athletics). [1] July 15 Baseballs first no-hitter, Saint Louis' George W Bradley no-hits Hartford. [1] November 23 Columbia, Harvard and Princeton form Intercollegiate Football Association. [1] December 7 New York Mutuals and Philadelphia Athletics expelled from National League for not completing schedule. [1] 1877 February 20 International Association (minor baseball league) organizes. [1] March 15 Commencement of first Test Cricket, Australia vs England at MCG. [1] March 16 Charles Bannerman completes first Test cricket century, 165 vs England. [1] March 17 Bill Midwinter completes Test Crickets' first 5-wkt haul, 5-78 vs England. [1] March 31 Test Cricket debut of Fred "Demon" Spofforth, Australia vs England MCG. [1] April 12 Catcher's mask first used in a baseball game. [1] May 22 Third Kentucky Derby: Billy Walker aboard Baden-Baden wins in 2:38. [1] May 24 5th Preakness: C Holloway aboard Cloverbrook wins in 2:45.5. [1] July 19 First Wimbledon tennis championships held. [1] September 30 First US amateur swim meet (New York Athletic Club). [1] December 22 "American Bicycling Journal" first published (Boston Massachusetts). [1] 1878 February 12 Frederick Thayer patents the catcher's mask (pat # 200,358). [1] March 13 Oxford defeats Cambridge in their first golf match. [1] March 31 Jack Johnson is first black to hold a heavyweight boxing title. [1] May 8 Paul Hines makes baseball's first unassisted triple play. [1] May 21 4th Kentucky Derby: Jimmy Carter aboard Day Star wins in 2:37.25. [1] May 27 6th Preakness: C Holloway aboard Duke of Magenta wins in 2:41.75. [1] Australia Cricket 41 and 12-1 defeat MCC 33 and 19. [1] 1879 January 2 Northwestern League (minor baseball league) organized, Rockford Illinois. [1] January 23 National Archery Association formed, Crawfordsville Indiana. [1] March 27 Longest championship fight (136 rounds). [1] May 20 5th Kentucky Derby: Charlie Shauer aboard Lord Murphy wins in 2:37. [1] May 24 7th Preakness: L Hughes aboard Harold wins in 2:40.5. [1] August 12 First National Archery Association tournament (Chicago). [1] September 19 Thomas Ray becomes youngest to break a world track and field record pole-vaulting 11' 2.25" at age 17 years and 198 days. [1] September 29 National League owners meeting in Buffalo adopt the reserve clause, giving each team exclusive rights to their players. [1] October 1 Cincinnati Enquirer publishes first report on baseball reserve clause. [1]