This Day in Sports History: April 12

Jeff Rouse swims the 200m Backstroke final during the U.S. Open Swimming Championships

Photo by Jon Ferrey/Getty Images

Sports in April include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, the first month of the MLB, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand Prix events. Over the years, April 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 April 12 included:

1858: In the first US billiards championship, Michael J Phelan won in Detroit.
1896: Stamasia Portrisi became the first woman to win a marathon. She ran a time of 5:30 in Athens.
1931: Joe McCarthy made his debut as the New York Yankees manager.
1938: The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 and won the Stanley Cup three games to one. They were the only team to win the Cup with a losing regular season record.
1946: Golfer Louise Suggs won the LPGA Titleholders Championship and it was her first major title.
1954: Golfer Sam Snead won his third and Final Masters Tournament.
1954: In the eighth NBA Championship, the Minnesota Lakers beat the Syracuse Nationals four games to three.
1964: At the 28th US Masters Tournament, Arnold Palmer won by six shots and became the first 4-time winner of the tournament. It was also his seventh and final major victory.
1969: Wales beat England 30-9 and clinched their 16th Five Nations Rugby Championship. It was also their 11th Triple Crown.
1980: Canadian one-legged distance runner Terry Fox began his "Marathon of Hope" attempt to cross the country at St. John's, Newfoundland.
1980: Milwaukee beat the Boston Red Sox 18-1. Two Grand Slams were hit in the game.
1981: In the 45th US Masters Tournament, Tom Watson won his second green jacket and fifth major title by two strokes.
1987: Runner Ahmed Salah won his second World Cup marathon with a time of 2:10:55.
1992: The second lowest NBA scoring game happened. The Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks 72-61.
1992: Red Sox pitcher Matt Young pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians, but lost 2-1.
1993: Swimmer Jeff Rouse swam a world record time of 51.43 seconds in the 100 meter backstroke.
1998: In the 62nd US Masters Tournament, Mark O'Meara claimed his first major title with a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win by one stroke.
2009: In the 73rd US Masters Tournament, Angel Cabrera won his second major title.
2015: In the 79th US Masters Tournament, Jordan Spieth won his first major title.

Three athletes who stood out on April 12 were Arnold Palmer, Matt Young, and Jeff Rouse.

Palmer popularized golf for the masses, becoming the first TV-age superstar in the 1950s/60s. He won seven major championships, 62 PGA Tour titles, and created "Arnie's Army. Young played 11 seasons (1983–1993) for teams like the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox. Rouse won three Olympic gold medals and one silver. He held the world record in the 100m backstroke for eight years (1991–1999).

Sports History