Sports

On Nov. 7, 1991, Lakers guard Magic Johnson held a press conference to reveal that he was HIV-positive. The announcement raised awareness of HIV/AIDS, particularly that it could be spread through heterosexual sex.

As estimated 47,000 people will run 26.2 miles Sunday in the New York City Marathon. The marathon race was created in 1896 to honor the legendary run of Greek messenger Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens. Though the story is almost certainly a myth, it is based on an even more impressive feat of endurance.

On Sept. 23, 1845, the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club was founded. Its bylaws, which included rules on how to play the game, are considered the basis of modern baseball rules.

On Aug. 16, 1920, Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman was struck in the head by a pitch. He died a day later, becoming the only player in major league history to die from a pitched ball.

On July 27, 1996, a bomb killed one and injured 111 visitors at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. Security guard Richard Jewell was wrongfully accused of planting the bomb and defamed by the media.

On July 24, 1983, the Royals’ George Brett wildly charged toward umpires after his ninth inning home run was disallowed because there was too much pine tar on his bat.

Before the first pitch of the 82nd MLB All-Star game, we look back at the 10 most memorable moments, be they exciting, disappointing, historically significant or bizarre.

On July 12, 1979, a promotion mocking disco music incited a crowd of 90,000 to trash Comiskey Park and storm the field, forcing umpires to declare a forfeit for the White Sox.

On July 11, 1914, 19-year-old George Herman “Babe” Ruth played his first major league baseball game as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.

On July 6, 1933, Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward organized the first All-Star game as a part of the Chicago World’s Fair.

On July 6, 1957, Althea Gibson, the “Jackie Robinson of tennis,” became the first black tennis player to win Wimbledon. Gibson also won the doubles championship later in the day.

On July 5, 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win Wimbledon, defeating Jimmy Connors in a shocking upset.

On July 4, 1939, in a farewell speech at Yankee Stadium, a terminally ill Lou Gehrig declared himself the “luckiest man on the face of the Earth.”

On June 20, 1967, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was sentenced to five years in prison for refusing to serve in the military.

On June 13, 1935, James Braddock, just a year after coming out of retirement, won a unanimous decision against heavyweight champion Max Baer in one of boxing’s greatest upsets.

On June 11, 1955, driver Pierre Levegh and 82 spectators were killed in an accident at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

On June 9, 1973, Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, becoming the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown.

On May 30, 1911, Ray Harroun won the first ever Indianapolis 500, beating 39 other cars.

On May 28, 1957, the National League approved the move of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants baseball teams to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively.

With Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom falling short against Shackleford in the Preakness, horse racing has now gone 33 years without a Triple Crown winner.

This Saturday, the eyes of the sporting world turn to Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. Whether you’re pursuing a windfall at the track, going after the office pool or planning to be the guy in the know at the neighborhood party, there are steps you can take to maximize your chances of picking the Derby winner.

On April 30, 1993, top-ranked tennis player Monica Seles was stabbed during a match by a fan of rival player Steffi Graf.

The baseball steroid scandal is often called the biggest scandal in sports history, but there are many contenders for that distinction. FindingDulcinea reviews 11 of the biggest sports scandals ever.

On April 21, 1980, Rosie Ruiz won the Boston Marathon by entering the race near the finish line, ahead of all the other female runners. She was stripped of her victory eight days later.

On April 10, 1947, Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey announced he had purchased the contract of Jackie Robinson, setting the stage for Robinson to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

On March 26, 1979, Magic Johnson led Michigan State past Larry Bird and Indiana State in the NCAA title game. The game, watched by nearly a quarter of U.S. television viewers, is credited with sparking an interest in the NCAA tournament that led to the development of “March Madness.”

In 1954, British medical student Roger Bannister became the first man to break the four-minute mile barrier, earning him international admiration and Sports Illustrated's first Sportsman of the Year award. When asked how he achieved his record-breaking feat, he replied, “It’s the ability to take more out of yourself than you've got.”

On Feb. 22, 1980, the underdog U.S. hockey team beat the powerful Soviet team in a thrilling upset at the Lake Placid Olympics.

The number of world records set in track and field and other Olympic events has decreased substantially over the last two decades, indicating that athletes may have reached the natural limits for athletic performance.

The word connotes rugged, strenuous exertion, but hiking has various incarnations and levels of intensity. One constant is the sport’s emphasis on communing with nature, simultaneously taking advantage of and respecting its features. Whether you’re breaking trail in fresh powder or hiking barefoot along a dusty path, the trails await.