1500 BCE
- In Egypt, the first known public exhibition of horse racing takes place. [806.184]
680 BCE
- Chariot racing becomes an event of the Olympic games. [806.184]
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 versus his butcher). [1]
1722
- April 30
- The game of Billiards is mentioned in the New England Courant. [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]
1750
-
- In London, England, the first major gamble on a boxing match is made. Duke of Cumberland bets 10,000 pounds sterling on Jack Broughton to win versus Jack Slack. Broughton loses. [565.18]
1751
- May 1
- The first cricket match is played in America. [1] [5]
1793
- September 29
- Tennis is first mentioned in an English sporting magazine. [1]
1805
- July 8
- American Bill Richmond knocks out Jack Holmes, in Kilburn Wells, England. [1]
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1806
- June 5
- First trotter (horse racing) to break 3-minute mile (Yankee). [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 is held. [1]
1818
- 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
- February 26
- Jem Mason riding on Lottery horse wins first Grand National Steeplechase (Britain). [1]
- June 12
- First baseball game played in America. [1]
- September 11
- First Canadian track and field meet held (Caer Howell Grounds). [1]
1840
- January 1
- First recorded bowling match in US, Knickerbocker Alleys, New York City, New York. [1]
1842
- September 13
- In the USA, Chris Lilly and Tom McCoy bare-fist fight for 119 rounds, when McCoy falls dead in the ring, after 2 hours 43 minutes. During the fight he had received 100 square blows, and was knocked down 81 times. [819.178]
1844
- August 29
- First white vs Indian lacrosse game in Montreal, Indians win. [1]
1845
- May 13
- Over 50,000 attend a horse race at Union course in Queen's County, New York, seeing Peytona of Tennessee beat Fashion, champ of the North. [187.332]
- May 15
- Last of the epic horse races at the Union Course on Long Island, New York. Peytona of the South defeats Fashion of the North, twice. [806.183]
- September 23
- First baseball team, New York Knickerbockers organize, adopt rule code. [1]
- October 22
- The first known box score appears in the New York Morning News a month after the first set of rules are written by Alexander Cartwright and some his fellow Knickerbockers. [56]
1846
- June 19
- In Hoboken, New Jersey, USA, the first baseball game under recognizable modern rules is played (Cartwright Rules); New York Nines 23, Knickerbockers 1. [1] [5] [817.142]
1849
- February 7
- American heavyweight boxing championship event is held at Roach's Point, Maryland. Tom Hyer defeats James Ambrose AKA Yankee Sullivan in 17 minutes, 18 seconds. [819.180]
- September 13
- First US prize fight fatality (Tom McCoy). [1]
- December 21
- First US skating club formed (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). [1]
1851
- February 11
- First cricket first-class game in Australia, Tasmania versus Victoria, Launceston. [1]
- August 22
- Yacht America wins first Royal Yacht Squadron Cup (America's Cup). [1]
1852
- August 3
- First intercollegiate rowing race in USA, Harvard beats Yale by four lengths. [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 cricket game, versus Victoria at Melbourne; New South Wales wins. [1]
- October 19
- James Kelly and Jack Smith fight bareknuckle for 6 hours 15 minutes in Melbourne. [1]
1857
- January 15
- First first-class cricket game in Sydney: New South Wales versus Victoria at The Domain. [1]
- 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., is founded in England. [1]
1858
- April 12
- First US billiards championship is held in Detroit, Michigan (Michael J Phelan wins). [1]
- September 10
- John Holden hits the first recorded home run (Brooklyn versus New York). [1]
1859
- July 1
- First intercollegiate baseball game, Amherst beats Williams 66-32. [1]
- July 20
- At a racetrack on Long Island, about 1,500 fans become the first ever to pay to see a baseball game. The spectators spend fifty cents to watch New York defeat Brooklyn, 22-18. [56]
1860
- May 6
- San Francisco Olympic Club, first US athletic club founded. [1]
- (month unknown)
- The Queen's Plate horse race is first run, near Toronto, Ontario. [187.240]
- October 17
- First professional golf tournament held (Scotland); Willie Park wins. [1]
1861
- February 4
- Wearing ice skates, the champion Atlantics defeat the Charter Oak Club, 36-27 in a baseball game played on frozen Litchfield Pond in South Brooklyn, New York, USA. [56]
1862
- May 15
- Union Grounds, in Brooklyn New York, the first baseball enclosure, opens. [1] [56]
- October 14
- Baseballer James Creighton ruptures bladder hitting home run. [1]
- December 29
- The bowling ball is invented. [1]
1863
- January 4
- Four-wheeled roller skates patented by James Plimpton of New York, USA. [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]
1864
- March 5
- First track meet between Oxford and Cambridge, England. [1]
- August 2
- Second Saratoga Racetrack (New York) opens. [1]
1865
- January 3
- Con Orem and Hugh O'Neill box 193 rounds before darkness ends match. [1]
1866
- May 8
- Australian Rules Football is created. [1]
- May 21
- First-class cricket debut of G F Grace aged 15 years 159 days. [1]
- July 23
- Cincinnati Baseball club (The Reds) is established. [1]
- August 18
- In Buffalo, New York, horse Dexter runs the mile under saddle in 2:18 minutes. [819.294]
- December 11
- First yacht race across the Atlantic Ocean. [1]
1867
- June 19
- First Belmont Stakes, Ruthless wins. [1]
- August 14
- In New York, horse Dexter runs the mile in harness in 2:17.75, a record. [819.294]
1868
- April 3
- A Hawaiian surfs on highest wave ever, he rides a 50-foot tidal wave. [1]
- May 25
- Australian Aboriginal Cricket tour of England begins versus 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]
- September 8
- New York Athletic Club forms. [1]
1869
- March 15
- Cincinnati Red Stockings become the first professional baseball team. [1]
- Cincinnati Red Stockings beat Antioch 41-7 in baseball. [1]
- April 17
- First professional baseball game: Cincinnati Reds 24, Cincinnati amateurs 15. [1]
- April 18
- First international cricket match, held in San Francisco, is won by a Californian. [1]
- May 16
- Cincinnati Reds play their first baseball game, win 41-7. [1]
- May 31
- Heavy rain postpones the Red Stockings baseball game against the Anioch Nine; first rain-out in professional baseball. [56]
- June 5
- Third Belmont Stakes, Fenian wins. [1]
- June 15
- Mike McCoole (US) defeats Tom Allen (England) in bare-knuckle bout. [1]
- August 17
- First international boat race (Thames River) (Oxford beats Harvard). [1]
- October 26
- First American steeplechase horserace (Westchester, New York). [1]
- November 6
- First intercollegiate American football game is played in New Brunswick, New Jersey (Rutgers College 6, Princeton University 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 boxing crown against Irish champion Joe Coburn, it lasts one hour and 17 minutes, and neither is struck by a punch. [1]
- June 14
- All-pro Cincinnati Red Stockings suffer first loss in 130 games. [1]
- August 8
- Magic (US) defeats Cambria (England) in second running of America's Cup. [1]
- August 16
- Fred Goldsmith demonstrates that curve ball thrown in baseball isn't an optical illusion. [1]
- October 25
- Pimlico Race Course opens in Baltimore, Maryland. [1]
- November 27
- New York Times dubs baseball "The National Game". [1]
1871
- January 20
- The Boston Red Stockings baseball team is incorporated by Ivers Whitney Adams. [56]
- January 26
- British Rugby Union forms. [1]
- March 17
- National Association of Professional Base-Ball players is organized. [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 Keiongas 2, Cleveland 0) Deacon Jim White gets first hit, a double. Bill Lennon becomes first catcher to throw a runner out trying to steal second. [1] [56]
- October 21
- First US amateur outdoor athletic games (New York). [1]
- October 23
- Columbia and Sappho (US) beat Livonia (United Kingdom) in third America's Cup yacht race. [1]
- October 30
- Philadelphia Athletics beat Chicago White Stockings for first National Association baseball pennant. [1]
1872
- March 16
- First FA Cup Final: Wanderers-Royal Engineers 1-0 in Bolton, England. [1]
1873
- May 27
- First Preakness Stakes won by G Barbee aboard 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]
- August 14
- Horse Gloster trots the mile in harness in 2:17 minutes, a record. [819.294]
- September 2
- Horse Goldsmith Maid trots the mile in harness in 2:14 minutes, a record. [819.294]
- December 27
- At Palmar de Junco, a Havanan team plays Matanzas in the first documented baseball game played in Cuba. The game is called after seven innings due to darkness with Havana leading, 51-9. [56]
1875
- March 3
- First recorded hockey game (Montréal, Quebec, Canada). [1]
- May 11
- George "Charmer" Zettlein pitches the first 9-inning shutout. [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]
- August 25
- Matthew Webb becomes first to swim English Channel (21 hours 45 minutes). [1]
- November 13
- Harvard-Yale game is first college football contest with uniforms. [1]
- National Bowling Association organizes in New York City. [1]
1876
- February 2
- Baseball's National League officially forms in the USA with teams in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Hartford, Louisville, New York, Philadelphia, and Saint Louis. [1] [56]
- February 3
- Albert Spalding with US$800 starts sporting goods company in the USA, 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 recorded high jump over 6 feet (Marshall Jones Brooks). [1]
- March 25
- Glasgow hosts first soccer match between Scotland and Wales (4-0). [1]
- April 15
- First game of the Alleghenies professional baseball in Pittsburgh, playing at Union Park. [56]
- April 22
- First National League baseball game, 3000 fans, Boston Red Stockings beat Philadelphia Athletics 6-5 in Philadelphia; Athletics' Wes Fisler scores league's first run. [1] [56]
- April 25
- Chicago Cubs play their first National League game, beating Louisville Grays 4-0 (first National League shutout). [1]
- May 2
- In Cincinnati, Ohio, Chicago's Ross Barnes hits the first home run in the history of baseball's National League. [1] [56]
- 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 Red Stockings). [1]
- May 25
- First tie in National League history (Philadelphia Athletics and Louisville Grays, 2-2 in 14 innings). [1]
- 4th Preakness: G Barbee aboard Shirley wins in 2:44.75. [1]
- June 14
- Philadelphia Athletics' George Hall becomes first major league baseball player to hit for the cycle. [1] [56]
- June 17
- First to hit two home runs, and score five runs in 9-inning National League game (George Hall, Philadelphia Athletics). [1]
- June 27
- First National League member to get six hits in 9-inning game (Dave Force, Philadelphia Athletics). [1]
- July 15
- US major league baseball's first no-hitter, Saint Louis Brown Stockings' George W Bradley no-hits Hartford Dark Blues. [1]
- July 20
- First US intercollegiate track meet is held, in Saratoga, New York; Princeton wins. [1]
- August 8
- Dan O'Leacy completes 500 mile walk in 139 hours 32 minutes. [1]
- August 12
- Madeline (US) beats Countess Dufferin (Canada) in fourth America's Cup. [1]
- November 23
- Columbia, Harvard and Princeton form Intercollegiate Football Association. [1]
1877
- February 20
- International Association (minor baseball league) organizes. [1]
- March 15
- Commencement of first Test Cricket, Australia versus England at Melbourne Cricket Ground. [1]
- March 16
- Charles Bannerman completes first Test cricket century, 165 versus England. [1]
- March 17
- Bill Midwinter completes Test Crickets' first 5-wicket haul, 5-78 versus England. [1]
- March 19
- Australia beats England by 45 runs in very first Test match. [1]
- March 31
- Test Cricket debut of Fred "Demon" Spofforth, Australia versus England at Melbourne Cricket Ground. [1]
- April 12
- Catcher's mask first used in a baseball game. [1]
- May 12
- Ottawa Rough Riders first outside competition versus Britannia. [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 9
- The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon, outside of London. The tournament originates many rules of tennis, including court size, scoring of a game, wins in six game wins a set, and allowing a server fault. [129]
- July 19
- The final match of the first tennis tournament at Wimbledon is held. W. Spencer Gore defeats William Marshall 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in 48 minutes. [1] [129]
- September 30
- First US amateur swim meet (New York Athletic Club). [1]
- December 22
- American Bicycling Journal is first published (Boston, Massachusetts). [1]
1878
- February 12
- Frederick Thayer patents the baseball catcher's mask (patent number 200,358). [1]
- March 13
- Oxford defeats Cambridge in their first golf match. [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 24
- CA Parker (Harvard) wins first American bike race, at Beacon Park, Boston. [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]
- August 28
- The Manifesto on the All-Round Development of Russian Lawn Tennis is adopted in Saint Petersburg, on completion of the All-Russian Tennis Fair. [973.604]
1879
- January 2
- First Test match hat-trick, Fred Spofforth at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. [1]
- Northwestern League (minor baseball league) is organized, in Rockford, Illinois. [1]
- January 23
- US National Archery Association is formed, in Crawfordsville, Indiana. [1]
- March 27
- Longest championship fight takes place (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, Illinois). [1]
- September 19
- Thomas Ray becomes youngest to break a world track and field record pole-vaulting 11 feet 2.25 inches at age 17 years and 198 days. [1]
- September 29
- National League owners' meeting in Buffalo, New York adopt the reserve clause, giving each team exclusive rights to their players. [1]
- November 2
- In a six-day footrace a Mr Weston loses to a horse, 900 to 885 km. [1]
- November 19
- US National Association of Trotting Horse Breeders determines what "is" a trotter. [1]
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