Sports History

  • Period: to

    1600-1700

  • Natives Use Lacrosse as Training

    Native Americans used lacrosse as a form of trainer for Canadian, American, or foreign attacks.
  • First Rules of Football

    Richard Carew describes Cornwall, and seeing equal numbers, the ball not touching the ground, and the lack of a forward pass, all rules in early American Football.
  • King James VI Takes Up Golf

    King James VI Takes Up Golf
    King James VI travels to London, and Robert Chester first takes him to play.
  • Newmarket Becomes Horse Racing Home

    Newmarket Becomes Horse Racing Home
    King James I discovers the location while hunting, long horse association since the Iron age
  • First Cricket Match in England

    Played in Kent, England played between Weald and Upland versus Chalkhill, both defunct now.
  • First Use of Curling

    Examples of and the word 'curling" are found in a Scottish poem.
  • First Death of Cricket

    First Death of Cricket
    Jasper Vinall dies due to injures from the sport, and is the first person to do so.
  • Lacrosse is born

    Lacrosse is born
    Jean de Brébeuf, a French Jesuit missionary, watches a game of lacrosse among Native Americans, and notices that the sticks resemble a bishop's crosier or "la crosse" in French
  • First Race at Epsom Downs Racecourse

    The 2nd oldest racecourse of all time, has dated back to England since 1661.
  • First Boxing Match

    First Boxing Match
    The Duke of Albemarle has his footman and butcher box, being recorded as the first match in history
  • Period: to

    1701-1800

  • First Womens Boxing Match

    Zacharias Conrad von Uffenbach encounters a woman claiming she took part in a public womens match.
  • First Fighting Venue Opens

    James Figg opened that first fighting venue in London, which seated 1,000 people.
  • Cricket in India

    East India Company mariners began to play in India, expanding the game.
  • First International Boxing Match

    First International Boxing Match
    James Figg hosts a match between English livestocker Bob Whitaker and Venetian gondolier Alberto di Carni. The fight took place in London.
  • Cricket Charges Admissions

    Cricket became the first sport to charge to watch, starting at the Kennington Common in London
  • Jockey Club is Formed

    Jockey Club is Formed
    Club was formed to give rules and set organization in England for horseracing.
  • Crickets Loss Due to War

    The Seven years war caused cricket to face a lack of players and investment from boosters and fans.
  • Rules of Golf is Published

    The Golf Club of St. Andrews publishes "Rules of Golf", still seen as a relic today.
  • Eclipse Retires

    Eclipse Retires
    One of the greatest horse racers of all time, Eclipse, retires after 18 undefeated races.
  • "The Father of Boxing" Dies

    "The Father of Boxing" Dies
    Jack Broughton who created rules and the idea of rounds for boxing dies after contributing his life to the sport.
  • First Baseball Reference

    In Pittsfield, Massachusetts a window was broken, banning "baseball" and other ball games from new buildings
  • Napolenic Wars and Cricket

    International play suspended until 1824 due to the escalation of the wars.
  • Napoleonic Wars and Cricket

    The wars put a stop to international play due to escalation.
  • Period: to

    1800-1876

  • Shrove Tuesday

    Soccer began to become more popular in England and games were commonly played across England.
  • Royal Montreal Curling Club

    Longest active sports club in North America
  • Baseball Clubs Are Born

    The first forms of structured baseball are beginning
  • Collegiate Soccer is Born

    Collegiate Soccer is Born
    Cambridge University constructs a soccer team
  • New York Club

    A more organized form of Baseball is formed in New Jersey
  • First International Cricket Match

    USA v Canada becomes the first international cricket match
  • New York Knickerbockers

    New York Knickerbockers
    They become the first pro ball club.
  • Australian Football (Soccer) is Born

    First pro soccer league away from Europe.
  • College Football is Born

    College Football is Born
    Princeton v Rutgers is the first game, Princeton wins the first National Championship.
  • National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP) is Formed

    National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP) is Formed
    First professional baseball league