Major Sporting Events in 1950

  • Baseball- Ted Williams

    Baseball- Ted Williams
    Ted Williams goes into Spring Training for baseball and becomes the highest paid player of a contract of $125,000.
  • Chuck Cooper

    Chuck Cooper
    Chuck Cooper was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1950, earning the title of first black player to enter the National Basketball Association.
  • Florence Chadwick- English Chanel

    Florence Chadwick- English Chanel
    Florence Chadwick beats the women's record swimming the English Chanel in 13 hours and 20 minutes.
  • Althea Gibson-tennis

    Althea Gibson-tennis
    Althea Gibson becomes the first black woman to compete in a national tennis tournament.
  • 1st coast to coast television broadcast of a baseball game

    1st coast to coast television broadcast of a baseball game
    This day marked the first coast-to-coast television broadcast of a baseball game. The New York Giants' Bobby Thomson hit a home run that became known as the "Shot Heard ’round the World."
  • New York Yankees

    New York Yankees
    The New York Yankees become the first team ever to win 5 consecutive World Series.
  • Sports Illustrated magazine was published.

    Sports Illustrated magazine was published.
    The first issue of Sports Illustrated magazine was published. It had a major impact on the American sports-minded public. The magazine helped shape the public's perception of what was important in the world of sports.
  • NBA Shot clock

    NBA Shot clock
    The shot clock ended up changing the game of basketball forever.
  • Bill Vukovich-autorace accident

    Bill Vukovich-autorace accident
    Bill Vukovich dies in a crash race which made him the first person to die in a major autorace.
  • Rocky Marciano- heavyweight boxing

    Rocky Marciano- heavyweight boxing
    Over 400,000 people across America watched Rocky Marciano defend his heavyweight boxing championship against Archie Moore.
  • Jackie Robinson

    Jackie Robinson
    Jackie Robinson is traded from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the New York Giants. But instead he chose to retire. He was the first African-American to play MLB in the Modern Era.
  • American Bowling Congress Tournament

    American Bowling Congress Tournament
    More than 15,000 men competed in the American Bowling Congress Tournament held at the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas.
  • College Football

    College Football
    College football adopts the two-point conversion option following a touchdown.