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Sports History

The history of sports is the history of power, politics and progress. From ancient origins to groundbreaking firsts: Sometimes sports makes history, sometimes sports is history.

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John Wooden (center), shown in the 1974 NCAA Tournament title game, coached UCLA to 10 championships./ Rich Clarkson / NCAA Photos via Getty Images

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March Madness History

March Madness is the name commonly used for the NCAA Tournament, held annually in March and April to determine the national champion in Division I men’s and women’s college basketball. The tournament is also called “The Big Dance.” In 1939, the first March Madness featured eight teams—Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah State, Villanova, Brown, Wake Forest […]

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Damaso Marte, Mark Teixeira #25 (C) and Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees celebrate with teammates after their 7-3 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Six of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on November 4, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

World Series History

1903: First World Series Played The first modern World Series was a best-of-nine series played in 1903 between the American League champion Boston Americans (later Red Sox) and National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates. The Americans won the final four games to win the championship, 5-3. Boston pitcher Cy Young, MLB’s all-time leader in wins (511), […]

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Romania's Nadia Comaneci on the balance beam at the Summer Olympics in 1976.

The Modern Summer Olympic Games: A Timeline

Modern Olympic history is full of heart-thumping victories and painful defeats. But a look back at the 28 Summer Games that have taken place since 1896 also offer a snapshot of geopolitics, a shift in women’s rights and the state of global affairs. From Athens to Rio, in the last 125 years, the Games have […]

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Kentucky Derby

FIRST KENTUCKY DERBY The Kentucky Derby was started by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., grandson of explorer William Clark, of Lewis and Clark Expedition fame. Clark, who was inspired by horse races he’d seen in Europe, raised the money to build Churchill Downs on land donated by his uncles. In 1872, Clark traveled to Europe, where […]

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Basketball, football and baseball are the three most popular sports in the United States.

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The Origins of 7 Popular Sports

Their backstories may surprise you.

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Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton, the first Black player to sign an NBA contract

9 Black Athletes Who Integrated Professional Sports

After WWII, racial barriers in sports slowly began to drop. Jackie Robinson was not the only athlete on the front lines of these changes.

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Jackie Robinson: His Life and Career in Pictures

Jackie Robinson: His Life and Career in Pictures

The six-time MLB All-Star and Hall of Famer wasn’t just a pioneering athlete. His effort—and sacrifice—launched a cascade of civil rights advances.

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Ancient Greek Sports. Three nude athletes are depicted competing in a foot-race on an ancient Greek amphora. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

7 Sports of Ancient Greece

Ancient Greek athletes competed in individual sports that placed physical prowess on display.

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This Day in History

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1929

Cleveland becomes first MLB team play with  numbers on back of jerseys

Sports
1878

First US cycling club formed

Sports
1940

NHL game televised in US for first time

Sports
1998

US women win the first Winter Olympics hockey gold medal

Sports
1953

Albright becomes first female US figure skater to win world title

Sports
1975

Lee Elder becomes first Black golfer to play in Masters

Sports
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