Sports in February include the NBA and NHL seasons, Super Bowl, NBA All-Star game, college basketball tournaments, spring training for the MLB, NASCAR’s Daytona 500, Formula E, some PGA Tour Events and the Winter Olympics. Over the years, Feb. 17 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from Feb. 17 included:
- 1923: Ottawa left wing Cy Denneny passes Joe Malone as the all-time NHL goal-scoring leader. It was his 143rd career goal in a Senators’ 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
- 1924: Swimmer Johnny Weissmuller set the 100 meter world freestyle record with a time of 57.4 seconds.
- 1941: Joe Louis knocked out Gus Dorazio in the second round and retained his NYSAC heavyweight boxing title. It was his 14th title defense.
- 1943: NY Yankee Joe DiMaggio enlists in the US Army.
- 1951: Detroit right win Gordie Howe scores his 100th career NHL goal and adds an assist in a 2-1 Red Wings’ victory over the Canadiens, in Montreal, Quebec.
- 1955: Golfer Mike Souchak set a PGA 72-hole record of 257 and that remained unbroken until 2001.
- 1955: Figure skater Tenley Albright won the Ladies Figure Skating Championship.
- 1965: US-Japan baseball relations were suspended over the Masanori Murakami dispute.
- 1968: The Soviet Union wins its third Olympic ice hockey gold medal in Grenoble. The Soviets won the game 5-0 over Canada.
- 1974: Driver Richard Petty was the first driver to win back-to-back titles at the Daytona 500.
- 1979: Speed skater Eric Heiden equaled the world record 1000 meter time with a 1:14.99.
- 1987: New York Yankees Don Mattingly wins highest salary arbitration ($1,975,000 per year)
- 1989: Former baseball player and manager Leo Durocher is injured in a car crash.
- 1995: Tiger Manager Sparky Anderson takes unpaid leave due to the baseball strike.
- 1996: Garry Kasparov defeats chess-playing computer Deep Blue 4-2.
- 1998: The USA Women’s Ice Hockey Team beats Canada and wins the first Olympic Gold medal.
- 2008: The 57th NBA All-Star Game occurred at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. The East defeated the West 134-128, and the MVP was the King himself, LeBron James.
- 2013: The 62nd NBA All-Star Game happened at the Toyota Centre in Houston, Texas. The West defeated the East 143-138, and the MVP was Chris Paul.
- 2019: The 68th NBA All-Star Game took place at the Spectrum Centre in Charlotte, North Carolina. Team LeBron beat Team Giannis 178-164, and the MVP was Kevin Durant.
Three athletes who stood out on Feb. 17 were Joe Louis, Gordie Howe, and LeBron James.
Louis was an American professional boxer and reigning world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949, the longest-reigning champion in boxing history. Howe held NHL records with 801 goals and 1,850 points, won six MVPs, six scoring titles, and four Stanley Cups. James played for the Lakers, Heat, and Cavaliers. He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, a four-time champion, four-time MVP, and three-time Olympic gold medalist.