| December 25 |
 |
| 1621 |
|
Governor William Bradford of Plymouth
forbad game playing on Christmas day. |
| 1930 |
Mount Van Hoevenberg became first
US bobsled run open to the public (Lake Placid,
NY). |
| 1971 |
Longest NFL game as
Miami Dolphins beat Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 (1:12:40). |
| 1971 |
NFL's Kansas City Chiefs played in
Municipal Stadium for the last time, losing to the
Miami Dolphins 27-24. |
| 1973 |
Tommy Chambers of Scotland
finished 51-year cycle tour (799,405 miles). |
| |
| December
26 |
| 1908 |
|
Jack Johnson KOd Tommy
Burns in the 14th round in Sydney, Australia to
become boxing's Heavyweight Champion. The police
halted the contest. |
| 1917 |
Toronto Maple Leafs'
Harry Cameron became first NHL defensemen to score
a goal. |
| 1925 |
NHL record 141 shots
as the New York Americans (73) beat Pittsburgh Pirates
(68) 3-1. |
| 1934 |
Japan's first professional
baseball team formed (Yomiuri Giants). |
| 1968 |
Boston Bruins' Ted Green
set NHL penalty record of 3 minors, 2 majors &
2 game misconducts in a game against the New York
Rangers. |
| 1970 |
NFL's Dallas Cowboys
played in the Cotton Bowl for the last time, beating
the Detroit Lions 5-0. |
| 1986 |
Doug Jarvis, 31, set
NHL record of 916 consecutive games. |
| 1990 |
Senior Professional Baseball
Association folded. |
| 1992 |
New York Jets announcer
Marty Glickman retired at 75. |
| 1993 |
The Senior PGA Tour (Raymond
Floyd, Jack Nicklaus, Chi Chi Rodriguez) won the
LPGA Wendy’s Three-Tour Challenge at Colleton
River Plantation in Hilton Head Island, SC. |
| 1998 |
NFL's Tennessee Oilers
played in the Liberty Bowl for the last time, losing
to the Minnesota Vikings 26-16. |
| 2004 |
|
NFL's New Orleans Saints
played in the Louisiana Superdome for the last time,
beating the Atlanta Falcons 26-13. |
| |
| December 27 |
| 1979 |
|
NHL's Detroit Red Wings
playe in Joe Louis Arena for the first time, losing
to the St. Louis Blues 3-2. |
| 1981 |
Edmonton Oilers' Wayne
Gretzky became fastest to get 100 NHL points (38th
game). |
| 1987 |
Steve Largent set NFL
reception record for when he caught his 752nd pass. |
| 1992 |
The LPGA Tour (Patty
Sheehan, Nancy Lopez, Dottie Mochrie) won the LPGA
Wendy’s Three-Tour Challenge at New Albany
Country Club in Columbus, OH. |
| |
| December 28 |
| 1887 |
|
Sir John Layton Jarvis
became the first British race horse trainer to be
knighted. |
| 1902 |
Syracuse AC beat New
York, made up of Phila A's & Phillies players,
6-0 in first indoor pro football game (Madison Square
Garden II, NYC). |
| 1905 |
Intercollegiate Athletic
Association of US founded (becomes NCAA in 1910). |
| 1969 |
Dallas Cowboys' Mike
Clark, attempting an on-side kick against Cleveland,
missed the ball. |
| 1997 |
NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers
played in Houlihan's Stadium for the last time,
beating the Detroit Lions 23-10. |
| 2002 |
NFL's Philadelphia Eagles
played in Veterans Stadium for the last time, losing
to the New York Giants 10-7. |
| |
| December
29 |
| 1878 |
|
The Professional Baseball
League of Cuba was founded in Havana. |
| 1885 |
Gottlieb Daimler patented
first bike (Germany). |
| 1930 |
Fred P. Newton completed
longest swim ever (1826 miles), when he swam in
the Mississippi River from Ford Dam, MN to New Orleans,
LA. |
| 1979 |
NFL's San Diego Chargers
played in San Diego Stadium for the last time, losing
to the Houston Oilers 17-14. |
| 1982 |
Coach Paul "Bear"
Bryant ended his career with Alabama (323 wins). |
| 1996 |
The PGA Tour (Davis Love
III, Payne Stewart, Fred Couples) won the LPGA Wendy’s
Three-Tour Challenge at South Shore Golf Club in
Lake Las Vegas, Henderson, NV. |
| |
| December 30 |
| 1905 |
|
Victor Hémery
in a Darracq V8 Special set world kilometer auto
speed record at 175.44 km/h (109.65 MPH). |
| 1954 |
First use of 24-second
shot clock in pro basketball (Rochester vs Boston). |
| 1981 |
Wayne Gretzky set NHL
record of 50 goals by 39th game of season. |
| |
| December 31 |
| 1950 |
|
Jockeys Willie Shoemaker
& Joe Culmone set record of 388 wins in a year. |
| 1953 |
Jockey Willie Shoemaker
shattered record, riding 485 winners in a year. |
| 1958 |
Willie Shoemaker was
first jockey to win national riding championship
4 times. |
| 1962 |
American Basketball League
announced suspension of operation. |
| 1964 |
Donald Campbell of the
UK set world water speed record (276.33 mph). |
| 1967 |
NBA's Los Angeles Lakers
played in the Forum for the first time, beating
Houston 147-118. |
| 1988 |
Pittsburgh Penguins'
Mario Lemieux became the first player in NHL history
to score goals five different ways – even-strength,
power play, short-handed, penalty shot and empty
net. |
| 1989 |
Fog Bowl: Heavy fog rolled
in on NFL's Chicago Bears 20-12 victory over Philadelphia
Eagles. |
