Timeline
- 1974
- Hank Aaron Breaks the All-Time Home Run Record
Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's record to be baseball's All-Time Home Run leader as he hits number 715 off the Los Angeles Dodgers' Al Downing at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
- Bob Gibson reaches 3,000 strikouts
July 17, 1974 - Cardinals right-hander Bob Gibson becomes the second pitcher in major league history to record 3000 career strikeouts when he fans Cesar Geronimo of the Cincinnati Reds. He was on his way to a total of 3,117 career K's.
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- 1975
- Frank Robinson becomes the first black manager of a major league baseball team
Hired by the Cleveland Indians in 1975, Frank RObinson became the first black manager of a major league baseball team.
- 1976
- Edwin Moses sets 400-mter hurdles world record
July 25, 1976 - In his first international competition, Edwin Moses, a 20-year-old senior at Morehouse College in Atlanta, set a world record of 47.64 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles as he won the gold medal at the Montreal Olympics. The former record holder, John Akii-Bua of Uganda, was a no-show because African countries boycotted the Games over apartheid in South Africa.
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- 1979
- Dave Parker becomes the first million-dollar-a-year player
January 27, 1979 - Dave Parker signed a five-year, five million dollar contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- 1980
- Sharon Richardson Jones becomes first black woman in major league baseball administration
Sharon Richardson Jones was named director of outreach activities for the Oakland Athletics, becoming the first black woman in major league baseball administration.
- 1983
- George Raveling became the first black basketball coach at Iowa
George Raveling became the first black head basketball coach at the University of Iowa. The following year he was an assistant coach for the 1984 Olympic Squad.
- 1984
- Lynette Woodard is first woman to play for the Globetrotters
Lynette Woodard of the University of Kansas was the first woman to become a member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
- John Thompson becomes first black coach to win Div. I NCAA Championship
April 3, 1984 - John Thompson of Georgetown University became the first black coach to win the NCAA Division I Championship. The squad, led by Patrick Ewing, won over Houston 84-75. A former Boston Celtics player, Thompson began his coaching career at St. Anthony's High School in Washington, D.C., and moved to the Georgetown Hoyas in 1972.
- 1985
- Kareem Abdul becomes all-time leading scorer in NBA Playoff history
June 2, 1985 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers became the all-time leading scorer in NBA Playoff history, surpassing Jerry West's total of 4,457 points, as the Lakers beat Boston 136-111 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, a series they would win in six games. Abdul-Jabbar was eventually passed for total playoff points by Chicago's Michael Jordan.
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- 1988
- Doug Williams wins Super Bowl XXII
Doug Williams becomes the first African-American quarterback to start in the Super Bowl.
- Mike Tyson defeats Spikes in record time
June 27, 1988 - Mike Tyson, having stated that his only purpose in the ring was to inflict pain, beat Michael Spinks, looking like a deer in the headlights, into submission in 1 minute 31 seconds of the first round of their bout for the unified world heavyweight title in Atlantic City. The knockout was the fourth quickest in heavyweight championship history.
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- Florence Griffith-Joyner sets 100-meter World Record
July 16, 1988 - Florence Griffith Joyner set a women's world record in the 100 meters on this date at the United States Olympic track and field trials. Always known for her fashion, she dawned a one-legged body suit as she ran a world record time of 10.49 seconds.
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- 1989
- Bill White becomes the first black president of a baseball league
Bill White, a Lakewood, Florida native, was the first black president of baseball league, the National league. He entered professional baseball in 1956 when he joined the New York Giants.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar plays his final regular season game
April 23, 1989 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers, the all-time NBA scoring leader, played his final regular season game as his Lakers defeated the Seattle Supersonics 121-117. It was his 1,560th league game as he scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. He was given a white Rolls-Royce by his teammates.
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