Timeline
- 1989
- Bertram Lee and Peter Bynoe are first black NBA team owners
The first black team owners were Bertram Lee and Peter Bynoe, Chicago businessmen. On July 10, they purchased the Denver Nuggets for $65 million.
- Eric Greg becomes the first black umpire to officiate in a World Series game.
Eric Greg was the first black umpire to officiate in a World Series game. He appeared in the contest between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants but was unable to work behind the plate since the series ended before his turn.
- Art Shell becomes the first black head coach in modern NFL history
October 3, 1989 - Hired by the Los Angeles Raiders, Shell compiled a record of 54 wins, 38 losses, and was named AFC Coach of the Year in 1990, when the Raiders won the AFC West division with a 12-4 record, and advanced to the AFC championship game in the playoffs.
- 1990
- Clarence "Bighouse" Gaines wins his 800th game
January 24, 1990 - "Bighouse" Gaines won his 800th game - at the time, the most ever in basketball history. Upon his retirement as basketball coach at Winston-Salem State University in 1993, Gaines had amassed a win/loss record of 828-446, making him the winningest active basketball coach in NCAA history (c. 1990). Gaines retired in 1993, having served the college for forty-seven years as head coach, head football coach, chair of the department of physical education and athletic director.
- Elaine C. Weddington becomes first black woman assistant general manager
The first black woman assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox was Elaine C. Weddington.
- 1991
- Bo Jackson suffers devasting injury
January 13, 1991 - Bo Jackson of the Los Angeles Raiders hurt his hip in the AFC divisional playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals at the L.A. Coliseum. The injury led to a degenerative condition that forced his retirement from both football and baseball in 1994 following hip replacement surgery.
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- Rickey Henderson breaks all-time base stealing record
On May 1, 1991, Henderson broke one of baseball's most famous records when he stole the 939th base of his career, one more than Lou Brock.
- Willy T. Ribbs becomes first black ever to qualify for the Indy 500
On May 19, 1991, Willy T. Ribbs became the first black ever to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Ribbs landed his spot in the competition with only 45 minutes left in the final six-hour qualifying session--just one week before the event. He drove his Buick-powered 1990 Lola ten miles around the two-and-one-half mile oval at an average speed of 217.358 mph, making him the fastest qualifier of the day.
- 1992
- Dawes and Okino became the first black women gymnast to compete on the US Olympic team
The first black women gymnasts to compete on a United States Olympic team were Dominique Dawes and Elizabeth Okino, who were in the games in Barcelona, Spain.
- 1994
- Michael Moorer becomes first left-handed heavyweight champion
Aprill 22, 1994 - Michael Moorer challenged Evander Holyfield for the IBF and WBA heavyweight championships. After overcoming a second-round knockdown he went on to win a majority decision and become the first ever left-handed heavyweight champion.
- 1996
- Barry Bonds joins the 300-300 club
April 27, 1996 - Barry Bonds, joins his father and godfather, becoming only the fourth major leaguer to hit 300 homers and swipe 300 bases as he homers for the Giants' in a 6-3 victory over the Marlins. Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays and Andre Dawson are the only other 300-300 players.
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- Muhammad Ali lights the Olympic flame
July 19, 1996 - Muhammad Ali, aged 54, his movements slowed by Parkinson's syndrome, lights the Olympic flame in the opening ceremony of the Atlanta Games. The whole world gasped in shock when Ali suddenly materialized on that platform at the far end of Olympic Stadium, the perfect choice to light the cauldron. The perfect symbol for the ceremony. Everybody knew the theme of these Games was "look how far we've come," to justify this event being given to Atlanta.
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- Carl Lewis wins fourth Olympic Gold Medal in same event
July 29, 1996 - On his third attempt in the long jump at the Atlanta Games, Carl Lewis, 35, leapt 27 feet 10 3/4 inches to win his fourth Olympic long jump, tying him with former discus champion Al Oerter of the United States as the only athletes to win four gold medals in the same event.
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- Michael Johnson sets a second world record at Olympic Games
1996-08-01Michael Johnson becomes the only man in history to have won both the 200- and 400-meter sprints in a single Olympics. On July 29, Johnson easily captured the 400 m Olympic title with an Olympic Record time of 43.49 seconds, almost one full second ahead of silver medalist Roger Black of Great Britain. At the 200 m final on August 1, Johnson ran the opening 100 meters in 10.12 seconds and finished the race in a world record time of 19.32 seconds, breaking by more than three tenths of a second the previous record he had set in the U.S. Olympic Trials—the largest improvement ever on a 200 m world record.
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- 1999
- Barry Bonds sets MLB intentional walks record
July 15, 1999 - At the Oakland Coliseum in the fifth inning of an 11-9 win over San Francisco, A's hurler Brad Rigby puts Barry Bonds on first base with free pass giving the Giants left fielder the major league record for intentional walks with 294. The previous mark was set by Hank Aaron.
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