TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1931 — John McGraw says night baseball will not catch on.

1939 — First NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: University of Oregon beats Ohio State 46-33. 1942 — Joe Louis knocks out Abe Simon in six to retain heavyweight boxing title, in New York City.

1945 — 7th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Oklahoma State beats NYU 49-44.

1951 — 13th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Kansas 68-58.

1962 — Jacques Plante ties record winning 6th NHL Vezina trophy. 1971 — 33rd NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Villanova 68-62; this is UCLA’s 5th consecutive NCAA basketball title. 1972 — Adolph Rupp retires after 42 years of coaching University of Kentucky.

1978 — 40th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Duke 94-88.

1983 — Larry Holmes beats Lucien Rodriguez in 12 rounds for heavyweight boxing title.

1988 — World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Budapest won by Katarina Witt (German Democratic Republic).

1988 — World Men’s Figure Skating Championship in Budapest won by Brian Boitano (USA).

1989 — Sports Illustrated magazine exposes baseball player Pete Rose’s gambling activities. The article alleges “Charlie Hustle” bet from the Riverfront dugout using hand gestures with an associate. 1991 — Scotty Bowman and Neil Armstrong elected to NHL Hall of Fame.

1994 — World Men’s Figure Skating Championship in Chiba won by Elvis Stojko (Canada).

Jacques Plante, the hockey pioneer who was the first to wear a mask in an NHL game, and winner of six Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, won the sixth of his seven Vezina Trophies (his 7th was a tie with Glenn Hall in 1969), 56 years ago today.