This Day in Sports History: March 3
Sports in March include crucial stretches of the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB Spring Training/Opening Day, March Madness, NASCAR, Formula 1, UFC Fight Nights, and some PGA Tour Events. Over…
Sports in March include crucial stretches of the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB Spring Training/Opening Day, March Madness, NASCAR, Formula 1, UFC Fight Nights, and some PGA Tour Events. Over the years, March 3 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 March 3 included:
- 1841: In the third Grand National, Horatio Powell won aboard 14/1 Charity, and it was the first mare to win the race.
- 1920: The Montreal Canadiens set an NHL record, scoring 16 goals in a win over the Quebec Bulldogs.
- 1951: Bill Mikvy of Temple University scored an NCAA basketball record of 73 points, including 54 straight, in a 93-69 win on the road at Wilkes College.
- 1956: At the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, North Carolina State University beat Wake Forest, 76-64.
- 1956: Dutch swimmer Cockie Gastelaars broke a 20-year-old world record for the 100-meter freestyle.
- 1962: Wake Forest defeated Clemson 77-66 in the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament.
- 1968: The Toronto Maple Leafs sent future Hockey Hall of Fame left winger Frank Mahovlich to rival Detroit Red Wings.
- 1968: Jean Beliveau of the Montreal Canadiens became the second NHLer to score 1,000 points.
- 1977: The Islanders allowed only 11 shots on goal from the Red Wings.
- 1977: The World Ladies' Figure Skating Championship was won by Linda Fratianne.
- 1979: The Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament saw Tennessee beat Kentucky, 75-69.
- 1979: At the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament, the University of North Carolina defeated Duke University, 71-63.
- 1981: The New York Islanders' Mike Bossy scored his ninth and final hat trick of the season. He went on to score four goals, marking his fourth career four-goal game, in an 8-8 tie against the visiting Edmonton Oilers.
- 1985: Bill Shoemaker became the first jockey to win $100 million.
- 1991: David Boon achieved his tenth test cricket century, scoring 109 (not out) in a match against the West Indies at Kingston.
- 1992: Mike Bossy's number 22 was the second jersey number retired by the New York Islanders.
- 1994: The United States Internal Revenue Service investigated baseball player Darryl Strawberry.
- 2018: Brian Ortega was the first to finish Frankie Edgar in mixed martial arts at the Ultimate Fighting Championship 222. The win earned him the Performance of the Night bonus.
- 2024: Iowa's Caitlin Clark became the NCAA Division I all-time career scoring leader, surpassing Pete Maravich's career total of 3,667 points. Clark's 35 points in a win over visiting Ohio State brought her total to 3,685.
Three athletes who stood out on March 3 were Mike Bossy, Bill Shoemaker, and Brian Ortega.
Bossy was a central figure in the Islanders' four consecutive Stanley Cup championships (1980–1983), notoriously setting records with nine consecutive 50-goal seasons and holding the highest career goals-per-game average (0.762). Shoemaker was famous for winning 11 Triple Crown races, including four Kentucky Derbies. Ortega is famous for his elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, thrilling "come-from-behind" victories, and a relentless "Mexican warrior" fighting style.
