Sports in April include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, the first month of the MLB, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand Prix events. Over the years, April 9 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 April 9 included: 

1880: Golfer Bob Ferguson won the first of three straight Open Championship titles.1896: Australian athlete Edwin Flack secured the middle-distance double at the Athens Olympics, winning the 800-meter final in 2:11.1925: Babe Ruth suffered a mysterious condition dubbed “the bellyache heard round the world.”1931: The Montreal Canadiens were defeated 3-2 by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third game of the Stanley Cup Finals but went on to clinch the best-of-five series.1941: Golfer Dorothy Kirby won the LPGA Titleholders Championship by 16 strokes.1946: The Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins 6-3 in Game 5 and won the Stanley Cup.1950: Jimmy Demaret became the first three-time Masters champion.1959: The Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Lakers 118-113, completing the first sweep in the NBA Finals and securing the first of eight consecutive titles.1959: Bill Sharman set an NBA record by hitting 56 consecutive foul shots.1962: Arnold Palmer won the third of his four Masters titles in a three-way, 18-hole Monday playoff with Gary Player and Dow Finsterwald.1965: Mickey Mantle hit the MLB’s first indoor home run at the Houston Astrodome.1972: Jack Nicklaus led wire-to-wire to win the fourth of his six Masters titles.1978: Gary Player shot a record-tying final round of 64 to win the tournament.1978: In separate NBA games, Denver’s David Thompson scored 73 points, and San Antonio’s George Gervin posted 63 points.1981: Los Angeles Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela made his MLB debut and was the star of the team’s 2-0 victory over the Astros. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards.1985: White Sox pitcher Tom Seaver started a record 15th Opening Day game.1987: For the third time, Wayne Gretzky scored seven points (one goal and six assists) in a Stanley Cup game.1989: Nick Faldo won the first of his three Masters titles.1989: The New York Yankees outfielder Rickey Henderson stole his 800th career base.1995: Ben Crenshaw won his second Masters title.2000: Fijian Vijay Singh won by three strokes from Ernie Els.2006: Phil Mickelson won his second green jacket.2017: Sergio Garcia won his first major title on his 74th attempt, defeating Justin Rose of England in a sudden-death playoff after they completed 72 holes.2017: Russell Westbrook set an NBA record with his 42nd triple-double.

Three athletes who stood out on April 9 were Dorothy Kirby, Bill Sharman, and Mickey Mantle.

Kirby was a prominent amateur golfer, with a career highlighted in lists of influential female golfers. She was known for her competitive spirit in the mid-20th century. Sharman won four NBA titles as a player, two as a coach, and multiple as an executive, becoming the first to win championships in all three roles. Mantle is famous for his immense power, speed, and 536 career home runs. He won seven World Series titles, three MVP awards, and the 1956 Triple Crown.