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Sports and recreation are an integral part of human history, from the ancient Olympics to the Kentucky Derby, Jackie Robinson, Negro League Baseball, the Super Bowl and more.

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Sports are an integral part of human history. Learn more about the Olympics, the Kentucky Derby, Jackie Robinson, Negro League Baseball, the Super Bowl and more.

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HISTORY

Discover what happened on October 26 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

October 26

Legacy Unpublished

From raising families to leading armies, women such as Catherine the Great, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Amanirenas, Queen Elizabeth I, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin and countless others have played a vital role in history.

Women’s History

<a href="http://history.com/">HISTORY.com</a> works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including <a href="https://www.history.com/author/amanda-onion">Amanda Onion</a>, <a href="https://www.history.com/author/missy-sullivan">Missy Sullivan</a>, <a href="https://www.history.com/author/matt-mullen">Matt Mullen</a> and Christian Zapata.

History.com Editors

Native Americans won U.S. citizenship in 1924, but others in the world would soon find that more difficult, due to the strict quotas of the 1924 Immigration Act. (Ironically, the Statue of Liberty, once a beacon to immigrants, became a national monument.) Walt Disney released the first cartoon from his own studio, Macy’s staged its first Thanksgiving Day parade and the first crossword puzzle book was published. In fads, Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly set the first record for flagpole sitting: 13 hours.

1924

2007

In 1957, the Soviet Union shot its Sputnik satellite into orbit, launching a space race with the U.S. The Little Rock Nine integrated an Arkansas high school to fierce local opposition, forcing President Eisenhower to send in federal troops to escort them. Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first such law since Reconstruction. In Liverpool, England, 16-year-old John Lennon and 15-year-old Paul McCartney met for the first time at a church fair. In the U.S., frisbees flew into popularity.

1957

1998

1940

1974 was a year of firsts. Richard Nixon, enmeshed in the Watergate scandal, became the first American president to resign from office. Hank Aaron became the first baseball player to top Babe Ruth’s career home run record. Scientists in Ethiopia found the first skeleton of a 3-million-year-old human ancestor that walked upright, while archaeologists in China unearthed an army of more than 8,000 lifesize terracotta warriors. In America, disco fever raged, and Archie Bunker broke TV sitcom ground with his blunt and bigoted take on hot-button social issues. 

1974

1875

Discover what happened on August 24 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

August 24

The final year of the Roaring Twenties, 1929 is etched in history as the year of the great stock market crash that launched a worldwide Great Depression, wiping out jobs, savings and housing security for millions. But 1929 was eventful in other respects, too: The Graf Zeppelin made the first nonstop flight around the world, Hollywood celebrated its own with the first-ever Academy Awards and the first car radio was introduced, bringing a whole new dimension to road tripping.

1929

1976

1878

Discover what happened on May 12 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

May 12

Discover what happened on July 18 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

July 18

Discover what happened on September 23 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

September 23

Discover what happened on February 11 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

February 11

Discover what happened on April 16 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

April 16

2015

Discover what happened on May 4 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

May 4

Discover what happened on February 25 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

February 25

Discover what happened on February 4 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

February 4

Discover what happened on February 17 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

February 17

In a year that would revolutionize transportation, Henry Ford’s introduced his first Model T and the Wright Brothers’ made their first public flight to demonstrate the airplane they’d invented several years earlier. In Europe, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, now seen as a prelude to World War I. In America, Sears started selling "kit" homes through its mail-order catalog, starting for $650. And the charismatic outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid reportedly met their end in Bolivia—although not everyone believed it.

1908

Discover what happened on June 12 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

Sports ‑ This Day In History

Controversial call ties Cubs the pennant

Captain Webb becomes first person to swim the English Channel

Olympic committee announces the creation of refugee team

Gymnast Nadia Comăneci scores first perfect “10” in Olympic history

Paris hosts its second Olympic Games

Under pressure, Little League Baseball allows girls to play

Tony Dungy becomes first Black head coach to win a Super Bowl

Ferrari race car crashes at Mille Miglia race, killing 11

Cleveland becomes first MLB team to play with numbers on back of jerseys

First US cycling club formed

NHL game televised in US for first time

U.S. women win the first Winter Olympics hockey gold medal