This Day in History (Williams' Wimbledon playground)
07/05/2009 | 03:42 PM
1947 — Larry Doby becomes the first black to play in the American League. He strikes out as a pinch-hitter for the Cleveland Indians in a 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
1952 — Maureen Connolly wins her first of three straight women's singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Louise Brough 6-4, 6-3.
1968 — The Philadelphia 76ers trade Wilt Chamberlain, basketball's greatest offensive player, to the Los Angeles Lakers after they are unable to sign him to a contract.
1968 — Australia's Rod Laver wins the first open Wimbledon tennis championship, defeating countryman Tony Roche 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Laver becomes the first player since Fred Perry (1934-36) to win the men's title three straight times.
1980 — Bjorn Borg of Sweden wins his fifth men's title at Wimbledon, defeating John McEnroe 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6.
1992 — Andre Agassi beats Goran Ivanisevic 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in the Wimbledon men's final to win his first Grand Slam title.
1993 — Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics opens both games of a doubleheader with a homer to become the first player to accomplish the feat in 60 years.
1996 — Frankie Fredericks edges Michael Johnson to win the men's 200 meters at the Bislett Games in Norway, snapping the American world champion's winning streak of 21 races.
1997 — Martina Hingis, 16, becomes the youngest player to win Wimbledon since 1887. Hingis comes back for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Jana Novotna.
2003 — Serena Williams beats sister Venus 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 for her second straight Wimbledon title. It's her fifth championship in the past six Grand Slams, each capped by a victory over Venus.
2004 — Eric Gagne's streak of 84 consecutive saves ends when he blows a two-run lead for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who come back to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 in 10 innings. Gagne comes in with a 5-3 lead at the start of the ninth but allows pinch-hitter Luis Gonzalez's RBI double and Chad Tracy's run-scoring single on an 0-2 pitch.
2008 — Venus Williams wins her fifth Wimbledon singles title, beating younger sister Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4 in the final. Defending champion Venus is 5-2 in Wimbledon finals, losing only to Serena in 2002 and '03. - Compiled by the Associated Press
1952 — Maureen Connolly wins her first of three straight women's singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Louise Brough 6-4, 6-3.
1968 — The Philadelphia 76ers trade Wilt Chamberlain, basketball's greatest offensive player, to the Los Angeles Lakers after they are unable to sign him to a contract.
1968 — Australia's Rod Laver wins the first open Wimbledon tennis championship, defeating countryman Tony Roche 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Laver becomes the first player since Fred Perry (1934-36) to win the men's title three straight times.
1980 — Bjorn Borg of Sweden wins his fifth men's title at Wimbledon, defeating John McEnroe 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6.
1992 — Andre Agassi beats Goran Ivanisevic 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in the Wimbledon men's final to win his first Grand Slam title.
1993 — Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics opens both games of a doubleheader with a homer to become the first player to accomplish the feat in 60 years.
1996 — Frankie Fredericks edges Michael Johnson to win the men's 200 meters at the Bislett Games in Norway, snapping the American world champion's winning streak of 21 races.
1997 — Martina Hingis, 16, becomes the youngest player to win Wimbledon since 1887. Hingis comes back for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Jana Novotna.
2003 — Serena Williams beats sister Venus 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 for her second straight Wimbledon title. It's her fifth championship in the past six Grand Slams, each capped by a victory over Venus.
2004 — Eric Gagne's streak of 84 consecutive saves ends when he blows a two-run lead for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who come back to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 in 10 innings. Gagne comes in with a 5-3 lead at the start of the ninth but allows pinch-hitter Luis Gonzalez's RBI double and Chad Tracy's run-scoring single on an 0-2 pitch.
2008 — Venus Williams wins her fifth Wimbledon singles title, beating younger sister Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4 in the final. Defending champion Venus is 5-2 in Wimbledon finals, losing only to Serena in 2002 and '03. - Compiled by the Associated Press
