Today in sports history, October 24

Oct. 24 Today in sports history Today is Oct. 24. On this date in: 1857: Sheffield Football Club was founded by Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest in England, creating the club recognized by FIFA as the oldest existing football club in the world. 1939: Joe DiMaggio was named the American League Most Valuable Player after leading the Yankees to another pennant-winning season. 1959: Wilt Chamberlain made his NBA debut for the Philadelphia Warriors and erupted for 43 points and 28 rebounds in a 118-109 victory over the New York Knicks. 1963: Sandy Koufax became the unanimous winner of the Cy Young Award after a dominant season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 1968: Debbie Meyer won the inaugural Olympic women's 800-meter freestyle title at the Mexico City Games, becoming the first swimmer to capture three individual gold medals at a single Olympics. 1971: Detroit Lions receiver Chuck Hughes suffered a fatal heart attack during a game against the Chicago Bears, becoming the only NFL player to die during a game. 1976: Denver Broncos return specialist Rick Upchurch scored his fourth punt-return touchdown of the season in a 35-26 victory over Kansas City, tying the NFL single-season record. 1976: James Hunt finished third in a rain-soaked Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji Speedway to win the Formula 1 drivers' world championship by one point over Niki Lauda. Mario Andretti won the race after Lauda withdrew because of the dangerous conditions. 1976: Bobby Orr scored twice for the Chicago Blackhawks to reach 900 career NHL points, becoming the first defenseman in league history to attain the milestone. 1976: The New York City Marathon was run through all five boroughs for the first time, transforming the race into a global showcase for distance running. Bill Rodgers won the men's race. 1992: The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in 11 innings in Game 6 to win their first World Series. Dave Winfield's two-run double in the 11th provided the decisive runs. 1998: Texas running back Ricky Williams became NCAA Division I football's career scoring leader, reaching 428 points in a victory over Baylor. 2000: The New York Mets beat the New York Yankees 4-2 in Game 3 of the World Series, ending the Yankees' record 14-game World Series winning streak. 2002: The San Francisco Giants routed the Anaheim Angels 16-4 in Game 5 of the World Series as Jeff Kent hit two home runs. Giants first baseman J.T. Snow also pulled 3-year-old batboy Darren Baker away from a potential collision at home plate during the game. 2002: Patrick Roy helped the Colorado Avalanche defeat Phoenix while appearing in his 972nd NHL game, passing Terry Sawchuk for the most games played by a goaltender in league history. 2003: Se Ri Pak became the first woman since Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1945 to make the cut in a men's professional golf tournament. 2004: Curt Schilling pitched on an injured ankle as the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 in Game 2 of the World Series. He became the first pitcher to win World Series games for three franchises. 2010: Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall intercepted four passes, including a 92-yard touchdown return, tying the NFL single-game record in a 17-14 victory over the Chicago Bears. 2012: Pablo Sandoval hit three home runs as the San Francisco Giants beat the Detroit Tigers 8-3 in Game 1 of the World Series, joining Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols as the only players at the time with three homers in a World Series game. 2015: Georgia Tech's Patrick Gamble blocked Florida State's potential winning field goal and Lance Austin returned the loose ball 78 yards for a touchdown as time expired for a 22-16 upset, ending the Seminoles' 28-game ACC winning streak. 2018: Stephen Curry scored 51 points in just three quarters, leading Golden State to a 144-122 win over Washington. 2022: Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored his 122nd career game-winning goal, passing Gordie Howe for second place in NHL history behind Jaromír Jágr. 2023: The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series to win their second National League pennant and first since 2001. 2025: The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in Game 1 of the World Series, scoring nine runs in the sixth inning. Addison Barger hit the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history. — USA TODAY Network This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.