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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, April 6, 2010

On this date: 1896 — The first modern Olympic Games begin in Athens, Greece


Associated Press

April 6

1896 — The first modern Olympic Games begin in Athens, Greece. James B. Connelly wins the first event — the hop, step and jump.

1936 — Horton Smith edges Harry Cooper by one stroke to win the Masters.

1941 — Craig Wood beats Byron Nelson by three strokes to win the Masters.

1947 — Jimmy Demaret wins the Masters for the second time with two-stroke victory over Byron Nelson and Frank Stranahan.

1952 — Sam Snead wins his second Masters, beating Jack Burke Jr. by four shots.

1973 — Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees becomes the first major league designated hitter, in an opening-day game against Boston.

1987 — Sugar Ray Leonard returns to the ring after a three-year layoff to upset Marvelous Marvin Hagler in a 12-round split decision for the middleweight title, becoming boxing's 10th triple champion.

1992 — Duke becomes the first team in 19 years to repeat as NCAA champion with a 71-51 victory over Michigan's Fab Five freshmen, the youngest team to vie for the title.

2001 — Phoenix becomes the first team in NHL history to earn 90 points and not qualify for the postseason with its 5-2 win over Anaheim.

2004 — Connecticut's championship sweep is complete. Led by Diana Taurasi, UConn beats Tennessee 70-61. The victory by the women — their third straight and fourth in five years, makes Connecticut the first Division I basketball school to sweep both titles.

2008 — Lorena Ochoa continues her dominance of women's golf with a five-shot victory in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She finishes at 11-under 277, beating Suzann Pettersen and Annika Sorenstam.

2008 — Teenager Graham Rahal, making his first IRL IndyCar Series start in the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, holds off veteran Helio Castroneves to become the youngest winner in major open-wheel history. At 19 years, 93 days, Rahal breaks the age record set two years earlier in Sonoma, Calif., by Marco Andretti, who was 19 years, 167 days old.

2008 — Keith Tkachuk becomes the 41st player in NHL history to score 500 goals, and adds an assist to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 in the season finale.

2009 — Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and North Carolina win a national championship, ending Michigan State's inspirational run with an 89-72 rout. The Tar Heels take a 55-34 lead at halftime, breaking a 42-year-old title-game record for biggest lead at the break and setting the mark for most points at the half.