Today in sports history, October 1

October 1 holds a special place in sports history. The first World Series took place in 1903, with the Pittsburgh Pirates emerging victorious over the Boston Red Sox 7-3, led by Deacon Phillippe. Four years later, in 1921, Walter Hagen claimed his third major title by defeating Jim Barnes in the PGA Championship. The Chicago Bears officially adopted their iconic Bears nickname in 1922, defeating the Racine Legion 6-0 in their inaugural NFL game.

Rogers Hornsby of the St. Louis Cardinals set the remarkable feat of batting .401 while also hitting 40 home runs in 1922. Babe Ruth delivered an unforgettable "called shot" home run against Charlie Root in the 1932 World Series, Game 3. In 1961, Roger Maris smashed Babe Ruth's single-season record by hitting his 61st home run of the season.

Muhammad Ali triumphed over Joe Frazier in the "Thrilla in Manila" in 1975, setting a brutal heavyweight title clash. Track legend Florence Griffith Joyner clinched her third Olympic gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Steffi Graf achieved the unprecedented Golden Slam in tennis history, winning all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold in the same year in 1988.

The Soviet Union outplayed Brazil 2-1 to claim the men's Olympic soccer gold medal in Seoul. The NHL lockout of 1994 canceled 468 games, shortening the 1994-95 regular season to 48 games. In 2004, Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners shattered George Sisler's century-old major league single-season record with 262 hits. Michael Schumacher clinched his 91st Formula One victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in 2006, tying it with Fernando Alonso.

The Colorado Rockies snatched a thrilling 9-8 win against the San Diego Padres in 13 innings in 2007, securing their playoff berth with a dramatic sacrifice fly by Matt Holliday. In 2023, Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji stunned the world by winning the women's road mile at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga with a record time of 4:20.98.

Finally, Europe secured a 16½-11½ victory over the United States at the Ryder Cup outside Rome in 2023, reclaiming the prestigious trophy and extending their home winning streak to seven years.