July 4 is forever etched into the history books as the date on which the United States declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. The 247 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence have seen countless great American sports moments, including some that fell on the anniversary of the nation's birth.
As we get ready to celebrate the Fourth of July this coming Tuesday, let's take a look back at some of the most memorable Independence Day sports moments.
Boxing: Jack Johnson vs. James Jeffries (1910)
Jack Johnson became the first African American to win the heavyweight boxing title in 1908, while James Jeffries had retired in 1905 as the undefeated champion, making this 1910 bout the most anticipated boxing match ever to take place on July 4. Johnson overpowered the past-his-prime Jeffries with a 15th-round TKO after scoring two knockdowns earlier in the fight. This Independence Day boxing match was memorable not only due to the pre-fight hype, but also for being a monumental moment in the advancement of African American athletes.
Johnson vs Jeffries wasn't the only major Independence Day moment in boxing. On July 4, 1919, Jack Dempsey gave reigning world champion Jess Willard arguably the biggest Independence Day beatdown of all time. Dempsey knocked Willard down seven times in the first round alone, and he ultimately broke Willard's jaw, cheek bone and ribs — in addition to causing permanent hearing loss — before Willard failed to leave his corner at the start of the fourth round.
Fifteen years after Dempsey's memorable victory, July 4, 1934 marked the professional boxing debut of Joe Louis. He defeated Jack Kracken that day and went on to post a career record of 66-3, including a record 25 consecutive defenses of his world heavyweight title. Louis was the second African-American heavyweight champion, following in Johnson's footsteps.
Baseball: Lou Gehrig's Farewell Speech (1939)
One of the most memorable events in baseball history took place on July 4, 1939, when Lou Gehrig addressed the Yankee Stadium crowd in a farewell speech after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Gehrig had retired in June of 1939 due to the diagnosis and went on to pass away two years later. As the Yankees retired his No. 4 jersey, the emotional Gehrig proclaimed himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth" for having been given the opportunity to play out his illustrious baseball career, which included a streak of 2,130 consecutive games played.
Exactly 44 years after Gehrig's timeless speech, Yankees lefty Dave Righetti honored the Iron Horse's memory with a no-hitter against the rival Red Sox in 1983. In addition to being the first no-hitter by a Yankees pitcher since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series, Righetti's no-hitter was the third thrown on July 4. Hooks Wiltse pitched 10 no-hit innings for the New York Giants in a 1-0 win over the Phillies on Independence Day in 1908, and George Mullin of the Tigers tossed a birthday no-hitter against the St. Louis Browns on July 4, 1912.
Tennis: John McEnroe Ends Bjorn Borg's Reign At Wimbledon (1981)
John McEnroe gave Americans further cause for celebration on July 4, 1981 when the fiery lefty defeated Bjorn Borg of Sweden in the final of Wimbledon. After Borg had beaten McEnroe 8-6 in the fifth set in the 1980 final to win his fifth consecutive Wimbledon men's singles title, McEnroe came out on top in 1981 with a 4-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory. With the Independence Day win over his biggest rival, McEnroe secured the first of his three career Wimbledon titles.
McEnroe's first Wimbledon title came exactly six years after the final Wimbledon title of another all-time great American tennis player: Billie Jean King. After her convincing 6-0, 6-1 drubbing of Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the Wimbledon championship match on July 4, 1975 to capture her sixth Wimbledon and 12th career Grand Slam singles title, King announced, "I'm never coming back." The 31-year-old could have gone out on the ultimate high note had she stayed retired, but King returned to Grand Slam singles play two years later and continued to play until 1983, though she never won another one.
NASCAR: Richard Petty's 200th and Final Win (1984)
Richard Petty narrowly edged Cale Yarborough at Daytona's Firecracker 400 to pick up his milestone 200th victory, which turned out to be the last one of The King's legendary career. The final two laps of the 160-lap race took place under caution, so the mad dash to the finish line actually took place on lap 158. July 4, 1984 was a memorable day not only for one of NASCAR's legends but for the sport itself, as Ronald Reagan became the first president to attend a NASCAR race and personally congratulated Petty on his thrilling victory.
Soccer: USA's Valiant World Cup Effort (1994)
The Continental Army overcame long odds against an established superpower to win America's independence, and while the stakes were much lower here in 1994, it would have required a similarly Herculean effort for the U.S. men's soccer team to defeat a world superpower. The host Americans had beaten Colombia and tied Switzerland in the group stage to advance to the knockout rounds -- greatly boosting soccer's popularity in the U.S. along the way -- but Team USA couldn't overcome the odds against heavily favored Brazil in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup on July 4, 1994. The American men fought valiantly at Stanford Stadium but lost 1-0 to the eventual 1994 World Cup champs.
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