Athletics

On November 6, 1869, Rutgers College and the College of New Jersey (later named Princeton) played the first game of intercollegiate football in America.

On September 22, 1981, the USPS inaugurated its Sports Series (sometimes called the American Sports Personalities Series), honoring some of America’s most notable athletes. 

Raymond “Ray” Clarence Ewry was born on October 14, 1873, in Lafayette, Indiana.  An eight-time gold medal winner, Ewry was one of the most successful Olympians of all time.

Maureen Catherine Connolly-Brinker, also known as “Little Mo,” was born on September 17, 1934, in San Diego, California.  For four years, she dominated women’s tennis, winning nine Grand Slam singles titles, over 50 consecutive matches, and was named Female Athlete of the year – three years in a row.

On July 30, 1932, the Games of the X Olympiad opened in Los Angeles, California. The games’s opening ceremonies were the largest up to that time, breaking the previous attendance record by 25,000.

On July 28, 1984, the Summer Olympic Games opened in Los Angeles, California. They were the first games to be opened by a sitting US president, which was one of many highlights…

On July 25, 1992, the opening ceremonies marked the start of the Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona, Spain. These games included many firsts, lasts, and records…

On November 21, 1848, the first American Turners gymnastic union was established in Cincinnati, Ohio.