Monumental Moments in Sport Trivia Quiz

Since 1919, American Jack Dempsey had held the title of World Heavyweight Champion. In his third time defending his title, he faced the World Light-Heavyweight Champion in French boxer Georges Carpentier. Billed as the "Fight of the Century," the match was held in New Jersey on the night of Saturday, July 2nd, 1921.

Apart from being a clash of champions, the title match was significant for another reason: it was the first match broadcast over the radio, drawing in an estimated 300,000 listeners. The experience would revitalize the world of boxing as a mainstream sport, making it accessible to all.

Dempsey defended his title, knocking out Carpentier in the fourth round. It would be another five years before Dempsey would lose his title (to Gene Tunney).

The 1936 summer Olympics were held in Berlin, in the midst of Adolf Hitler's rise to power and just three years ahead of the onset of World War II. Hitler tried to use the platform of the Olympics as part of his campaign of propaganda, promoting his vision of Aryan supremacy and the supposed superiority of the German 'master race.'

As an African American athlete, Jesse Owens shattered these ideas by winning four gold medals in track and field events, including the long jump, the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and the 4x100-meter relay. Apart from that amazing accomplishment, Owens' success also challenged the Nazi ideology of racial superiority and exposed it as a hollow myth.

Jackie Robinson played his first MLB game with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15th, 1947, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Prior to his landmark moment, the professional baseball was segregated, with African American players barred from playing in the major leagues. Robinson's entry into the league paved the way for other African American players to follow, and helped to break down racial barriers in other areas of American society.

While taking on Robinson was a political statement by the team ownership, it was also a practical decision. Robinson won Rookie of the Year in 1947, and helped the team to the National League pennant in 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953. Of course, Robinson's legacy extends beyond baseball. He became a symbol of the civil rights movement, and his courage and determination in the face of adversity inspired others to fight for racial equality.

Although many people have broken the 'four-minute barrier' since Roger Bannister first achieved it on May 6th, 1954, at the time it was considered an unbeatable mark. Bannister did not come by this accomplishment by happenstance. He trained for years, developing a comprehensive training plan and utilizing a running coach.

On that historic day, Bannister ran the mile in 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds at the Iffley Road track in Oxford, England. His achievement captured the world's attention and made him an instant celebrity. Bannister's achievement was a major milestone in the history of athletics and had a profound impact on the sport. It demonstrated that seemingly insurmountable barriers could be overcome with hard work, dedication, and determination. It also inspired generations of runners to push themselves to new limits and set new records.

On March 2nd, 1962, Wilt 'the Stilt' Chamberlain, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, scored 100 points while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors in a game against the New York Knicks. He accomplished this remarkable feat by making 36 field goals and 28 free throws, while also grabbing 25 rebounds. It was a blow-out game, with the final score being 169-147.

It's worth noting that Chamberlain's 100-point game occurred before the three-point line was introduced to the NBA, so all of his points came from within the two-point range.

In 1966, the American Football League and the National Football League merged and announced plans to add multiple expansion teams. One of the teams that was debuted that year was the Miami Dolphins, who would spend their first four years as part of the American Football League (Eastern Division) before the merger finalized. In those first four years they amassed a poor record of 15 wins, 39 losses, and 2 ties.

As part of the National Football League (AFC East Division) beginning in 1970, things began looking up, as the team, under Don Shula, began putting up consistent winning records. Then in 1972, in just their seventh season, the Dolphins managed a feat that would not be replicated for more than 30 years, and even then not completely.

The Miami Dolphins had a true perfect season, winning all 14 regular season games, then following that up by winning the Divisional Playoff match against the Cleveland Browns, the AFC Championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and finally the Super Bowl game against the Washington Redskins.

The first team to replicate the Dolphin's perfect season was the 2007 New England Patriots, who went 16-0 in their regular season, plus their first two games of the post-season. But they were unable to complete the final act, losing the Super Bowl that year to the New York Giants.

At the 1980 winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, there was no question who were the favourites to win hockey gold. The Soviet Union team was considered the best in the world at the time, having won every Olympic hockey tournament since 1964. In contrast, the U.S. team was made up of amateur players, many of whom were college students, and was not expected to even reach the medal round.

After going undefeated in the round robin, the U.S. team were matched against the Soviets in the first game of the medal round. They were 2-2 after the first period, and the Soviets took the lead into the third period at 3-2. The Americans responded with two goals in the third, and despite intense pressure from the Soviet team in the final minutes of the game, the U.S. team managed to hold on to their lead and win the game 4-3. The victory was seen as a huge upset and sparked wild celebrations among the American fans in attendance.

The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal by defeating Finland in the final game, but it was their victory over the Soviet Union that is remembered as one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports.

1994 saw the end of apartheid in South Africa and a return for the country to international sports competitions after years of boycotting. So, the 1995 Rugby World Cup was held in South Africa, and it was a significant moment in the country's history, serving as a symbol of the country's reconciliation and transformation.

The South African national rugby team (the Springboks) had not been allowed to compete in the two previous Rugby World Cups, and they entered the tournament as underdogs, also having struggled in previous international competitions. In spite of this, they managed to advance to the final, where they faced the heavily favoured New Zealand All Blacks, the defending champions and the top-ranked team in the world.

An estimated global audience of over 60 million people watched the final match on June 24th, and despite a valiant effort from the All Blacks, the Springboks won the game 15-12 after extra time, with fly-half Joel Stransky scoring a drop goal in the final moments to seal the victory. The win was celebrated throughout South Africa, and it was seen as a symbol of national unity and reconciliation.

The previous record for gold medals by an individual at the Olympics was seven, set in 1972 by Mark Spitz (in swimming). In the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, China, Michael Phelps surpassed that record by winning gold in every event he competed in, and he also set new world records in seven of those events.

The different events he competed in were the 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x200m freestyle relay, and 4x100m medley relay.

In all, Phelps competed in five different Olympics (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016), winning a total of 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals.

Before winning the World Series in 2016, the Chicago Cubs had only won it twice previously - the first time in 1907, and the second time in 1908, both over the Detroit Tigers. That 108-year timespan between championships was the longest drought in (American) professional sports history.

Ironically, the team that they defeated in 2016 became the new holder of the title of longest MLB championship drought. After a hard-fought battle, the Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in seven games, including going to extra innings in game seven (on November 2nd). The last time Cleveland (now the Cleveland Guardians) won a World Series was in 1948.