November 19, 1969: Brazilian footballer Pele is an icon. On November 19, 1969, he scored his 1,000th career goal. Pele’s Santos were facing Vasco de Gama at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium. With 12 minutes left in the game, 29-year-old Pele was standing on 999 career goals. No. 1,000 came on a penalty shot against Argentinian goalkeeper Edgardo Andrada in front of more than 65,000 fans.
November 19, 1978: We’ve all heard about “The Miracle at the Meadowlands,” numbers one, two and three. On November 19, 1978, the Eagles completed the first “Miracle at the Meadowlands.” The Giants were leading 17-12 with 31 seconds left and had the ball. The Giants wanted to ensure their quarterback doesn’t get injured when kneeling, and therefore decided to go for a running play. Quarterback Joe Pisarcik was distracted during the snap, the ball bounced off his finger and was scooped up by the Eagles Herman Edwards who ran it in for the game winning touchdown.
November 19, 1979: On November 19, 1979, Nolan Ryan became the first million dollar baseball player after the Houston Astros signed him to a four-year, $4.5 million contract. The deal made him the top-paid athlete in the history of baseball.
November 19, 1983: The “Mickey Mouse Team.” That’s what Edmonton Oilers center Wayne Gretzky called the New Jersey Devils after the Oilers defeated them 13-4 on November 19, 1983. Gretzky scored eight points – 3 goals and 5 assists – while Jari Kurri added another five goals in the rout.
November 20, 1977: There was another “flu” game for a Chicago star. On November 20, 1977, Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton was playing with a 101-degree temperature against the Minnesota Vikings. On that day, Payton had arguably the best game of his career, when he ran for a then-record 275 yards at Soldier Field.
November 21, 1934: This may have been one of the best purchases made by the New York Yankees. On November 21, 1934, the Bronx Bombers purchased 19-year-old Joe DiMaggio in a trade with the San Francisco Seals that sent Doc Farrell, Floyd Newkirk, Jimmy Densmore, Ted Norbert and $5,000 to the independent minor league team. Seemed to workout pretty well for the Yanks. DiMaggio won nine World Series titles in the Bronx, was a three-time MVP, 13-time All Star and won the batting title twice.
November 22, 2014: Leo Messi is one of the greatest footballers to ever step onto a pitch. On November 22, 2014, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 5-1 Barcelona win over Sevilla and set a new La Liga goals record. His first goal of the night equaled the record, the second led to a celebration on the field and the third was the cherry on top. The record was previously held by Atletico Bilbao striker Telmo Zarra, who set the record in 1955.
November 23, 1989: On November 23, 1989, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys played in what is now known as the “Bounty Bowl.” After a 27-0 loss, then rookies coach Jimmy Johnson accused the Eagles of putting bounties on quarterback Troy Aikman and former Eagles placekicker Luis Zendejas.
November 23, 1991: This isn’t a record the Sacramento Kings can be proud of, but at least it came to an end. On November 23, 1991, the Kings ended a 43-road game losing streak with a come from behind 95-93 win over the Orlando Magic.
November 24, 1960: Wilt Chamberlain has set plenty of records and has a long list of impressive box scores. On November 24, 1960, Chamberlain pulled down 55 rebounds in a game against Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics, a league record. He also scored 34 points, leading all scorers. But the Philadelphia Warriors lost 132-129.
Notable birthdays
November 19, 1921 Brooklyn Dodger catcher Roy Campanella was born in Philadelphia, PA
November 19, 1930 Former Danish tennis player Kurt Nielsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark
November 19, 1979 Colorado Rockies first baseman Ryan Howard was born in St. Louis, MO
November 20, 1981 Former NBA player Carlos Boozer, who currently plays in the Chinese League, was born in Aschaffenburg, Germany
November 21, 1920 Former MLB outfielder and Hall of Famer Stan Musial was born in Donora, PA
November 21, 1944 Former NBA player Earl “the Pearl” Monroe was born in Philadelphia, PA
November 21, 1966 Former NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Troy Aikman was born in West Covina, CA
November 21, 1969 Longtime MLB outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. was born in Donora, PA
November 21, 1971 Former NFL defensive end for the New York Giants Michael Strahan was born in Houston, TX
November 22, 1943 Legendary tennis player Billie Jean King was born in Long Beach, CA
November 24, 1938 The Big O, Oscar Robertson, was born in Charlotte, TN
November 25, 1914 New York Yankees center fielder and 9-time World Series champion “Joltin” Joe DiMaggio was born in Martinez, CA
November 25, 1965 Former NFL wide receiver Cris Carter was born in Troy, OH
November 25, 1976 Former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb was born in Chicago, IL
November 25, 1981 Former Spanish footballer Xabi Alonso was born in Tolosa, Spain
