Sports History Flashcards
Learn about the greats in sports and what they did for the world.
Which American heavyweight boxer, active during the 1960s and 70s, famously changed his name from Cassius Clay after joining the Nation of Islam?
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali championed religious freedom and racial justice and became known for his forceful personality.
He was stripped of his boxing title (and did not fight for almost four years during his prime) after he refused conscription into the military during the Vietnam War.
Ali won historic matches against Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman.
Which American basketball shooting guard owns the highest per game scoring average in NBA history and won 2 three-peats of NBA championships for the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s?
Michael Jordan
Known for his signature line of sneakers, his dunking and scoring ability, and his competitive will, Michael Jordan became one of the world’s most famous athletes and celebrities in the 1980s and 90s.
Which American baseball pitcher and right fielder played most famously for the New York Yankees in the 1910s, 20s, and 30s and held the record for career home runs until 1974?
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth became a well-known celebrity in the Roaring Twenties and helped transform baseball.
Which American second baseman played baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1940s and 50s and was the first black MLB player of the modern era, breaking the color line when he debuted with the Dodgers in 1947?
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was also a 6-time All-Star, 1-time World Series champion, and 1-time NL MVP. His number 42 is retired by all MLB teams.
Which Canadian ice hockey center, nicknamed The Great One, played for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, and New York Rangers in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, and is the leading point-scorer in NHL history?
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky won 9 Hart Trophies as the league’s most valuable player, won 4 Stanley Cup championships with the Oilers in the 80s, and had his number 99 retired by all NHL teams.
Which Brazilian soccer striker, who played most famously for Santos in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, and scored over 1000 goals in his career?
Pelé
Seen as a global ambassador for soccer and a national hero in Brazil, Pelé led his home country to 3 World Cup titles in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
His full name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento.
Which Argentine soccer attacker played most notably for Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona, and Napoli from the 1970s through the 1990s?
Diego Maradona
Diege Maradona led Argentina to victory at the 1986 World Cup, where he scored two of the most famous goals ever (both against England).
Known for his bravado and outspoken nature, he was seen as a legend in his home country.
Which American tennis player is frequently credited, along with her sister Venus, with ushering in an era of power tennis in the women’s game?
Serena Williams
Known for her unique on-court fashion sense, Serena Williams has won more than 30 Grand Slam titles and been ranked World No. 1 throughout much of the 2000s.
In 2021, the movie King Richard showed how the Williams sisters reached the top of women’s tennis together with their father Richard Williams (played by Will Smith) as their biggest supporter.
Serena’s sister Venus also ranks among the greats in professional tennis and has won multiple Grand Slams.
Which Heisman Trophy-winning American football running back played for the Buffalo Bills in the 1960s, 70s, and mid-90s, and was acquitted of the murder of two people after a highly publicized criminal trial that incited racial tensions?
O.J. Simpson
The only player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a 14-game season, O.J. Simpson had became a popular actor and broadcaster after retiring from football.
Two widely known elements of his arrest and trial were the low-speed LAPD/news helicopter chase of his white Ford Bronco and an infamous bloody glove.
He is now serving prison time for an unrelated series of felonies.
Which American swimmer notably qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15 and has gone on to become the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 22 total medals?
Michael Phelps
He has won a record 18 Olympic gold medals and famously won 8 gold medals at the 2008 Games alone.
Which American basketball center, known as a great rebounder and defender, played for the Boston Celtics in the 1950s and 60s and keyed a Celtics dynasty that saw him win 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons?
Bill Russell
A prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement, Bill Russel had a rivalry with Wilt Chamberlain.
Which American tennis player and golfer was the first black athlete to cross the color line of international tennis and won 11 Grand Slam tournaments, becoming the first person of color to win a Grand Slam with her French Open title in 1956?
Althea Gibson
In the 1960s, Althea Gibson became the first black player to compete on the women’s professional golf tour.
Which American alpine ski racer has won more World Cup races than any other woman in history, and became the first American woman to win the Olympic gold medal in downhill (in 2010)?
Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn is generally regarded as the face of alpine skiing in the U.S.
Which American football quarterback played for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, and won 4 Super Bowls with the 49ers?
Joe Montana
Joe Montana also ranks among football’s all-time leaders in touchdown passes (273) and passing yards (40,551).
Which 1950s English athlete is best known for being the first man to run a mile in under four minutes, achieved in 1954?
Roger Bannister
After his retirement from athletics, Bannister spent the rest of his life practicing medicine in the field of neurology.
Which American basketball center played in the 1990s and 2000s for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, and won 3 WNBA MVPs, 2 WNBA titles, and 4 Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. women’s national team?
Lisa Leslie
Lisa Leslie continued her sports career as a coach, team owner, and commentator.
Which American heavyweight boxer, known for his powerful knockouts and eccentric behavior, held the world heavyweight titles at various points in the 1980s and 90s and famously bit Evander Holyfield’s ear in their 1997 bout?
Mike Tyson
After his boxing career, Mike Tyson published an autobiography about his life called Undisputed Truth.
He then went on to play in several blockbuster films such as Rocky VI, The Hangover, and Ip Man 3.
Which American basketball player and coach, most famous for coaching the UCLA Bruins from 1948-1975, won 10 NCAA championships in a 12-year period as coach of UCLA?
John Wooden
John Wooden was the first person inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.
Which 20th-century American football coach, for whom the NFL’s Super Bowl trophy is named, led the Green Bay Packers to six NFL Championships and to victories in the first two Super Bowls?
Vince Lombardi
Due to Lombardi’s efforts in the NFL, the sport’s popularity skyrocketed and he became a model of successful leadership.
Which American baseball first baseman played for the New York Yankees in the 1920s and 30s and was forced to retire in 1939 due to ALS, which claimed his life two years later?
Lou Gehrig
Gehrig was a 6-time World Series champion and a 2-time AL MVP.
He played in 2,130 consecutive games, a record that stood for 56 years and was only beaten by Cal Ripken in 1995.
Since Gehrig’s death due to ALS, the medical condition has often been referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” in the U.S.
Which American track and field sprinter and long jumper famously starred in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, winning 4 gold medals?
Jesse Owens
The performance by Jesse Owens in Berlin was notable in that it countered Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler’s promotion of supposed Aryan racial superiority.
Which American golfer, whose name is used to designate a drink consisting of lemonade and iced tea, turned pro in 1954 and became the first superstar of the sport’s television age?
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer had a rivalry with his friend Jack Nicklaus and won 7 major championships.
Which American basketball point guard, noted for his great size for the position, played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, and retired in 1991 after contracting HIV?
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson is remembered for his showmanship and passing ability, and for helping to popularize the NBA on an international level along with Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.
Since he famously retired, he has served as an advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness, as well as a successful businessman.
Which American basketball small forward, known for his all-around skills and shooting ability in spite of his lack of elite athleticism, played for the Boston Celtics in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, winning 3 NBA MVPs and 3 NBA titles?
Larry Bird
Larry Bird helped popularize basketball as a global game along with Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
He later became a coach and executive, and is the only person in NBA history to be named MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.
