30 Surprising Facts About Sports, People and Places
Sports Trivia: Fun Facts About Your Favorite Games
1. The first Olympic games were held in 776 BC in Greece.
2. Basketball was invented by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith in 1891.
3. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world with over 450 million players.
4. Golf is the only sport played on the moon – astronaut Alan Shepard hit a golf ball during Apollo 14 mission.
People You Didn’t Know Were Athletes
5. Actor Tom Hanks was once a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics farm team.
6. Actress Geena Davis was an archery semi-finalist at the 1999 Pan American Games.
7. Former US President George W. Bush was a part owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team.
Unusual Records in Sports History
8. The longest tennis match ever played lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.
9. The fastest serve in tennis history was clocked at 163.7 mph.
10. The shortest NBA player ever was Muggsy Bogues who stood at just 5 feet 3 inches tall.The Most Influential Coaches and Managers
11. Vince Lombardi won five NFL championships as head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
12. Phil Jackson won 11 NBA titles as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.
Little-Known Stories Behind Famous Stadiums
13. Yankee Stadium in New York City was built on the site of a former garbage dump.
14. The Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California was originally used as a horse racing track.
Quirky Traditions in Sports Around the World
15. In Sweden, they have a tradition called “Allemansrätten” which allows anyone to camp anywhere on private land as long as it’s not too close to homes or farmland. This makes it easy for fans to camp out near skiing events like Vasaloppet.
Surprising Connections Between Different Sports
16. Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth both wore number 42 and are considered two of the greatest athletes of all time.
Interesting Origins of Popular Sports
17. Rugby began when William Webb Ellis picked up a soccer ball and ran with it during a game in England in 1823.
Weird Rules and Customs in Sports
18. In cricket, if a ball hits a bird during play, the batsman can claim a six run penalty.
Legendary Moments in Sports History
19. Muhammad Ali’s famous quote “I am the greatest!” before his fight against Sonny Liston in 1964.