40 Fascinating Facts That Will Blow Your Mind
1. Sports Trivia: 20 Facts That Will Surprise You
The first Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 776 BC.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world with an estimated 3.5 billion fans.
The shortest player to ever play in the NBA was Muggsy Bogues at only 5 feet 3 inches tall.
The fastest pitch ever thrown in Major League Baseball was clocked at 105 mph by Aroldis Chapman.
Golf has been played on the moon – astronaut Alan Shepard hit a golf ball there in 1971.
LeBron James’ jersey number (#23) has been retired by both the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The highest score ever recorded in bowling is a perfect game of 300 points.
The oldest person to complete a marathon was 86-year old Harriette Thompson who finished the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in 2015.
The longest tennis match in history lasted for over 11 hours and ended with John Isner defeating Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set.
2. People in Sports: 10 Incredible Stories of Athletes Who Overcame Adversity
Terry Fox ran a marathon every day for 143 days straight while battling bone cancer.
Muhammad Ali refused to be drafted into the Vietnam War due to religious beliefs and lost his boxing license as a result.
Shaquem Griffin was born with amniotic band syndrome which caused him to have no left hand but he went on to become a professional football player.
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison before becoming South Africa’s first black president.
Derek Redmond tore his hamstring during the 1992 Olympics but continued running with help from his father.
Rulon Gardner won gold in wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics despite having no formal training and working full time as a farmer.
Wilma Rudolph contracted polio as a child but went on to win three gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Vince Lombardi had a lifelong battle with diabetes but still became one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.
Tony Hawk turned pro at age 14 after being inspired by his older brother Steve who died in a car accident when Tony was just 11.
Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics despite facing racial discrimination and Nazi propaganda.
3. Places with Sporting Connections: 5 Fascinating Locations Around the World
Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois is home to the Cubs baseball team and is known for its ivy covered walls and iconic sign.
The Sydney Opera House in Australia hosted the sailing events during the 2000 Summer Olympics.
The Colosseum in Rome, Italy was used for gladiator fights and public spectacles such as animal hunts and mock sea battles.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana is the largest sports venue in the world with a capacity of up to 400,000 people.
The Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky is best known for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby horse race.
4. Fun Facts About Sports: 8 Interesting Things You Didn’t Know
Basketball was invented by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith in December 1891.
The first Super Bowl was played in January 1967 between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
The word “goal” comes from the Irish language and means “target”.
The Boston Marathon was first run in April 1897 and is the oldest continuously running marathon in the world.
Rugby union was created in England in 1871 when two schools combined their different versions of football.
The NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament (March Madness) began in 1939 with only eight teams participating.
The longest winning streak in college basketball history belongs to the UCLA Bruins who won 88 games in a row from 1971-1974.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup started in 1991 and has since grown to include 24 teams competing for the title.