Jan. 26: First Winter Olympics
On Jan. 26, 1924, the Winter Olympics were inaugurated in Chamonix, France. Appropriately named the First Winter Olympic Games, the games were attended by over 10,000 people who paid to be there.
Jan. 27: Serena Williams wins her third Australian Open Singles title
On Jan. 27, 2007, Serena Williams won her third Australian Open Singles title. This marked an important point in the prominent athlete’s career as it was her eighth Grand Slam win and what many considered her most unlikely match to win.
Jan. 28: J E Clair withdraws Green Bay from the NFL
On Jan. 28, 1922, J E Clair, as well as the Green Bay management team, withdrew Green Bay from the American Pro Football Association, or what would later be known as the National Football League. The team was withdrawn after it was discovered they had used two players who were still enrolled in university and had not graduated. Curly Lambeau, the future owner of the team, vowed that he would buy back the Green Bay team and rejoin the NFL. While Lambeau actually went broke trying to buy the team back and restore them to a proud NFL team, a local nonprofit raised money for them and was appointed the management of the team, setting Lambeau as the coach and head manager.
Jan. 29: The first members in the NFL Hall of Fame were named
On Jan. 29, 1963, the first players to be granted spaces in the National Football League Hall of Fame were announced. There were 17 people named and the group consisted of 11 former football players, five members of different management teams and one founder.
Jan. 30: The new owners of the Boston Braves ask newspapers to pick a new nickname
After acquiring the baseball team the Boston Braves in 1935, the new owners requested that a local newspaperman pick a new name for the team based on fan requests and responses. The newspaper received hundreds of entrees and they finally landed on the “Boston Bees.” However, the name never really got the traction that the owners hoped it would and it was eventually changed back to the Boston Braves; however, in the future they would come to be known as the Atlanta Braves.
Jan. 31: The Dallas Cowboys win the Super Bowl XXVII
On Jan. 31, 1993, the Dallas Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl XXVII. This set a record in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills as it was their third loss in a title game.
Feb. 1: Stockton passes Magic for most career assists in NBA history
On Feb. 1, 1995, Utah Jazz player John Stockton completed 16 career assists in one game, passing former record holder Magic Johnson, who had a record of 11 career assists. Stockton’s record remains the record for the National Basketball Association.
