June 12 produced baseball’s original perfect game, first-time champions in multiple leagues and the opening of the world’s largest soccer tournament.
Featured Events
1880 – Baseball’s First Perfect Game
Worcester pitcher Lee Richmond retired all 27 Cleveland batters on June 12, 1880, completing the first perfect game in professional baseball history. The Ruby Legs won 1-0. Five days later, John Montgomery Ward threw a second perfect game for Providence, making 1880 the only season in major league history with two. Richmond’s outing began a lineage spanning 145-plus years and only 24 total perfect games, from Don Larsen’s 1956 World Series gem to Felix Hernandez in 2012.
2019 – Blues Win Their First Stanley Cup
The St. Louis Blues defeated the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 7 on June 12, 2019, claiming the first championship in franchise history. St. Louis had held the NHL’s worst record in early January before rallying to win 30 of their final 49 regular-season games and reach the playoffs. Ryan O’Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. The title ended a 52-year wait for a team that had reached the Stanley Cup Finals in each of its first three seasons (1968, 1969, 1970) without winning any of them.
2014 – FIFA World Cup Opens in Brazil
The 2014 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 12 in São Paulo, with host Brazil facing Croatia in the opening match. Brazil won 3-1, overcoming an early Marcelo own goal through two Neymar strikes and a late Oscar finish. The tournament ran across 12 Brazilian cities through July 13. Germany ultimately won the title, but the lasting image of the competition was Brazil’s 7-1 semifinal collapse against Germany on home soil, one of the most stunning results in World Cup history.
2011 – Mavericks Win Their First NBA Title
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat 105-95 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 12, 2011, winning the franchise’s first championship. Dirk Nowitzki, who averaged 26.0 points per game in the series, was named Finals MVP. Dallas overcame a Heat team featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in their first season together. The title validated Nowitzki as one of the game’s all-time greats and remains the only championship in Mavericks history.
Additional Notable Events
1939: The National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum officially opens in Cooperstown, New York, honoring inaugural inductees including Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner.
2011: Jenson Button wins the Canadian Grand Prix from near-last place after a rain-suspended race lasting nearly four hours, one of the most chaotic Formula 1 races of the modern era.
1970: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis throws a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in a 2-0 victory.
