A team was founded in 1924 in a working-class section of Philadelphia called Frankford. Funding came from Frankford businessmen and players were recruited from the graduating classes of local colleges. The team was known as the Frankford Yellow Jackets. The Yellow Jackets declared bankruptcy in 1931. Burt Bell and Ludlow Wray purchased the Yellow Jackets in 1933 and the team became the Philadelphia Eagles.
Source: Professional Sports Team Histories: v.3 Football, 1994, p.377, Michael L. LaBlanc, 796.0973 P942s
The Philadelphia Athletics was founded in 1902 by Connie Mack. The team won the first night football game on November 21, 1902. They won 39-0 over Kanaweola AC at Elmira, NY. Both the Athletics and Pittsburgh claimed the championship title for that year, and the issue was never resolved.
Source: The Football Encyclopedia: The Complete History of Professional NFL Football from 1892 to the present, 1991, p.17, David S. Neft and Richard M. Cohen, 796.3326 N299f
The first Army-Navy game was held Nov. 29, 1890, at West Point, NY. Navy won, with the final score 24-0.
Source: What happened when, p. 381
The first National League game was played on April 22, 1876 in Philadelphia. The Boston Beaneaters defeated the Philadelphia Athletics 6-5; there were 18 hits and 18 errors.
Source: Phila. Inquirer, 1/25/76
For many years an annual round robin basketball tournament has taken place in Philadelphia with these "Big Five" participants: La Salle Univ.; Univ. of Pennsylvania; Villanova Univ.; Temple Univ.; and St. Joseph's Univ.
Source: Phila. Inquirer, 5/14/91
The Little League World Series is held in South Williamsport, PA every August at the Howard J. Lamade Stadium. The first Little League World Series was played at the Max M. Brown Memorial Park in Williamsport, PA. Williamsport is the original home of the Little Leagues. The Maynard Midgets of Williamsport won the series on August 21, 1947, over the Lock Haven team.
Source: Famous First Facts About Sports, 2001, p.31, Irene M. Franck and David M. Brownstone, 796 F8475f
The first World Series was played in Boston, MA and Pittsburgh, PA from October 1 to October 13, 1903. It was held between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the Boston Pilgrims of the American League. It was intended as a nine-game series and Boston won five games to three.
Source: Famous First Facts About Sports, 2001, p.21, Irene M. Franck and David M. Brownstone, 796 F8475f
In 1933 Bert Bell and Ludlow Wray purchased the rights to a Philadelphia football team called the Yellow Jackets. They called the new club the Philadelphia Eagles in honor of the symbol Franklin Roosevelt had chosen to represent the New Deal and the National Recovery legislation. They chose blue and yellow for the team colors because those were Philadelphia's city colors.
Source: Professional Sports Team Histories: v.3 Football, 1994, p.377, Michael L. LaBlanc, 796.0973 P942s
He pitched a perfect game on June 21, 1964, which was Father's Day that year. This was the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. It was the first perfect game during the regular season in the major leagues in forty-two years, and the first ever in the National League.
Source: The New Phillies Encyclopedia, 1993, p.192, Rich Westcott and Frank Bilovsky, 796.3576 W522n
The Flyers won the Stanley Cup for the first time on May 19, 1974. The losing team was the Boston Bruins.
Source: Philadelphia Almanac and Citizen's Manual, 1995, p.195, Kenneth Finkel, 974.811 P53AA
A boxing match between Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey was staged in a stadium built for the Sesquicentennial. This stadium, first called Municipal and then later J.F.K., was at the time it was built the largest in the U.S.. It was torn down in the 1990s.
Source: Fairmount Park, a History and Guidebook, 1974, p.39, Esther M. Klein, 917.481 K672f
On January 8, 2004 the Phillies closed their offices at the Vet for the last time. At seven in the morning on March 21, 2004 Demolition Dynamics imploded the stadium.
Source: Veterans Stadium: Field of Memories, 2005, p.200, 203, 204, Rich Westcott, 796.068 W522v