Sports history on Oct. 31: From firsts to final races

October 31 marks the anniversary of dozens of pivotal moments in sports history.

Records have fallen and new barriers have been broken on this date since the late 1940s. The following events span eight decades of professional and collegiate competition.

Earl Lloyd broke a color barrier in 1950 when he suited up for the Washington Capitols. He became the first African-American to play in an NBA game that day. The Capitols traveled to Rochester and lost to the Royals 78-70.

In 1964, the thoroughbred Kelso ran in a race billed as his final New York start. He won the Jockey Club Gold Cup for the fifth time in a row. Kelso surpassed Round Table to become the all-time money-winning thoroughbred. He completed the two-mile distance in 3 minutes, 19 and 1/5 seconds. That time broke the world record he had set as a three-year-old four years earlier by 1/5 of a second.

Coaching history shifted in 1969 when Lenny Wilkens secured his first win. The Seattle SuperSonics defeated the Cincinnati Royals 129-121. Wilkens would go on to become the NBA's all-time winningest coach.

The 1987 NFL trade season brought major movement for running backs. Eric Dickerson, the league's single-season rushing champion, signed a three-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts. This deal completed a three-way trade. The Los Angeles Rams received two running backs and six top draft picks over two years. Linebacker Cornelius Bennett went to the Buffalo Bills in the third part of the agreement.

College football and basketball produced notable performances in the 1980s and 1990s. Florida State freshman Greg Allen rushed for 322 yards in a 56-31 win over Western Carolina in 1981. In 1998, Tennessee's Tee Martin set NCAA records with 23 straight completions. He finished the 49-14 victory over South Carolina with a 95.8 completion percentage.

The Cleveland Browns earned their first victory in franchise history in 1999. Tim Couch threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Johnson with no time remaining. The expansion team beat New Orleans 21-16.

Recent decades have seen streaks end and titles change hands. The New England Patriots lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-20 in 2004, snapping a 21-game winning streak. In 2012, the Memphis Grizzlies suffered their 12th consecutive opening-night loss, a franchise record. The team had not won an opening game since moving from Vancouver in 2001.

American Pharoah won the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015 by 6 1/2 lengths. It was his final race before retirement. In 2020, Endland defeated Italy 34-5 in Rome to claim the 29th Six-Nations Rugby Championship.

Each of these events is recorded in the historical log for October 31. The dates serve as a permanent record of athletic achievement.