June 19

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Events

1943

• The National Football League approved the merger of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1972

• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the anti-trust exemption that major league baseball uses was Constitutional. The court then called upon the U.S. Congress to repeal the sport's special status.

1973

• Gordie Howe left the NHL to join his sons Mark Howe and Marty Howe in the World Hockey Association. The three would play for the Houston Aeros.
• Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds got the 2,000th hit of his career.

1983

• Michael Jordan is drafted to the Chicago Bulls in the 1983 NBA Draft, being passed up by the Portland Trail Blazers and New York Knicks.

1996

• Mario Lemieux wons his third Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player and also won the Lester B. Pearson Trophy.

1999

• The Dallas Stars won their first Stanley Cup by defeating the Buffalo Sabres in the third overtime of game six. The game actually ended on June 20th.

Debuts

1846

• The New York Knickerbocker Club played the New York Club in the first baseball game at the Elysian Field, Hoboken, NJ. It was the first organized baseball game.

1867

• In New York, the Belmont Stakes was run for the first time.

Births

1903

• Lou Gehrig was born in New York

1976

• Dustan Mohr was born in Missouri

Deaths

1986

• University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias died of a cocaine-induced seizure.