August 16, 1954 – The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published. The magazine’s founding was a huge boon to the country’s struggling helmet phone industry.

August 17, 1894 – Philadelphia’s Sam Thompson hits for the cycle in a 29-4 victory over Louisville, whose pitcher, Jack Wadsworth, sets a major league record by giving up 36 hits. Wadsworth’s ineptitude overshadowed Thompson’s cycle because in addition to the 36 hits, he pitched for the cycle three times over.

August 18, 1992 – Larry Bird retires after 13 years with the Boston Celtics. Bird said he was retiring because he could no longer afford to turn down the big money offers he had long received from modeling agencies.

August 19, 1931 – Jockey Bill Shoemaker is born premature in Fabens, Texas, and is so tiny his grandmother places him in a shoebox and uses an oven as a makeshift incubator. His grandmother also tried to bathe him in a pot of boiling water before Shoemaker was rescued by social services.

August 20, 1964 – Phil Linz of the New York Yankees is fined $200 for playing a harmonica on the team bus after the Yankees had just lost a four-game series to the Chicago White Sox. After hearing about his fine, Linz picked up his trombone and played a single “wa-wah” note.

August 21, 1887 – Philadelphia pitcher Dan Casey strikes out in the ninth inning of a game against New York, which many believe provided the inspiration for the famous poem “Casey at the Bat.” Others believe Casey’s whiff provided the inspiration for the lesser-known poem “Dan Casey F—king Sucks.”

August 22, 2003 – Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals goes 0-for-5 to end a 30-game hit streak. The streak was the longest in major league history by a player over the age of 35.