1876    The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed.

1914    Babe Ruth makes his debut in Major league baseball.

1920    Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians is hit on the head by a fastball thrown by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees, and dies early the next day. To date, Chapman is the second player to die from injuries sustained in a Major League Baseball game, the first being Doc Powers in 1909.

1935    The first night game in Major League Baseball history is played in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the Cincinnati Reds beating the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 at Crosley Field.

1939    The first Major League Baseball game is telecast, a doubleheader between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, in Brooklyn, New York.

1941    Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians throws the only Opening Day no-hitter in the history of Major League Baseball, beating the Chicago White Sox 1-0.

1941    Joe DiMaggio hits safely for the 56th consecutive game, a streak that still stands as a MLB record.

1951    The "Shot Heard 'Round the World", one of the greatest moments in Major League Baseball history, occurs when the New York Giants' Bobby Thomson hits a game winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca, to win the National League pennant after being down 14 games.

1958    Walter O'Malley's Los Angeles Dodgers host the first Major League Baseball game played on the West Coast of the United States.

1972    Hank Aaron becomes the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to sign a $200,000 contract.

1973    The American League of Major League Baseball begins using the designated hitter.

1981    A 42 day-long strike of Major League Baseball ends.

1981    Baseball: Nolan Ryan sets a Major League record by throwing his fifth no-hitter.

1986    Roger Clemens then of the Boston Red Sox sets a major league baseball record with 20 strikeouts in nine innings against the Seattle Mariners.

1989    Nolan Ryan strikes out Rickey Henderson to become the first Major League Baseball pitcher to record 5,000 strikeouts.

1991    Pitcher Dennis Martinez of the Montreal Expos throws the 15th perfect game in Major League Baseball history, a 2-0 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

1994    Major League Baseball players go on strike. This will force the cancellation of the 1994 World Series.

1994    The Major League Baseball season is canceled because of a strike.