May 25

May 25, 1948: The New York Black Yankees defeat the Newark Eagles in their opening home game double header after moving to Redwings Stadium. This was the team's first and only season based in Rochester as the Negro National League folded after the 1948 season.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Negro League Baseball Players Association: Gem of local baseball history found, Feb 26, 2006
2. Wikipedia: New York Black Yankees

April 21

April 21, 1951: The Rochester Royals (who would later move and become the Sacramento Kings) win game 7 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals, beating the New York Knickerbockers.

 

 

Sources and Further Reading

1. Wikipedia: 1951 NBA Finals
2. Wikipeidia: Sacramento Kings

February 27

February 27, 1957: The Rochester Community Baseball Inc, a publicly owned company led by Morrie Silver, successfully purchased the Red Wings and the Red Wings Stadium (later renamed as Silver Stadium) from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. Wikipedia: Rochester Redwings

November 6

November 6, 1948: The Rochester Royals, in their first home game after joining the Basketball Association of American (which would later become the National Basketball Association or NBA), defeat the Indianapolis Jets. In 1957, the Royals would move to Cincinnati and then to Kansas City in 1972, changing their name to the Kings. The Kings finally ending up in Sacramento in 1985.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. Basketball Reference.com: Team Scores
2. Wikipedia: Sacramento Kings 

November 6, 1829: Sam Patch successfully jumps 100 feet over Rochester's High Falls. One week later, he died making a second attempt.

Sources and Further Reading:

1. Wikipedia: Sam Patch
2. Rochester History (1991), vol 53, no 3, pg 9-10

October 27

October 27, 1955
The Rochester Community War Memorial opens to the public.
Sources:

Rochester Amerks: The Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial (pg 295)

Update: The new Blue Cross Arena website indicates that the War Memorial "Opens for Business" on October 18, 1955.  The total construction cost was $7.5 million. 

Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial: Arena History

October 14

1956: The Rochester Amerks hockey team played their first home game, tying Cleveland 2-2.

Source:
Amerks.pdf (2008): Important Dates in the History of the Rochester War Memorial and the Blue Cross Arena; page 295

October 8

October 8

1961: The first match of the Rochester Curling Club is held.

Further Reading

RochesterCurling.org: History


1815: The first wedding in Rochester was celebrated between Delia Scantom and Jehiel Barnard, owner of the first tailor shop.

Further Reading

History of Rochester and Monroe County, New York (1908); Peck, William F.; page 40

October 3

October 3, 1920: The Rochester Jeffersons played their first match after joining the newly formed American Professional Football Association (which in 1922 would be renamed the National Football League or NFL) at the Rochester Baseball Park, defeating the All-Buffalo team. The Jeffersons lasted until the 1925 season before finally folding following four seasons without a win.

See Also:

1. NFLHistory.net
2. Wikipedia: Rochester Jefferons
3. RochesterJeffersons.com