LA’s 100 Greatest Moments (From 1996)
*Please note that all moments before 2005 are listed chronologically and not ranked.
2005
USC routs Oklahoma in Orange Bowl, 55-19, in BCS title game for second straight national championship. (January 4)
Reggie Bush wins the Heisman Trophy, becoming 7th Trojan and second in a row to win the award. (December 10)
Angels pitcher Bartolo Colon wins the Cy Young award. (November 8)
Southern California native Tiger Woods wins the Masters for the 4th time, winning on first hole of a sudden-death playoff. (April 10)
USC defeats Notre Dame, 34-31, as Matt Leinart scores from 1-yard line with :03 remaining. (October 15)
Giacomo wins the Kentucky Derby as a 50-1 longshot for owners Jerome & Ann Moss of Los Angeles. (May 7)
Angels defeat Yankees in the Division Series 3 games to 2 to advance to A.L. Championship Series. (October 10)
UCLA rallies late to beat Stanford, overcoming a 24-3 deficit in final eight minutes to win in overtime, 30-27. (October 29)
Galaxy wins the MLS Cup, 1-0, against New England Revolution in extra time. (November 13)
Justin Gatlin wins double gold in the sprints, taking the 100m and 200m at the 2005 USA Track & Field National Championships at the Home Depot Center. (June 24-26)
2004
USC beats Michigan in the Rose Bowl game, 28-14, to finish #1 in AP rankings for its first national title in 25 years. (Jan. 1)
Laker Shaquille O'Neal is named MVP of the NBA All-Star game at Staples Center, scoring 24 points to lead West squad to a 136-132 victory. (Feb. 15)
UCLA women's teams win four NCAA national championships over an 8-week period: gymnastics, softball, golf, track & field. (April 16-June 12)
Derek Fisher's buzzer-beater gives Lakers Game 5 win against San Antonio, 74-73, in Western Conference semifinals; Lakers wrap up series in Game 6 and reach NBA Finals for fourth time in five years. (May 13)
Cal State Fullerton wins College World Series, defeating Texas, 3-2, to win the best of three series, two games to none. (June 27)
Dodger Eric Gagne's record consecutive saves streak, which began in 2002, reaches 85 in an 8-5 win against Anaheim before finally ending two nights later versus Arizona. (July 3)
Michael Phelps, star of the Athens Games, qualifies in a record-setting six individual events during the U.S. Olympic Swimming trials in Long Beach; three world records are set at the meet, including one by Phelps. (July 7-14)
Steve Finley's ninth-inning grand slam vs. Giants clinches Dodgers' first division title in 9 years and sets stage for Jose Lima's shutout of Cardinals, 4-0, one week later for team's first playoff win since 1988. (Oct. 2 & 9)
Vladimir Guerrero's MVP-Award winning season leads the Angels to the American League Western Division title as the team qualified for the postseason for the second time in three years. (Oct. 2)
Led by eventual Heisman-winning quarterback Matt Leinart, USC defeats UCLA, 29-24, to finish the regular season 12-0 and ranked #1 in BCS standings. (Dec. 4)
2003
USC routs Iowa in the Orange Bowl, 38-17, and ends the football season ranked #4 nationally (Jan. 2)
Laker Kobe Bryant scores at least 40 points in 9 consecutive games setting an NBA record (Feb. 6-23)
UCLA named Ben Howland its new basketball coach, the first time a former national coach of the year has been hired for the position.(April 3)
The new Home Depot Center opens in Carson; the Home Depot Track & Field Invitational is the inaugural event, drawing a sellout crowd of 10,094 (June 1)
Anaheim Mighty Ducks make the NHL playoffs for the first time in four years and advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time ever, eventually losing to New Jersey in seven games (April-June)
Lennox Lewis beats Vitali Klitschko at Staples Center in the first heavyweight title fight held in L.A. in 45 years; Lewis wins by 6th round KO (June 21)
Dodger Eric Gagne sets consecutive saves record and finishes a perfect 55-for-55 in save opportunities en route to winning the National League Cy Young award (September)
The FIFA Women's World Cup final is held at the Home Depot Center in Carson as Germany beats Sweden, 2-1, in overtime (Oct. 12)
Richard Mandella becomes the first trainer to saddle four winners in a single Breeders' Cup day at Santa Anita (Oct. 25)
USC football team finishes the regular season 11-1 and #1 in both major national polls for the first time since 1972 (December)
2002
Rose Bowl hosts college football's BCS national championship game for the first time as top-ranked Miami defeats no. 2 Nebraska, 37-14. (January)
Michelle Kwan of Torrance beats Sasha Cohen and Sarah Hughes to win 6th national title at U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Staples Center. (January)
First Pac-10 Conference basketball tournament since 1990 held, this time at Staples Center; Arizona beats USC in the championship game. (March)
Shawn Green hits 4 home runs with record-setting 19 total bases in game at Milwaukee. (May)
Lakers sweep New Jersey in NBA Finals for third straight NBA title. (June)
Sparks win second straight WNBA title by beating New York in finals. (August)
Oscar De La Hoya beats Fernando Vargas in "Battle of L.A." for WBA junior middleweight crown. (September)
Angels win Game 7 over San Francisco for first-ever World Series title. (October)
Galaxy defeats New England in overtime to win MLS championship. (October)
Heisman-winning quarterback Carson Palmer leads USC to 10-2 regular season record and wins against Notre Dame and UCLA
2001
Former UCLA quarterback and Rose Bowl MVP Rick Neuheisel returns to Pasadena as coach of Washington and leads Huskies to 34-24 win over Purdue in Rose Bowl Game. (January)
USC basketball team defeats Kentucky to reach Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament. (March)
Michelle Kwan of Torrance wins her 4th world title at the World Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver, Canada. (March)
L.A. Kings upset Detroit 4 games to 2 in playoffs to reach Conference Semi-Finals. (April)
L.A. Lakers beat Philadelphia 4 games to 1 for second consecutive NBA title. (June)
L.A. Sparks defeat Charlotte 2 games to none to win WNBA championship. (December)
No. 1 Long Beach Poly faces second-ranked Concorde De La Salle in first-ever matchup of the top two ranked prep football powers before a standing-room crowd of 17,000 at Long Beach Veterans Stadium. De La Salle wins, 29-15. (October)
Shawn Green sets L.A. Dodgers single-season home run record with 49. (October)
L.A. Galaxy advances to soccer's MLS Cup, losing in overtime to San Jose Earthquakes, 2-1. (October)
USC football team earns bowl bid by shutting out UCLA, 27-0, at the Coliseum. (November)
2000
Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne leads Wisconsin past Stanford in Rose Bowl Game, 17-9. (January)
Michelle Kwan of Torrance skates to gold medal at the World Championships in Nice, France. (April)
Davis Cup tennis quarterfinals are held at the Great Western Forum and U.S. defeats Czechoslovakia in a five-match thriller. (April)
Pro football returns to Los Angeles as L.A. Avengers begin inaugural season. (April)
Lakers rally from 15 points behind in 4th quarter to defeat Portland in Game 7 of Western Conference Finals, sparking NBA title run under first-year coach Phil Jackson. (June)
Championship boxing returns to L.A. as Shane Mosley defeats Oscar de la Hoya in welterweight title bout at Staples Center. (June)
Shaquille O'Neal named NBA's Most Valuable Player in near-unanimous vote. (June)
UCLA football team scores upset wins over two no. 3-ranked teams - Alabama and Michigan - in a 14-day period. (September)
Gold rush by Southern California athletes at Sydney Olympics, led by swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg, track stars Maurice Greene and Marion Jones, and softball pitcher Lisa Fernandez, among others. (September)
Los Angeles submits bid to U.S. Olympics Committee to host 2012 Olympic Games.