World Basketball Day
December 21 · Level 10 · #156 of 2238
This day celebrates basketball, a game where one shot at the hoop can bring together schoolkids and pros. The date is tied to the first game, played in December 1891.
How it is celebrated: courts host open training sessions, street tournaments and friendly games, and clubs and schools invite newcomers to try shooting hoops.
The game was invented by physical education teacher James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts. He used peach baskets instead of modern hoops, so after each score someone had to fetch the ball by hand.