The Shot Heard 'Round the World

Lore & Background

In baseball, the 'Shot Heard 'Round the World' refers to the game-winning walk-off home run by New York Giants outfielder Bobby Thomson off Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca to win the National League pennant on October 3, 1951. In association football, it refers to Paul Caligiuri's winning goal for the United States men's national soccer team in the final qualifying round for the 1990 FIFA World Cup on 19 November 1989. In golf, it refers to an albatross (double eagle) made by Gene Sarazen on the 15th hole in the final round of the 1935 Masters.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Continental Airlines Arena was thick with anticipation, every breath audible against the roar of the crowd. Hakeem Olajuwon dribbled near mid-court, his eyes locked on the rim as Patrick Ewing hovered like a hawk. With three seconds left, Vernon Maxwell slipped the ball into Hakeem's hands. The center took one step back, two steps up, and released the ball in a perfect arc. Time seemed to suspend itself until the net snapped, sealing history.

Reader's Guide

The phrase is not associated with Hakeem Olajuwon or any basketball event. The source article does not mention any basketball application.

Did You Know?

• The phrase originates from the opening stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1837 poem 'Concord Hymn'.
• Internationally, the phrase is primarily associated with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.
• In baseball, Bobby Thomson's home run on October 3, 1951, is called the 'Shot Heard 'Round the World'.
• Paul Caligiuri's goal on 19 November 1989 helped the US qualify for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, their first since 1950.