1976 - Ted Turner, owner of UHF television station WTCG which already broadcasts Atlanta Braves games, buys the team for $12 million, largely with borrowed funds. He will soon turn his television station into a national superstation, on which Braves games are a staple product.
1997 - Former Atlanta Braves knuckleballer Phil Niekro is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, becoming the 227th member of the Hall. He receives 80.34% of the vote, as former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton falls nine votes short of election.