Athletics

• September 6 — Czechoslovakia's Antonie Briksová sets a new world record in the women's 20 km walk in Prague: 2:24:00.
• September 14 — Czechoslovakia's Antonie Odvárková breaks the world record in the women's 20 km walk in Prague, clocking 2:14:07.

Auto Racing

• Grand Prix racing - Main article: 1931 Grand Prix season. European Champion: Ferdinando Minoia
• 24 hours of Le Mans: Earl Howe and Tim Birkin, driving an Alfa Romeo 8C.
• Louis Schneider wins the Indy 500.

Baseball (Major League)

• World Series: The St. Louis Cardinals (101-53, NL) defeated the Philadelphia Athletics (107-45, AL) four games to three.
• MVP Awards: NL: Frankie Frisch; AL: Lefty Grove
• Debutes: Billy Herman (August 29), Ernie Lombardi (April 15), Red Rolfe (June 29), Dixie Walker (April 28), Paul Derringer (April 16).
• Major trades:
  • December: The St. Louis Cardinals traded Burleigh Grimes to the Chicago Cubs for Bud Teachout and Hack Wilson.

Baseball (Negro League)

• The Negro National League disbands. The St. Louis Stars win the league's last championship.

Basketball

• Northwestern University wins the College Basketball Title.

Boxing

• Heavyweight Champion: Undisputed Max Schmeling

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Francesco Camusso of Italy
• Tour de France - Antonin Magne of France
• World Cycling Championship: Learco Guerra of Italy

Figure Skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Karl Schäfer, Austria
  • Women's champion: Sonja Henie, Norway
  • Pairs champions: Emilia Rotter & László Szollás, Hungary

Football (American)

• Green Bay Packers win the NFL title with a 13-2 record.
• USC wins the College Football Title.

Football (Australian rules football)

• Victorian Football League
  • Geelong wins the 35th VFL Premiership (Geelong 9.14 (68) d Richmond 7.6 (48))
  • Brownlow Medal awarded to Haydn Bunton, Sr (Fitzroy)

Football (Canadian)

• Grey Cup: Montreal AAA win 22-0 over the Regina Roughriders

Football (soccer)

Brazil

• Founding of Botafogo Futebol Clube (PB)
• Founding of Esporte Clube Bahia

England

• First Division - Arsenal win the 1930-31 title, becoming the first Southern club to do so.
• FA Cup - West Bromwich Albion beat Birmingham City 2-1.

Golf

Men's professional

• June 2-5 - British Open - Tommy Armour
• July 3-6 - U.S. Open - Billy Burke
• September 14 - PGA Championship - Tom Creavy

Men's amateur

• British Amateur - Eric Martin-Smith
• U.S. Amateur - Francis Ouimet

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open - June Beebe

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - White Nose
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Froth Blower
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Pearl Cap
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Sea Serpent

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes - Cameronian
  2. Epsom Derby - Cameronian
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Sandwich

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. May 16 - Kentucky Derby - Twenty Grand
  2. Preakness Stakes - Mate
  3. Belmont Stakes - Twenty Grand

Harness Racing

• Hambletonian - Calumet Butler
• Kentucky Futurity - The Protector

Ice Hockey

• Stanley Cup: The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Chicago Black Hawks three games to two.

• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's: Gold: Canada, Silver: U.S., Bronze: Austria

Rugby Union

• Six Nations Championship - Wales

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship: Joe Davis beats Tom Dennis 25-21

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open - Jack Crawford
  2. French Open - Jean Borotra
  3. Wimbledon championships - Sidney Wood
  4. US Open - H. Ellsworth Vines

• Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
  1. Australian Open - Coral Buttsworth
  2. French Open - Cilly Aussem
  3. Wimbledon championships - Cilly Aussem
  4. US Open - Helen Wills Moody

• Davis Cup - France wins 3-2 over Great Britain

Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year: Pepper Martin, Major League Baseball
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year: Helene Madison, Swimming

Births

• January 4 — Guido Messina, Italian road bicycle and track cyclist
• January 17 — Don Zimmer, American baseball coach
• January 31 — Ernie Banks, American baseball player
• February 1 — Marino Morettini, Italian road bicycle and track cyclist (d. 1990)
• February 15 — Adrie Voorting, Dutch road bicycle and track cyclist (d. 1961)
• February 24 — Maria Pi?tkowska, Polish athlete
• March 14 — Frank Sando, British long-distance runner
• March 17 — Alejandro Ortuoste, Filipino boxer
• March 19 — Alan Newton, British track cyclist
• March 23 — Yevgeny Grishin, Soviet-Russian speedskater (d. 2005)
• April 3 — Ricardo Senn, Argentine cyclist
• April 7 — Jeff Elliott, British decathlete and pole vaulter
• May 6 — Willie Mays, American baseball hall of famer
• May 8 — Bob Clotworthy, American diver
• May 21 — Mino de Rossi, Italian road bicycle and track cyclist
• June 11 — Moos Linneman, Dutch boxer
• June 24 — Billy Casper, American golfer
• July 10 — Phil Coleman, American middle- and long-distance runner
• September 15 — Lincoln Hurring, New Zealand swimmer
• September 16 — Werner Lueg, German middle distance runner
• October 11 — Tadeusz Rut, Polish hammer thrower (d. 2002)
• October 12 — Thomas Nicholls, British boxer
• October 13 — Eddie Mathews, American baseball player (d. 2001)
• October 21 — Mickey Mantle, American baseball player (d. 1995)
• November 9 — Eric Sandstrom, British track and field sprinter
• November 29 — André Noyelle, Belgian road cyclist (d. 2003)
• November 30 — Bill Walsh, American football head coach (d. 2007)
• December 8 — Bob Arum, American boxing promoter

• Ken Boyer
• Jim Bunning
• Bill Virdon

Deaths

• September 17 — Marvin Hart, former heavyweight boxing champion
• October 7 — Eugen Schmidt (57), Danish shooter and athlete (b. 1874)

• Jack Chesbro
• Charles Comiskey
• Roger Connor
• Knute Rockne

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