Athletics

Marathon

• August 12 — Enschede Marathon, Netherlands
  • Men's Winner: Peter Wilkinson (GBR) 2:24:12

• December 3 — Fukuoka Marathon, Japan
  • Men's Winner: Pavel Kantorek (CZE) 2:22:05

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Marvin Panch won the Daytona 500
  • NASCAR Championship - Ned Jarrett
• Indianapolis 500 - A.J. Foyt
• USAC Racing - A.J. Foyt won the driving championship
• Formula One Championship - Phil Hill of the United States
• 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Olivier Gendebien / Phil Hill win, driving a Ferrari TR61
• Rally racing - the team of Maurice Martin / Roger Bateau won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Panhard PL17
• Drag racing - Pete Robinson won Top Eliminator at the NHRA Nationals

Baseball

• January 16: Mickey Mantle becomes the highest paid player in Major League Baseball by signing a contract that will pay him $75,000 per season.

• April 11: The former Washington Senators play their first home game in Metropolitan Stadium as the Minnesota Twins

• July 13: In his majors debut, Milwaukee Braves outfielder Mack Jones tied a post-1900 National League record by collecting three singles and a double in his first game.

• Roger Maris hits 61 home runs during the regular season, breaking Babe Ruth's mark of 60 that had stood since 1927

• October - World Series: New York Yankees win 4 games to 1 over the Cincinnati Reds. The series MVP is Whitey Ford of the Yankees.

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
  • Cincinnati wins 70-65 over Ohio St.

• NBA Finals|NBA Finals:
  • Boston Celtics won 4 games to 1 over the St. Louis Hawks

Billiards

• Maureen Baynton won the Women's World Amateur Billiards Championships

Boxing

• June 3 in Los Angeles, California - Emile Griffith knocked out Gaspar Ortega in the 12th round to retain the Welterweight Championship

Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Ercole Baldini of Italy
• Tour de France - Jacques Anquetil of France
• World Cycling Championship: Rik Van Looy of Belgium

Figure Skating

• The World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia were canceled after the entire United States team of skaters, officials, leaders and chaperones all died on February 15 in a plane crash just outside of Belgium while traveling to the competition.

Football (American)

• AFL Championship: Houston Oilers won 10-3 over the San Diego Chargers
• NFL Championship: Green Bay Packers won 37-0 over the New York Giants
• NCAA I-A Championship:
  • University of Alabama (AP)(UPI)
  • Ohio State (FWAA)

Football (Australian rules football)

Hawthorn 13.16 (94) d Footscray 7.9 (51))

Football (Canadian)

• Grey Cup: Winnipeg Blue Bombers win 21-14 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Football (Soccer)

For an extensive coverage see 1961 in football (soccer)

• England - FA Cup: Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 over Leicester City

Golf

Men's professional

• April 6-10 - Masters Tournament - Gary Player becomes the first international golfer to win the Masters.
• June 15-17 - U.S. Open - Gene Littler
• July 11-14 - British Open - Arnold Palmer
• July 28-31 - PGA Championship - Jerry Barber
• PGA Tour money leader - Gary Player - $64,540
• Ryder Cup - United States wins 14 1/2 to 9 1/2 over Britain in team golf.

Men's amateur

• British Amateur - Michael Bonallack
• U.S. Amateur - Jack Nicklaus

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open - Mary Lena Faulk
• LPGA Championship - Mickey Wright
• June 28-July 1 - U.S. Women's Open - Mickey Wright
• Titleholders Championship - Mickey Wright
• LPGA Tour money leader - Mickey Wright - $22,236

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - Lord Fury
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Blue Light
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Molvedo
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Your Highness

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes - Rockavon
  2. Epsom Derby - Psidium
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Aurelius

• United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. May 6 - Kentucky Derby - Carry Back
  2. Preakness Stakes - Carry Back
  3. Belmont Stakes - Sherluck

Harness Racing

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace - Cold Front
  2. Little Brown Jug - Henry T. Adios
  3. Messenger Stakes - Adios Don

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Harlan Dean
  2. Yonkers Trot - Duke Rodney
  3. Kentucky Futurity - Duke Rodney

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Massacre

Ice Hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens

• Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens

• Stanley Cup: Chicago Black Hawks win 4 games to 2 over the Detroit Red Wings

• World Hockey Championship:
  • Men's champion: Trail Smokeaters from Canada

• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship - University of Denver Pioneers defeat St. Lawrence University Saints 12-2 in Denver, CO

Radiosport

• First European Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championships held in Stockholm, Sweden. This event was the first organized international competition in the sport.

Swimming

• August 13 — USA's Becky Collins breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course) during a meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 2:32.8.

• August 19 — US swimmer Carl Robie takes over the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) from his compatriot Michael Troy at a meet in Los Angeles, California, clocking 2:12.6.

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
  1. Australian Open - Roy Emerson
  2. French Open - Manuel Santana
  3. Wimbledon championships - Rod Laver
  4. US Open - Roy Emerson

• Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
  1. Australian Open - Margaret Smith
  2. French Open - Ann Haydon
  3. Wimbledon championships - Angela Mortimer
  4. US Open - Darlene Hard

• Davis Cup: Australia won 5-0 over Italy in world tennis.

Multi-sport events

• Pan Arab Games held in Casablanca, Morocco

• Second Summer Universiade held in Sofia, Bulgaria

Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year: Roger Maris, Major League Baseball
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year: Wilma Rudolph, Track and field

Births

January

• January 1 — Maurits Hendriks, Dutch field hockey coach
• January 1 — Albin Killat, German diver
• January 2 — Alberto Mercado, Puerto Rican boxer
• January 2 — Carole Teffri, French field hockey player
• January 4 — John Brenner, American shot putter
• January 6 — Harriet van Ettekoven, Dutch rower
• January 7 — Enrique Campos, Venezuelan road bicycle racer
• January 11 — Graham Welbourn, Canadian swimmer
• January 13 — Joaquim Silva, Portuguese long-distance runner
• January 15 — Jerry Page, American boxer
• January 17 — Adriana Barbu, Romanian long-distance runner
• January 22 — Dan Frost, Danish track cyclist
• January 23 — Jörg Müller, Swiss track cyclist and road bicycle racer
• January 26 — Francisco Centelles, Cuban high jumper
• January 26 — Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player
• January 31 — Miguel de Paz, Spanish field hockey player

February

• February 1 — Stan van Belkum, Dutch water polo player
• February 1 — Volker Fried, German field hockey player
• February 6 — Bernd Dittert, German cyclist
• February 11 — Mary Docter, American speed skater
• February 14 — Iginia Boccalandro, Venezuelan luger
• February 15 — Marc Benninga, Dutch field hockey player
• February 18 — Harold Arroyo, Puerto Rican boxer
• February 20 — Steve Lundquist, American swimmer
• February 21 — Davey Allison, American automobile racer (d. 1993)
• February 21 — Marívi González, Spanish field hockey player
• February 23 — Sylvie Ruegger, Canadian long-distance runner
• February 24 — Tyke Peacock, American high jumper
• February 28 — János Váradi, Hungarian boxer
• February 28 — Biljana Petrovi?, Croatian high jumper

March

• March 2 — Ken Goodwin, Canadian field hockey goalkeeper
• March 4 — René Klaassen, Dutch field hockey defender
• March 4 — Ray Mancini, Italian-American boxer
• March 8 — Federico Moreira, Uruguayan road bicycle racer and track cyclist
• March 10 — Mitch Gaylord, American gymnast
• March 10 — Bobby Petrino, American college football coach
• March 10 — Ben Spijkers, Dutch judoka
• March 12 — Mary Nevill, British field hockey player
• March 21 — Daniel Castellani, Argentine volleyball player
• March 21 — Lothar Matthäus, German football player
• March 24 — Maureen O?Toole, American water polo player
• March 24 — Pat Turner, Canadian rower

April

• April 5 — Jan Tops, Dutch equestrian
• April 6 — Brenda Stauffer, American field hockey player
• April 15 — Tiina Lillak, Finnish javelin thrower
• April 19 — Kirsten Emmelmann, East German track and field athlete
• April 20 — Yelena Didilenko-Korban, Soviet track and field sprinter
• April 21 — Ronald Florijn, Dutch rower
• April 23 — Bryan Carbis, British ice speed skater
• April 23 — Gilberto Passani, Italian volleyball player
• April 30 — Irina Bogachova, Kyrgyz long-distance runner

May

• May 2 — Ronnie Baxter, English darts player
• May 2 — Peter Doohan, Australian tennis player
• May 4 — Luis Herrera, Colombian cyclist
• May 7 — Diana Elliott, British high jumper
• May 8 — Andrea Pollack, East German butterfly swimmer
• May 10 — Viktor Deputatov, Soviet field hockey player
• May 13 — Dennis Rodman, American NBA player
• May 15 — Isidro Rico, Mexican marathon runner
• May 20 — Adauto Domingues, Brazilian middle-distance runner
• May 21 — Viktor Kuznetsov, Soviet backstroke swimmer
• May 24 — Trevor Porritt, Canadian field hockey player
• May 27 — Jill Sterkel, American freestyle swimmer

June

• June 1 — Werner Günthör, Swiss track and field athlete
• June 3 — Peter Vidmar, American gymnast
• June 5 — Ramesh Krishnan, Indian tennis player
• June 9 — Andreas Berger, Austrian track and field sprinter
• June 14 — Mihai Cioc, Romanian judoka
• June 16 — Marjolein Eijsvogel, Dutch field hockey forward
• June 16 — Stuart Grimshaw, New Zealand field hockey player
• June 23 — Stanley Floyd, American track and field sprinter
• June 24 — Juan Arnoldo Cayasso, Costa Rican soccer player
• June 26 — Greg LeMond, American cyclist, three-time Tour de France winner

July

• July 1 — Carl Lewis, American athletics legend, nine-time Olympic gold medalist
• July 7 — Steve Brace, Welsh long-distance runner
• July 7 — Chun Chil-Sung, South Korean boxer
• July 17 — Blair Horn, Canadian rower
• July 20 — Ria Visser, Dutch ice speed skater
• July 22 — Patrick McDonough, American track cyclist
• July 24 — Brian McMahon, Canadian coxswain
• July 26 — Danie Visser, South African tennis player
• July 28 — Alexander Kurlovitch, Soviet weightlifter
• July 28 — Yannick Dalmas, French Formula One driver

August

• August 1 — Peter Evans, Australian breaststroke swimmer
• August 3 — Ken Wark, Australian field hockey player
• August 12 — Peter Szmidt, Canadian swimmer
• August 16 — Sandy Lister, British field hockey player
• August 19 — Danuta Bartoszek, Polish-Canadian long-distance runner
• August 20 — Lizanne Bussieres, Canadian long-distance runner
• August 23 — Eloína Echevarría, Cuban long jumper
• August 24 — Ingrid Berghmans, Belgian judoka
• August 29 — Carsten Fischer, German field hockey player
• August 29 — Armando Martínez, Cuban boxer
• August 30 — Salvatore Todisco, Italian boxer

September

• September 1 — Karen Smyers, American triathlete
• September 2 — Carlos Valderrama, Colombian football player
• September 3 — Nick Brown, British tennis player
• September 6 — Akira Kuroiwa, Japanese ice speed skater
• September 7 — Deb Covey, Canadian field hockey player
• September 7 — Donald Curry, American boxer
• September 10 — Jörg and Uwe Freimuth, East German track and field athletes
• September 15 — Dan Marino, American football player
• September 18 — Denis Lambert, Canadian boxer
• September 20 — Juan de la Garza, Mexican javelin thrower
• September 24 — Nancy Garapick, Canadian backstroke swimmer
• September 25 — Eduardo Martínez, Argentine beach volleyball player
• September 25 — Frankie Randall, American boxer
• September 28 — Yordanka Donkova, Bulgarian hurdling athlete
• September 28 — Shannon Smith, Canadian freestyle swimmer
• September 30 — Hidde Kruize, Dutch field hockey striker

October

• October 2 — Nico Verhoeven, Dutch cyclist
• October 9 — Osmiro de Souza Silva, Brazilian long-distance runner
• October 10 — Ferdinando De Giorgi, Italian volleyball player and coach
• October 10 — Gary Hurring, New Zealand swimmer
• October 10 — Michael Omondi, Kenyan field hockey midfielder (d. 2008)
• October 11 — Steve Young, American football player
• October 12 — Diego García, Spanish long-distance runner
• October 15 — Jon Uriarte, Argentine volleyball player
• October 17 — Vaclavas Kidykas, Lithuanian discus thrower
• October 21 — Pablo Arraya, Peruvian tennis player
• October 21 — Douglas Partie, American volleyball player
• October 21 — Manuel Vilchez, Venezuelan boxer
• October 22 — Barbara Potter, American tennis player
• October 25 — Alison Webb, Canadian judoka
• October 26 — Manuel Estiarte, Spanish water polo player
• October 28 — Biaggio Chianese, Italian boxer

November

• November 4 — Catharina Neelissen, Dutch rower
• November 10 — Rob Smith, Australia-born Canadian field hockey player
• November 12 — Nadia Comaneci, Romanian-born gymnast
• November 12 — Enzo Francéscoli, Uruguayan football (soccer) player
• November 17 — Karolina Szabó, Hungarian long-distance runner
• November 21 — José Moreira, Brazilian swimmer
• November 28 — Salvatore Bettiol, Italian long-distance runner
• November 30 — Nicolette Hellemans, Dutch rower

December

• December 2 — Kim Hagger, English track and field athlete
• December 8 — Stephane Bonneau, Canadian tennis player
• December 9 — Kerstin Brandt, East German high jumper
• December 10 — Mark McKoy, Canadian hurdler
• December 13 — Ranza Clark, Canadian middle distance runner
• December 19 — Reggie White, American football player
• December 19 — Juan Martin Coggi, Argentine boxer
• December 20 — Freddie Spencer, American motorcycle racer
• December 27 — Tomi Poikolainen, Finnish archer
• December 27 — Harbhajan Rai, Indian-born Canadian field hockey player
• December 31 — Shelley Fruin, New Zealand cricketer

Deaths

• February 15 — Bradley Lord, U.S. men's figure skating champion
• February 15 — Maribel Vinson-Owen, U.S. figure skating champion & coach
• February 15 — Maribel Yerxa Owen, U.S. figure skating champion
• February 15 — Laurence Richon Owen, U.S. figure skating champion
• June 23 — Richard Gunn (90), English boxer (b. 1871)
• July 17 — Ty Cobb, American Major League Baseball player
• August 1 — Adrie Voorting (30), Dutch road bicycle and track cyclist (b. 1931)
• November 25 — Hubert van Innis (95), Belgian archer (b. 1866)
• December 3 — Pat O'Hara Wood (70), Australian tennis player (b. 1891)

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